ADRC News

People in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the United States may face greater odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Using a technique they developed that links neighborhood socioeconomic information with brain bank samples, researchers found an association between neighborhood disadvantage and the presence of Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes shown during an autopsy. Study data showed that people who lived in the...

Art Walaszek, MD, a geriatric psychiatrist at UW Health and investigator in the Wisconsin ADRC, was a recent guest on Wisconsin Public Radio's "The Morning Show." He discussed how COVID-19 is affecting people with dementia, shared tips for dementia prevention, and answered listener questions.

"Can Positive Thinking Prevent Dementia?" aired on WPR on June 10, 2020. Listen to an archived recording of the program.

The Wisconsin Partnership Program at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health recently announced 22 new grants totaling $2.7 million to researchers and community organizations across Wisconsin for their efforts to lessen the impact of COVID-19. One of those grants was awarded to a team of principal investigators that includes Carey Gleason, PhD, MS, Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center; Melissa Metoxen, MS, Native American Center for Health Professions community and academic support coordinator; and...

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) featured participants from the Wisconsin ADRC on a new webpage that aims to educate people about the process of brain donation and how people can enroll in a brain donation program. "Brain Donation: A Gift for Future Generations" explains how brain donation helps researchers study brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and how researchers can learn the most from donations from people who participated in research...

Research shows that there is a disproportionate risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) among some groups of people. Women, people living in rural communities, people of color, and people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantages are all more likely to develop AD. By studying these risk differences, researchers gain valuable insights to better understand the disease and interventions that can reduce risk. Recently, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that a stress-related pathway contributes to cognitive aging and...

Congratulations to Dr. Ryan Dougherty, who successfully defended his doctoral dissertation earlier this month and earned his PhD in ​kinesiology with a neuroscience minor. Dr. Dougherty worked in the labs of Ozioma Okonkwo, PhD, in the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and Dane Cook, PhD, in the School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology. His research interests revolve around modifiable lifestyle factors that can be targeted to delay the onset of age-related cognitive decline and...

Mindfulness is defined as a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. The state of mindfulness can be an extremely helpful resource for coping with our current shelter-at-home during COVID-19 by calming the mind and body. It is taking time to check-in and do a non-judgmental evaluation of yourself to see how you are doing and feeling – to...

By Kate Lange, MPH; Eileen Partridge, DNP, AGPCNP-BC; and Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for disability and premature death worldwide (Lim et al., 2012). High blood pressure can result in the complications of heart disease, heart failure, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, kidney disease, retinopathy, and death. In 2005, high blood pressure was associated with one of every six preventable deaths in the United States (Danaie et al., 2009). This modifiable risk...

Two Bendlin lab members earned their PhDs last month after they defended their theses in virtual dissertation defense presentations. Both Jack Hunt and Nick Vogt are in the University of Wisconsin Medical Scientist Training Program, which provides integrated graduate training in scientific research and clinical medicine, leading to a combined MD-PhD degree.

Jack Hunt

"Using Fragile X Syndrome Stem Cells as a Drug Discovery Platform and Investigating the Role of Neighborhood Disadvantage in Neurodegeneration and...

A recent study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing and College of Engineering found that the terminology caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD) use to describe symptoms of AD differs greatly from the terminology clinicians use. The study focuses specifically on symptoms of AD, known as neuropsychiatric symptoms, which include symptoms such as depression, apathy, delusions, hallucinations, agitation, and aggression, among others. "Nomenclature Used by Family Caregivers to Describe...