ADRC News

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison completed a study that offers clues into how sleep and exercise affect Alzheimer’s disease risk. 

The study, “Cardiorespiratory Fitness Modifies Influence of Sleep Problems on Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in an At-Risk Cohort,” was published online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease. The research was led by Lena Law and members of the Ozioma Okonkwo lab, which studies exercise and Alzheimer’s disease risk. 

Law explains, “Alzheimer’s disease...

The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) hosted eight area high school sophomores and juniors for a half-day Alzheimer’s disease research experience on November 21, 2019, at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. The students are part of the inaugural class of fellows and honorable mentions from the Research Education Component (REC) Junior Fellowship, a program that aims to cultivate the next generation of Alzheimer’s disease scientists. The students attended a...

Art Walaszek, MD, professor of psychiatry and an investigator in the Wisconsin ADRC, joined Wisconsin Public Radio to talk about how to make the holidays more enjoyable for a person living with dementia. He shared tips on how to make family gatherings more enjoyable and discussed how caregivers can manage the extra stress that comes with the holiday season.

Listen to "How to Make Holiday Gatherings Inclusive for Relatives with Dementia," which aired on...

As someone who is a caregiver to someone living with dementia knows, the holiday can be overwhelming time. Caregivers may experience extra stress and the person who has dementia may have stress from holiday schedule or routine changes, disorienting decorations, or crowds. Nathaniel Chin, MD, assistant professor of medicine (geriatrics) and Wisconsin ADRC director of medical services, was interviewed by Consumer Reports about managing caregiver stress during the holidays. He said planning can help...

The Northwoods of Wisconsin is a serene setting for anyone who loves the great outdoors — clean lakes and streams for fishing and water recreation, dense forests and wildlife, and a lot of peace and quiet. But rural northern Wisconsin has an older population than the state average, and isolation from resources and family is a common theme for its elderly demographic. With age being the leading risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, the need for dementia...

As the Wisconsin State Journal reported in a 3-day investigative series about dementia, the role of physical activity in maintaining brain health is investigated in the lab of Ozioma Okonkwo, PhD, Wisconsin ADRC investigator and a clinical psychologist at UW-Madison. A study Okonkwo presented at a conference in August 2019 involved 23 middle-age adults in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) who weren’t physically active. For six months, 11 of them exercised regularly and other study...

Sterling Johnson, PhD, Barbara Bendlin, PhD, and Brad Christian, PhD, were interviewed in the Wisconsin State Journal as part of a 3-day investigative series titled “Fading away: Wisconsin’s dementia crisis.” The article included updates on how Wisconsin ADRC researchers use brain imaging and fecal samples to help answer questions about brain disease progression.

Dr. Johnson and Dr. Christian use brain imaging scans to pinpoint signs of Alzheimer’s disease, sometimes many years before symptoms develop...

The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center will host a free community event Wednesday, October 23, from 5 p.m.to 8 p.m., to share recent findings in the study of healthy aging, brain health, and Alzheimer’s disease prevention. Keynote speaker, Dr. Neil Henderson, will examine the connections between diabetes and dementia among American Indian people and share his research on prevention and community health interventions. Additional topics for the evening will focus on the event theme of New...

Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, has been selected by the U.S. Secretary for Health to serve as a member of the prestigious Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services. Under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the council advises the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) to address numerous issues related to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders.

A maximum capacity crowd of nearly 700 people gathered at the Health Science Learning Center in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 18 for the third and final Mini Med School of 2019. Presenters showcased the cutting-edge Alzheimer’s disease research taking place at the UW. Emcee for the evening was Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center director, Sanjay Asthana, MD. Asthana guided attendees through four presentations that offered a glimpse at the hope on the horizon for...