ADRC News

By Art Walaszek, MD

One of the greatest challenges for patients with dementia and their caregivers is addressing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). BPSD are nearly universal, with around 90% of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia experiencing BPSD at some point in their illness. These symptoms — depression, anxiety, insomnia, apathy, aggression, and hallucinations, among others — can be very distressing to patients and can even pose dangers to patients and...

About 90% of people with dementia suffer from behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) at some point in their illness. These symptoms include aggression, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, anxiety, irritability, apathy, and sleep disturbance, among others. 

Caring for these patients – as a primary care physician, spouse, child, or other caregiver – can be challenging, and for some, overwhelming, but a new book by geriatric psychiatrist and dementia care expert Art Walaszek, MD, aims...

The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and its Research Education Component (REC) are pleased to announce the inaugural group of REC Scholars, exceptional junior investigators who will be supported in their development into independent Alzheimer’s disease researchers.

The REC Scholars will participate in a rigorous two-year mentored training program designed to ensure research proficiency in broad-based Alzheimer’s disease research. The program will offer specific training in the Wisconsin ADRC’s theme of preclinical biomarkers of...

The UW-Madison Neuroscience & Public Policy Program (N&PP) named Barbara Bendlin, PhD, director of its program. Dr. Bendlin is associate professor in the Department of Medicine Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and an investigator in the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Waisman Center.

Dr. Bendlin collaborates with researchers from various disciplines, including key Wisconsin-based projects, to ask a variety of questions about Alzheimer’s...

Research from Robert D. Sanders, MD, shows major surgery is associated with a small decline in memory and thinking skills as we age -- less than five months of natural brain aging. Dr. Sanders is an assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Anesthesiology and an investigator with the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. His research was published in The BMJ last week.

Read a press release...

Ozioma Okonkwo, PhD, a national expert on Alzheimer's disease risk, presented findings from three recent studies that suggest exercise can reduce Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in people who are at risk for the disease during the the 2019 American Psychological Association annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, August 8-11. In his presentation "Worried About Alzheimer's Disease? Lifestyle (and Good Genes) Holds the Key," Dr. Okonkwo shared research that showed individuals who were physically active had fewer Alzheimer's disease...

Alzheimer’s disease researchers from UW-Madison presented about 50 poster abstracts and about 10 oral abstracts throughout the 2019 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, held July 14-18 in Los Angeles, California. Wisconsin research spanned a wide range of topics, from racial differences in vascular risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease to the connection between proper nouns and beta-amyloid to gut microbes and brain outcome measures.

The national media reported on a number of the studies presented at the conference...

Several members of the Gleason Lab, led by Carey Gleason, PhD, will present abstracts at the 2019 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Los Angeles, California, July 14-18. The following is a list of Gleason Lab presenters and links to their abstracts. Click on the presentation title to access a PDF of each abstract.

Carey Gleason, PhD

Improving Dementia Outcomes in Indian Country: The Oneida Nation Alzheimer’s Disease Project

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Biography

Carey Gleason, PhD, is a scientist and clinician...

Megan Zuelsdorff, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Wisconsin ADRC, accepted a position as a tenure track assistant professor with the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing, beginning August 2019. Since 2016, Dr. Zuelsdorff has been closely affiliated with the Wisconsin ADRC as a member of the Okonkwo lab, led by Dr. Ozioma Okonkwo, and most recently as a scientist on Dr. Carey Gleason's African Americans Fighting Alzheimer's in Midlife (AA-FAiM) study.

Dr. Zuelsdorff has built...

Two research participants who are involved in studies at the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC), as well as center investigators and clinicians, were featured in a national clinical trials promotional campaign sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The NIA released four campaign videos this week in celebration of Clinical Trials Awareness Week (May 13-17, 2019) and in anticipation of Clinical Trials Day (May 20, 2019). The video series, "Why I Participate in Alzheimer's...