An expanding field of research is looking at how the gut affects different parts of people’s health, but how does it affect brain health? Drs. Barb Bendlin and Tyler Ulland join the podcast to talk about their 2023 study, which suggests a link between gut health, aging and changes related to Alzheimer’s disease. They discuss their findings on how gut inflammation could impact brain health, as well as explain what it means to have good gut health and how food, medications, where one lives and other factors can impact the gut microbiome.

Guests: Barbara Bendlin, PhD, professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, deputy director, University of Wisconsin (UW) Center for Health Disparities Research, and Tyler Ulland, PhD, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, leader, Ulland Lab

Learn more about the 2024 Fall Community Conversation: The Impact of Social Connections on Brain Health and register to attend in person on our website.

Read Dr. Bendlin and Dr. Ulland’s study, “Gut inflammation associated with age and Alzheimer’s disease pathology: a human cohort study,” on the National Library of Medicine website.

Learn more about Dr. Bendlin and Dr. Uland’s study in the article, “Gut inflammation linked to aging and Alzheimer’s disease,” on the UW School of Medicine and Public Health website.

Learn more about Dr. Ulland from his profile on the Ulland lab webpage.

Learn more about Dr. Bendlin from her profile on the UW Center for Health Disparities Research website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

In this compendium episode, we review some of the best information and research that we’ve shared on the six pillars of brain health. With excerpts highlighting the importance of physical activity, diet, sleep, social engagement and more, our six guests show that there are numerous evidence-based lifestyle interventions that a person can incorporate into their daily lives to improve their brain health and delay the onset of or reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Learn more about the 2024 Fall Community Conversation: The Impact of Social Connections on Brain Health and register to attend in person on our website.

Learn more about exercise and physical activity at 2:57 or by listening to the episode, “Building the Brain: Finding the Cognitive Benefits of Physical Activity,” on our website.

Learn more about the MIND diet at 8:58 or by listening to the episode, “MIND Diet for Healthy Brain Aging,” on our website.

Learn more about the importance of sleep at 14:28 or by listening to the episode, “The Importance of Sleep for a Healthy Life,” on our website.

Learn more about mindfulness as a practice for managing stress at 21:22 or by listening to the episode, “Mindfulness: What Is It, What Are the Benefits, Where to Begin,” on our website.

Learn more about cognitive engagement at 28:10 or by listening to the episode, “Exercise Your Mind: Cognitively Stimulating Activities and Social Engagement,” on our website.

Learn more about social isolation and engagement at 34:44 or by listening to the episode, “The Impact of Social Isolation on Dementia Risk in Older Adults,” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and on our website.

Find more information about the six pillars of brain health and other prevention strategies on our website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

The brain is the most complex part of the human body, controlling thought, memory, emotion, motor skills, sensory input and all the processes that regulate our bodies. How exactly does it work, and how are clinicians able to determine whether brain changes are a result of normal aging, Alzheimer’s disease, or something else? Dr. Victoria Williams joins the podcast to explain important concepts in neuropsychology, from the difference between cognition and intelligence to how memories are made, and discuss how cognitive tests work in memory clinics.

Guest: Victoria Williams, PhD, neuropsychologist, UW Health, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Are you a clinician interested in receiving continuing education (CE) credits for listening to this episode? Find credit designation information, disclosures and evaluation information on our website and on the UW–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) website. The accreditation for this course expires 3/25/2025. After this date, you will no longer be able to access the course or claim credit.

Learn more about the domains and structure of the brain through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) website.

Learn more about Dr. Williams at her bio on the University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, there have been many concerns about how cases of COVID-19 and Long COVID or Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) affect not just a person’s physical health, but their cognition as well. In this episode, Dr. Jim Jackson talks about his path into critical illness research and his dedicated focus on unraveling the impact of Long COVID on cognition. Throughout the discussion, he talks about the parallels between Long COVID and other chronic illnesses, the effects of Long COVID across different demographics, the concurrent challenges faced by older adults and more. 

Guest: James “Jim” Jackson, PsyD, director of long-term outcomes, Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship (CIBS) Center, research associate professor of medicine, director of behavioral health, ICU Recovery Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Learn more about Dr. Jackson’s book, Clearing the Fog: From Surviving to Thriving with Long Covid―A Practical Guide, on Goodreads.

Listen to Dr. Jackson’s interview on NPR’s Fresh Air podcast, “Millions of people have long COVID brain fog — and there's a shortage of answers.”

Learn more about Dr. Jackson at his bio on the Vanderbilt University website.

Learn more about Long COVID or Post-COVID Conditions on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Hearing loss affects roughly 15.5% of Americans 20 years and older. While the majority of these individuals experience mild hearing loss, the prevalence and severity of hearing loss increases with age. What does this sensory change mean for dementia risk, and can this risk be prevented through interventions like hearing aids? Dr. Frank Lin joins the podcast to discuss the relationship between hearing loss and dementia and share findings from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders, or ACHIEVE, study.

Guest: Frank Lin, MD, PhD, director, Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Professor of Otolaryngology, Medicine, Mental Health, and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University

Read more about Dr. Lin’s study, “Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the USA (ACHIEVE): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial,”  in The Lancet.

Learn more about the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, mentioned at 20:01, through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s websites.

Read more about U.S. regulations surrounding over-the-counter hearing aids, mentioned at 34:00, in “‘A New Frontier’ for Hearing Aids,” by The New York Times.

Learn more about Dr. Lin at his bio on the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health website.

Learn more about the ACHIEVE study on their webpage.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Caring for a loved one with cognitive decline can be challenging. While it is a labor of love, burnout is all but inevitable. In this episode kicking off our Voices of Research Participants series with co-host Sarah Walter, Cynthia Sierra touches on her personal experience with caregiver burnout as both a caregiver and research study partner for her mother, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She also shares her unique perspective on Alzheimer’s disease research as someone who started as a family caregiver.

Guest: Cynthia Sierra, MS, LPC, senior project manager, UT Health San Antonio

Co-host: Sarah Walter, MSc, program administrator, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) and Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI)

Learn more about Cynthia Sierra’s research at her ResearchGate profile.

Learn more about Sarah Walter at her bio on the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium website.

Find resources for people with dementia and their care partners on our website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

In the past few years, new therapies shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease in people in the early stages of the disease have been making their way through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval process. With these treatments now available, there are a growing number of questions surrounding who is eligible to take these medications and what processes are needed to ensure they are prescribed safely and effectively. Host Dr. Nathaniel Chin examines the guidelines for geriatricians and clinicians prescribing lecanemab and breaks down the eligibility requirements necessary to receive this treatment.

Read Eisai/Biogen’s “Prescribing Information” for Leqembi online.

Read “Lecanemab: Appropriate Use Recommendations” on the National Library of Medicine website.

Read the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) guidelines for prescribing lecanemab, “Lecanemab-irmb (LEQEMBI) Criteria for Use August 2023,'' online.

Listen to previous Dementia Matters episodes on lecanemab, including “Putting Lecanemab into Practice: A Clinician’s Perspective on the New Alzheimer’s Treatment,” “A Closer Look at the Lecanemab Clinical Trials,” and “Introducing Lecanemab, The Latest Alzheimer’s Disease Drug to Receive FDA Accelerated Approval,” on our website and all major podcast platforms.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

In 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published a report showing promising but inconclusive evidence suggesting that interventions like cognitive training, blood pressure control and increased physical activity reduce a person’s risk for dementia, but what does the research show now? Dr. Luke Stoeckel from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) joins the podcast to share where the research on lifestyle interventions is at, why studies on these interventions are difficult to complete and more.

Guest: Luke Stoeckel, PhD, program director, Mechanistic and Translational Decision Science Program, Division of Behavioral and Social Research (DBSR), NIA

Learn about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on their website.

Read the 2017 National Academies’ report, “Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia,” for free on their website.

Learn about the National Academies’ Research Priorities for Preventing and Treating Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and find upcoming workshops on their website.

Find information on the 2021 National Academies workshop mentioned by Dr. Chin at 1:36 on the National Academies website.

Learn more about Dr. Stoeckel in his bio on the National Institute on Aging website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

In this year-end episode of Dementia Matters, we explore the vital role of philanthropy in advancing Alzheimer's disease research and care. Mr. Dave Adam serves on the board of visitors for the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s (IEA) and is an avid long-distance biker. In this episode, Adam shares his journey of combining his passions for biking and Alzheimer's advocacy. With personal experiences touched by dementia, Dave discusses how he used his solo biking expeditions across Canada and Australia to raise awareness and funds to support prevention and treatment strategies, improve care and benefit researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison seeking a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

Guest: Dave Adam, board of visitors, UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s (IEA) 

Do you like what you are hearing and learning? Make an impact when you make a tax-deductible gift to the Dementia Matters fund of the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Learn more about UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s (IEA) on its website.

Read more about Mr. Adam’s travel and biking stories on his website.

Learn more about Mr. Adam on the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dr. Paul Seidler joins the podcast to discuss his recent study looking at the connection between molecules in green tea and tau proteins. He also discusses the impact those molecules have on preventing cognitive decline and how these findings could lead to new strategies for treating Alzheimer’s disease.

Guest: Paul Seidler, PhD, assistant professor, University of Southern California Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Read more about Dr. Seidler’s study, “Structure-based discovery of small molecules that disaggregate Alzheimer's disease tissue derived tau fibrils in vitro,” on the National Library of Medicine website.

Read the article on the research from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), “Study of green tea and other molecules uncovers new therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s,” on their website.

Learn more about Dr. Seidler on the University of Southern California’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, released an advisory calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness and social isolation in the U.S. With this widespread issue affecting such a broad population, how does social isolation impact older adults? Dr. Alison Huang joins the podcast to share insights from her study on the relationship between social isolation and the risk of dementia in older adults. Using data from a nine-year National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), she discusses how factors like living alone, limited social networks and reduced activity participation contribute to increased dementia risk.

Guest: Alison Huang, PhD, MPH, senior research associate, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Learn more about the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website.

Read Dr. Huang’s study, “Social isolation and 9-year dementia risk in community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries in the United States,” on the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society website.

Learn more about the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) on their website.

Learn more about Dr. Alison Huang on Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health’s website.

Learn more about Alzheimer's disease prevention on our website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Six years following the start of Dementia Matters in October 2017, the podcast team turns the tables on our host, Dr. Nathaniel Chin. Producers Amy Lambright Murphy and Caoilfhinn Rauwerdink talk with Dr. Chin about how the podcast got started, the brain health tips he incorporates into his own life, how he envisions the field of Alzheimer’s disease research advancing in the next five years and other personal insights from the person behind the podcast. Guest: Nathaniel Chin, MD, geriatrician, medical director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention, host, Dementia Matters

Visit our “Prevention” webpage for more on the brain health tips mentioned at 7:07.

Listen to our episode, “Highlights from the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference,” referenced at 10:49, on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about the importance of a healthy diet, mentioned at 8:25, by watching, “Take Care of Your MIND: Reviewing the MIND Diet for Healthy Brain Aging,” on our YouTube channel.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

While genetics and lifestyle can influence one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, other unexpected factors can shift the possibility. One of these factors is personality. Dr. Emorie Beck joins Dementia Matters to share her research on the link between personality and Alzheimer’s risk. Dr. Beck breaks down the Big Five traits that make up someone’s personality and their effects on a person’s cognitive health. 

Guest: Emorie Beck, PhD, assistant professor, University of California, Davis

Read Dr. Beck’s study, “Personality predictors of dementia diagnosis and neuropathological burden: An individual participant data meta-analysis,” through the Alzheimer’s Association Journals website.

Learn more about Dr. Beck on her profile on the UC–Davis website.

Learn more about social isolation by listening to our episode, “The Impact of Social Isolation on Dementia Risk in Older Adults,” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and on our website.

Find out your personality type by taking the FiveThirtyEight Personality Quiz

Test your cognitive ability and participate in studies similar to Dr. Beck’s on TestMyBrain.org 

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Cognitive engagement is vital to keeping your brain healthy since it can slow shrinkage and induce neuroplasticity. While modern technology offers many new tools and games to keep your brain active, are they better than traditional puzzles like crosswords? Dr. Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University joins the podcast to talk about his recent study, in collaboration with principal investigator Dr. Dev Devanand of Columbia University, on the effects of daily crossword puzzles on the brain health of older adults in comparison to daily computerized games. 

Guest: P. Murali Doraiswamy, MBBS, FRCP, director, Neurocognitive Disorders Program, physician scientist, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, professor of psychiatry and medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, co-author, The Alzheimer’s Action Plan

Learn more about Dr. Doraiswamy on Duke University Department of Medicine’s website.

Read Drs. Devanand and Doraiswamy's study, “Computerized Games versus Crosswords Training in Mild Cognitive Impairment,” through the New England Journal of Medicine Evidence.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dementia caregiving is a multifaceted domain, deeply influenced by research, strategy and personal experiences. How are these elements shaping the current and future landscape of care? Dr. Beth Fields joins the podcast to discuss strategies and resources for caregivers from both national, state and personal perspectives, including the CHAT tool, the CAPABLE program and the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.

Guest: Beth Fields, PhD, board-certified occupational therapist, assistant professor, Department of Kinesiology, affiliate faculty member, Center for Aging Research and Education and Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Are you a clinician interested in receiving continuing education (CE) credits for listening to this episode? Find credit designation information, disclosures and evaluation information on our website and on the UW–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) website. The accreditation for this course expires 10/9/2024. After this date, you will no longer be able to access the course or claim credit.

Learn more about the RAISE 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers on the Administration for Community Living’s website.

Read Dr. Fields’ studies on the CHAT tool and CAPABLE program.

Learn more about family caregiver support resources on Trualta’s website.

Visit Wisconsin’s Family Caregiver Support Programs at wisconsincaregiver.org.

Listen to our episode with Dr. Arthur Kleinman, “Exploring the Lessons Learned as a New Caregiver” mentioned at 24:48, on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, or wherever you listen.

Learn more about Dr. Fields on the UW Department of Kinesiology’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Like cognition, mental health is a key component of the brain — and overall — health. In what ways can mental health and chronic mental illness impact a person’s cognition and risk for dementia? Dr. Art Walaszek joins the podcast to discuss the relationships between dementia and chronic mental illnesses, including major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in older adults.

Guest: Art Walaszek, MD, geriatric psychiatrist, professor, vice chair for education and faculty development, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Are you a clinician who’s interested in receiving continuing education (CE) credit for listening to this episode? Find credit designation information, disclosures, and evaluation information on our website and on the UW-Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) website. The accreditation for this course expires 9/18/2024. After this date, you will no longer be able to access the course or claim credit.

If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or are experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.

Learn more about Dr. Walaszek on the UW Department of Psychiatry’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

The 2023 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Amsterdam brought together the world's leading scientists, clinical researchers, early career investigators, caregiving researchers and more to discuss the latest findings and advancements in dementia science. Dr. Percy Griffin joins the podcast to share key highlights from the conference. He discusses the use of CRISPR technology in Alzheimer's research, the significance of defining Alzheimer's by its biology rather than its symptoms and how the field is moving toward a precision medicine approach. 

Guest: Percy Griffin, PhD, director of scientific engagement, Alzheimer’s Association

Learn more about the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Fall Community Conversation on our website, and watch the livestream on our YouTube page.

AAIC is the world’s largest forum dedicated to advancing dementia research. Find more highlights from the conference, including on-demand content that is available to watch through September 20, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. CT, on the AAIC website.

Find news highlights on CRISPR technology, county-level prevalence data on Alzheimer's, the ACHIEVE study and more mentioned by Dr. Griffin on the AAIC website.

Listen to our AAIC 2022 highlights episode with Dr. Griffin, mentioned at 1:15, on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen.

Learn more about Dr. Griffin in his bio on the Alzheimer’s Association’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

How can we ensure that all communities are represented in Alzheimer’s and related dementias research and have access to the latest treatments and interventions? Dr. Carl Hill, the chief diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer for the Alzheimer's Association, joins the podcast to delve into the significance of representation, diversity, equity, equality and inclusion within Alzheimer's disease research. He discusses the challenges of underrepresentation in clinical trials, the importance of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and the social determinants of health that influence Alzheimer's risk.

Guest: Carl V. Hill, PhD, MPH, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Alzheimer's Association

Learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association’s effort in DEI from their inaugural DEI report.

Learn more about race-related topics in Alzheimer’s disease from the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2022 here, including a study on the impact of racism on the brain and findings on racial disparities in health equity and resources in Black and Brown communities.

Listen to Dr. Hill’s past episodes of Dementia Matters, “Scientific Importance Of Diversity In Alzheimer’s Disease Research,” and, “Battling Health Disparities In Aging Research And Care,” on our website.

Learn more about Dr. Hill in his bio on the Alzheimer’s Association’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Many people living with dementia experience behavioral symptoms alongside changes in their cognition. What can care partners and healthcare providers do to manage these behavioral changes? After leading the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s (ADRC) annual Dr. Daniel I. Kaufer Lecture, Dr. Helen Kales joins the podcast to discuss agitation and other behavioral symptoms of dementia, the use of medications to manage these symptoms, and different caregiving approaches for addressing these behavioral changes in people living with dementia.

Guest: Helen Kales, MD, geriatric psychiatrist, Joe P. Tupin Endowed Professor of Psychiatry, Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis

Watch the recording of Dr. Kales’ lecture, "Agitation is not a disease: How can we better manage the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia?,” on YouTube.

Learn more about the DICE approach, discussed at 21:01, on The DICE Approach website.

Learn more about the annual Dr. Daniel I. Kaufer Lecture on our website.

Learn more about Dr. Kales at her bio on the University of California, Davis website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Gina Green-Harris joins the podcast to discuss the importance of collaborating with communities in Alzheimer’s research. Sharing her experience as a researcher with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI) and the All of Us research program, she describes the key tenets of community engagement and explains ways researchers can build intentional, sustainable partnerships with communities throughout the research process This episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations.

Guest: Gina Green-Harris, MBA, director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute Regional Milwaukee Office, co-primary investigator, co-director, University of Wisconsin–Madison’s All of Us research program

Learn more about Gina Green-Harris on the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s website and on the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research’s website.

Learn more about the All of Us Research Program.

Watch a recording of Gina Green-Harris’s talk at NACC’s Fall 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Learn more about the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center at their website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

The APOE gene is recognized as a significant genetic risk factor for cognitive decline, with different alleles, like APOE e2, being seen as protective against decline and others, like APOE e4, indicating an increased risk for cognitive decline. However, new studies are looking at whether these trends are universal across different racial and ethnic groups. Dr. Cally Xiao joins the podcast to discuss her study, which focuses on how different APOE alleles affect risk for Alzheimer’s disease within Hispanic populations compared to non-Hispanic populations.

Guest: Cally Xiao, PhD, Project Specialist, Global Alzheimer’s Association Interactive Network, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, University of Southern California

Follow Dr. Xiao on Twitter. 

Learn more about GAAIN on their website or on Twitter. 

Read more about the study, “Comparison of genetic and health risk factors for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white participants,” online through the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Listen to Sarah Biber’s episode, “The Future Of Sharing And Accessing Alzheimer’s Disease Data,” on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

On July 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval for the Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb), the first medicine shown to delay the course of the disease. Having gone through a rigorous approval process, the medication exemplifies a critical advancement in the ongoing battle to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Having already prescribed the treatment to real-life patients, Dr. Robert Przybelski joins the podcast to discuss his experience prescribing and administering lecanemab, what clinicians and patients should discuss when considering these treatments, and what is needed to integrate these treatments into the healthcare system.

Guest: Robert Przybelski, MD, MS, director, Geriatric Memory Clinics, UW Health, professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Read more about Lecanemab’s Appropriate Use Guidelines on our website.

Read the FDA’s press release, “FDA Converts Novel Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment to Traditional Approval.”

Listen to previous Dementia Matters episodes on lecanemab, “Introducing Lecanemab, The Latest Alzheimer’s Disease Drug to Receive FDA Accelerated Approval,” and “A Closer Look at the Lecanemab Clinical Trials,” on our website and all major podcast platforms.

Listen to Dr. Przybelski’s previous episode of Dementia Matters, “Vitamin Deficiency And Its Impact On Brain Health,” on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dr. Crystal Glover, health equity in aging researcher at Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of increasing brain donations and tissue samples from older adults of underrepresented backgrounds. Dr. Glover talks about the reasons why participants may be interested in brain donations, the barriers that they may face, and the benefits of combining both qualitative and quantitative data within her research. This episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations. 

Guest: Crystal Glover, PhD, leader, Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College

Follow Dr. Glover on Twitter. 

Learn more about Dr. Glover on Rush University’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dementia Matters Special Series: Voices of Research Participants

When Ms. Carol Turner found out her family had a history of Alzheimer’s disease, she wanted to know how she could help herself and others with similar experiences. After learning about the AHEAD Study, which is testing a treatment that could delay memory loss before Alzheimer’s symptoms appear, she signed up to participate in this ground-breaking research. Ms. Turner joins the final episode in our Voices of Research Participants series to discuss her journey as a research participant, how she became an advocate for others in her community and the power of representation in clinical trials.

Guest: Ms. Carol Turner, AHEAD Study participant

Co-host: Sarah Walter, MSc, program administrator, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) and Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI)

Listen to the rest of the Voices of Research Participants series, “From Caregiver to Research Participant: How One Woman’s Experience as a Dementia Caregiver Drew Her to Alzheimer’s Research,” “Living with Lewy Body: A Neurologist’s Journey Through Research and Dementia Care,” and “Advocating for All: The Impact of Community and Equity in Dementia Research” on our website and all podcast platforms.

Watch “Voices from the AHEAD Alzheimer's Disease Trial” featuring Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS on the UW Clinical Trials Institute YouTube.

Learn more about the AHEAD Study on their website.

Learn more about Sarah Walter in her bio on the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium website.

Find resources for people with dementia and their care partners on our website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

On June 9, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) advisory committee unanimously voted to approve lecanemab, moving the treatment one step closer to full FDA approval. In the lead up to the FDA’s official announcement expected in early July, Dr. Paul Aisen joins the podcast to discuss Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials. Aisen,  the founding director of the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI) and a leading figure in Alzheimer’s disease research for over three decades, talks about the Phase 3 clinical trials for lecanemab and gantenerumab and shares highlights from the 2022 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference.

Guest: Paul Aisen, MD, professor of neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Director, Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute 

Find out more about Dr. Aisen on Keck School of Medicine’s website.

Follow the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute on Facebook andTwitter.

Listen to the episode with Dr. Roderick Corriveau, “Mixed Dementia, Explained” on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dr. Lisa Barnes joins the podcast to discuss her research focusing on how social determinants of health, specifically racial differences, affect chronic diseases of aging.She explains the difference between equality, equity and justice, and the different drivers of disparities within the medical field. This episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations. 

Guest: Lisa Barnes, PhD, Alla V. and Solomon Jesmer Professor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, neuropsychologist, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Learn more information about the NACC and watch the presentation recordings from the Spring 2023 ADRC Meeting on their website.

Watch Dr. Barnes’ presentation at the Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, “Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity.”

Read more about the study Dr. Barnes mentions at 16:36, “Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Inequities in Receipt of Multiple National Institutes of Health Research Project Grants,” for free through JAMA Network and through the article, “Scientists with multiple NIH grants are overwhelmingly male and white,” published by Science.

Read more about the study Dr. Barnes mentions at 16:40, “Systemic racial disparities in funding rates at the National Science Foundation,” for free through the National Library of Medicine. 

Learn more about Dr. Barnes on Rush University’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

To mark National Mediterranean Diet Month, Dr. Nathaniel Chin discusses a recent National Institute on Aging-funded study that suggests the MIND and Mediterranean diets — both rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans and fish — are associated with fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of older adults. In this special episode of Dementia Matters, Chin also revisits his interview with the creator of the MIND diet, Dr. Martha Clare Morris, shares recommendations for ten things to incorporate into your diet and five things to limit, and touches on the benefits of intermittent fasting.

This episode was uploaded as an exclusive video episode on the Wisconsin ADRC YouTube page on May 16, 2023. Watch the recording.

Learn more about National Mediterranean Diet Month on our website.

Read the National Institute on Aging’s press release, “MIND and Mediterranean diets linked to fewer signs of Alzheimer’s brain pathology,” published May 4, 2023.

Listen to Dr. Martha Clare Morris’s episode of Dementia Matters, “MIND Diet for Healthy Brain Aging,” on our website.

Listen to Dr. Remi Daviet’s episode of Dementia Matters, “Alcohol And The Brain: One Drink A Day Associated With Brain Shrinkage,” on our website.

Listen to Dr. Mark Mattson’s episode of Dementia Matters, “Intermittent Fasting And Its Effects On The Brain,” on our website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dr. Sarah Biber, the program director for the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC), joins the podcast to discuss efforts to increase representation and equitable practices across the 37 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs). She discusses key disparities in Alzheimer’s disease research, why diversity and inclusion are imperative in research, and what is being done to address these disparities with the data collected from research participants. This episode is the first of an upcoming series featuring speakers from the Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations. 

Guest: Sarah Biber, PhD, program director, National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center

Learn more information about the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center and watch the presentation recordings from the Spring ADRC Meeting on their website.

Watch Dr. Biber’s presentation at the Fall ADRC Meeting, “Delivering on NACC’s Mission Through Modernization,” on YouTube.

Watch Dr. Biber’s presentation at the Fall ADRC Meeting, “Amplifying the Scan Initiative,” on YouTube.

Listen to Dr. Biber’s previous episode, “The Future Of Sharing And Accessing Alzheimer’s Disease Data,” on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Recorded live from the Wisconsin ADRC’s Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias Research Day, Dr. Nathaniel Chin discusses the importance of mentorship and the future of neuroscience and Alzheimer’s disease research with the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC) Neuroscience Next 'One to Watch' award recipients and the event’s organizers.

Guests: Barbara Bendlin, PhD, director, UW-Madison Neuroscience and Public Policy Program, leader, Research Education Component (REC), Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; Claire Sexton, DPhil, senior director of scientific programs and outreach, Alzheimer’s Association; Nadia Dehghani, BS, co-chair, Neuroscience Next Scientific Program Committee; Claire André, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Université de Montréal; Chinmayi Balusu, founder, CEO, Simply Neuroscience; Kacie Deters, PhD, assistant professor, University of California Los Angeles; Kao Lee Yang, MPA/PhD candidate in the Neuroscience and Public Policy Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Learn more about Dr. Barbara Bendlin at her bio on our website.

Learn more about Dr. Claire Sexton at her bio on the Alzheimer’s Association website.

Learn more about Nadia Dehghani at her bio on the Van Andel Institute website.

Learn more about Dr. Claire André, Chinmayi Balusu, Dr. Kacie Deters, and Kao Lee Yang at the press release, “Up-And-Coming Neuroscientists and Mentors Honored at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference Neuroscience Next,” on the Alzheimer’s Association website.

Learn more about Chinmayi Balusu’s company, Simply Neuroscience, on their website.

Learn more about AAIC Neuroscience Next at the Alzheimer’s Association website.

Learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias Research Day on the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dr. Natascha Merten joins the podcast to discuss her study focused on trends in cognitive function across generations. Merten also explains her research on the associations between sensory and motor functions and blood-based biomarkers for neurodegeneration and dementia.

Guest: Natascha Merten, PhD, MS, director, Beaver Dam Offspring Study-Neurocognitive Aging Study, assistant professor, Departments of Population Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Read Dr. Merten’s studies, “Better cognitive function in younger generations - Insights from two cohort studies of middle-aged to older adults in Wisconsin,” and “Associations of sensory and motor function with blood-based biomarkers of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease in midlife,” through ScienceDirect.

Read Dr. Merten’s abstract from the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association’s International Conference through the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

Read about Dr. Merten’s R01 grant, “Dr. Natascha Merten Awarded NIA Funding To Study Sensory Changes Associated With Cognitive Change” on our website.

Learn more about Dr. Merten in her bio on the University of Wisconsin Population Health Sciences website and on her Twitter @NataschaMerten.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dr. Annalise Rahman-Filipiak joins the podcast to discuss her research focused on disclosing neuroimaging biomarkers across diverse populations. She addresses why some people might want to know their biomarker results, while others might not, and how careful disclosure of these results to at-risk individuals may help prepare them and their families for the future through personalized treatment, research engagement, advanced planning and emotional support.

Guest: Annalise Rahman-Filipiak, PhD, assistant professor, neuropsychologist, department of psychiatry, University of Michigan

Learn more about Dr. Rahman-Filipiak on the University of Michigan’s website.

Read Dr. Rahman-Filipiak’s article, “Interest in and perceived benefits and risks of Alzheimer’s disease clinical and biomarker results disclosure among diverse participants and care partners,” at the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia website.

Follow Dr. Rahman-Filipiak on Twitter @RahFlipPhD.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

For families and dementia care partners, palliative care can help improve the quality of life for their loved ones and themselves by addressing physical and emotional needs. However, starting conversations around end-of-life care and planning can be difficult. Dr. Elizabeth Bukowy joins the podcast to explain the difference between palliative and hospice care, share how families and care partners can start these challenging conversations, and discuss why these discussions are essential for quality of life.

Guest: Elizabeth Bukowy, DO, CMD, assistant professor, Medical College of Wisconsin Division of Geriatrics; medical director, Lutheran Home and Congregational Home

Learn more about the 20th Annual Update in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias on the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s website.

Watch the full keynotes of the event on our YouTube channel. Watch the pre-conference workshop for new dementia care professionals on our YouTube channel. Dr. Bukowy’s keynote starts at 1:46:46 in the recording.

Learn more about Dr. Bukowy in her bio on Froedtert Hospital’s  website.

Learn more about palliative care from our past episode, “Palliative Care And Hospice Conversations For Dementia Patients, Families And Caregivers.”

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

When seeking medical information and treatment, different racial and ethnic groups may require specially tailored information to relate to, understand and apply to their own experiences. In this episode, Dr. Fayron Epps joins the podcast to talk about the unique experiences of African American caregivers and her lab's work to provide education and assistance to their needs. Epps seeks to promote quality of life for families affected by dementia through research, education and service. This episode is part of a special three-part series highlighting speakers from the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s 20th Annual Update in Alzheimer’s Research and Related Dementias.

Guest: Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, assistant professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, principal investigator, Faith Village Research Lab, founder, Alter

Learn more about the 20th Annual Update in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias on the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s website.

Watch the full keynotes of the event on our YouTube channel. Dr. Epps’ keynote starts at 1:13:37 in the recording.

Learn more about Dr. Epps on Alter’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an emerging term in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, characterized as the stage between the expected decline in memory and thinking that happens with age and the more severe decline of dementia. In this episode, Dr. Ronald Petersen joins the podcast to talk about how MCI compares to dementia, its many causes, and the impact of new lifestyle and drug interventions on its progression, as well as how his career led him to study Alzheimer's disease and MCI. This episode is part of a special three-part series highlighting speakers from the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s 20th Annual Update in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.

Guest: Ronald C. Petersen, MD, PhD, director, Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, director, Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine

Learn more about the 20th Annual Update in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias on the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s website.

Watch the full keynotes of the event on our YouTube channel. Dr. Petersen’s keynote starts at 22:12 in the recording.

Learn more about Dr. Petersen in his bio on his website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

On this episode of Dementia Matters, Dr. Scott Roberts talks about disclosing genetic test results for APOE, a gene that can increase one’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. While this information can be concerning, Dr. Roberts shares that it can empower individuals to take the necessary precautions to lower their risk of developing the disease. He discusses the Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer’s Disease (REVEAL) study, walks us through the APOE disclosure process and shares how it is evolving with the development of new Alzheimer’s treatments.

Guest: Scott Roberts, PhD, interim chair, professor of health behavior & health education, University of Michigan School of Public Health

Read Dr. Roberts’ article, “Genetic risk assessment for adult children of people with Alzheimer's disease: the Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer's Disease (REVEAL) study,” on the SageJournals website.

Decide if you’re a fit forAPOE testing using Virginia Tech’s ‘Gene Test or Not?’ decision aid tool, mentioned at 17:00 in the episode.

Learn more about Dr. Roberts on his University of Michigan profile.

Learn more about APOE by listening to our episode, “DNA Is Not Your Destiny: Genetics and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk,” with Dr. Corinne Engelman on our website.

Read “WRAP data used in study finding a distinct, genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease” on the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI) website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

In a special episode of Dementia Matters, Drs. Cynthia Carlsson and Sterling Johnson join the podcast to discuss what they know from lecanemab’s clinical trials following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) accelerated approval, granted on January 6, 2023.

Guests: Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, and Sterling Johnson, PhD, leader, Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), associate director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute

This episode was uploaded as an exclusive video episode on the Wisconsin ADRC YouTube page on February 13, 2023. Watch the video interview with Drs. Carlsson and Johnson here.

In a previous episode of Dementia Matters, Dr. Chin gave a brief overview of lecanemab’s clinical trials. Listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, our website, or wherever you listen.

Read more about the AHEAD study and A4 study at their respective websites.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Former Governor of Wisconsin, Martin Schreiber, returns to Dementia Matters to discuss different methods for communicating with a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, including therapeutic fibbing. Governor Schreiber has been a widely outspoken advocate for Alzheimer’s disease while caring for his late wife Elaine, who passed away from the disease in April of 2022. In this episode, he also talks about his book, My Two Elaines, where he opens up about his experience as a caregiver.

Guest: Martin Schreiber, Former Governor of Wisconsin (1977-1979), Former Lt. Governor of Wisconsin (1971-1977)

Learn more about Martin Schreiber and his book, My Two Elaines, at his website, or follow him on Facebook.

Listen to Governor Schreiber’s previous appearance on our website or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

In October 2022, the Alzheimer's Association named Dr. Joanne Pike, the current president of the Association, as the next CEO, succeeding Harry Johns who has served as CEO since 2005. In this episode, Pike and Johns join the podcast to share their insights on how the Alzheimer's Association has grown over the past few decades and the future plans of the association, as well as the next steps in Alzheimer's treatment from both community and medication perspectives.

Guests: Joanne Pike, DrPH, president and CEO, Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, and Harry Johns, former CEO, Alzheimer's Association, former CEO and president, Alzheimer's Impact Movement (AIM), trustee and former chair, World Dementia Council

Learn more about CMS's updated coverage on monoclonal antibody treatment and the Alzheimer's Association’s response at their website.

Learn more about Part the Cloud at their website.

Learn more about the Alzheimer's Association at their website.

Learn more about Dr. Pike in her bio on her website.

Learn more about Mr. Johns in his bio on his website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Host Nathaniel Chin, MD, gives an overview of the new Alzheimer’s treatment Leqembi (lecanemab), and highlights results from the second and third phases of its clinical trials. On January 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb) via the Accelerated Approval pathway for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

In the coming weeks, host Nathaniel Chin will be joined by Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, and Sterling Johnson, PhD, to further discuss lecanemab and the clinical trials’ results. A link to that episode will be added here following its release.

Read the FDA’s news release regarding lecanemab’s accelerated approval on their website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Host Nathaniel Chin, MD, starts the new year by discussing modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, commenting on building healthy lifestyle habits for the new year, and reflecting as Dementia Matters celebrates five years of production.

“Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission” is mentioned at the 4:16 mark. Read the full report on The Lancet’s website.

Our past episode, “Alcohol and the Brain: One Drink a Day Associated with Brain Shrinkage,” is mentioned at the 5:05 mark. Listen on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. 

Our past episode, “Study Finds Air Pollution a Risk Factor For Alzheimer’s Disease,” is mentioned at the 5:07 mark. Listen on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Our past episode, “AARP Study Show Stigma Surrounding Dementia Among Healthcare Professionals And General Public,” is mentioned at the 5:28 mark. Listen on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

As mentioned at the 7:40 mark, learn more about the books The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Atomic Habits by James Clear, on the authors’ respective websites.

Listen to our past episode, “Impacts of Exercise on Brain Health,” mentioned at the 9:37 mark.

Learn about the book, Why Sleep Matters by Matthew Walker, mentioned at the 11:14 mark.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

It’s generally known that mitochondria are the powerhouse of cells, but did you know they can play a significant role in aging processes? Through the field of bioenergetics, scientists are looking to study how changes in mitochondria affect us as we age and their connection to Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Russell Swerdlow joins the podcast to discuss the field of bioenergetics and how mitochondria can impact Alzheimer’s disease and other aspects of aging.

Guest: Russell Swerdlow, MD, director, Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, director, Heartland Center for Mitochondrial Medicine, professor of neurology, University of Kansas

Learn more about Dr. Russell Swerdlow at his bio on the University of Kansas Medical Center’s website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

The field of biomarkers is advancing quickly, allowing preclinical Alzheimer’s disease to be identified earlier and earlier in a person’s life. As individuals learn they are at risk for Alzheimer’s years or even decades before experiencing cognitive decline, what does this mean for them and for society as a whole? Drs. Emily Largent and Claire Erickson join the podcast to discuss ten key areas, such as healthcare, insurance, and direct-to-consumer testing, that should be addressed to support those at risk for cognitive decline and broader U.S. society as biomarker testing and disclosures become more prominent.

Guests: Emily Largent, PhD, RN, Emanuel and Robert Hart Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Claire Erickson, PhD, MPA, postdoctoral fellow, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Read Drs. Emily Largent and Claire Erickson’s paper, “Implications of preclinical Alzheimer's disease biomarker disclosure for US policy and society,” on PubMed Central. 

Learn more about Dr. Largent at her bio on the Penn Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics website.

Learn more about Dr. Erickson at her bio on the Penn Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Though brain and cognitive changes are typically diagnosed as one form of dementia, recent studies have shown that mixed dementia is more common than previously thought. Mixed dementia, also known as Multiple-etiology dementia, is a condition where brain changes are caused by more than one neurological disease, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia (LBD), or frontotemporal dementia. Dr. Roderick Corriveau joins the podcast to discuss what is known about mixed dementia and how the field of studying neurological diseases is advancing to diagnose and treat this condition.

Guest: Roderick Corriveau, PhD, program director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH Lead, Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) Summits

Read more about the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) campaign, “Mind Your Risks,” at the Mind Your Risks website.

Learn more about mixed dementia on the Alzheimer’s Association website.

Learn more about Dr. Corriveau at his bio on the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website.

Learn more about NINDS on their website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Though several validated biomarkers are studied and used in Alzheimer’s disease research, most research participants don’t have the opportunity to learn their biomarker results afterward, even if they have cognitive impairment. Drs. Jason Karlawish and Josh Grill join the podcast to discuss the debate over sharing biomarker results with research participants, how these powerful disclosures can be made ethically, and why it's as important for the field to study biomarker disclosures as it is to study the biomarkers themselves.

Guests: Josh Grill, PhD, director, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, associate professor, University of California, Irvine, and Jason Karlawish, MD, co-director, Penn Memory Center, professor of medicine, medical ethics and health policy, and neurology, University of Pennsylvania

Read Dr. Jason Karlawish and Dr. Josh Grill’s viewpoint piece, “Disclosing Alzheimer Disease Biomarker Results to Research Participants,” from JAMA Neurology’s June 2022 issue.

Listen to our episode with Dr. Daniel Gibbs about his book (mentioned by Dr. Karlawish at 34:21) on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Listen to our past episode on amyloid disclosures with research participants on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Learn more about Dr. Josh Grill at his bio on the University of California - Irvine website.

Learn more about Dr. Jason Karlawish’s work at his website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 6

Concluding our special series on the 2022 Spring ADRC Meeting, Dr. Cerise Elliott joins the podcast to discuss the NIA’s work within the field of Alzheimer’s disease research, how the NIA promotes open science to advance research across the ADRC program, and other key takeaways from the spring meeting.

Guest: Cerise Elliott, PhD, program director for clinical interventions and diagnostics, division of neuroscience, National Institute on Aging

Watch Dr. Cerise Elliott’s session from the Spring ADRC Meeting, “Q&A with Program,” on NACC’s YouTube channel.

Listen to our previous episode with Dr. Elliott, "National Priorities for Dementia and Health Disparities Research," on our website.

Learn more about Dr. Elliott at her bio on the National Institute on Aging website.

Learn more about the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center at their website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dementia Matters Special Series: Voices of Research Participants

What do you do when dementia symptoms begin to upend your entire life? For Brother John-Richard Pagan, the answer was to persist in finding a diagnosis and a supportive community that aligned with his values. In this episode of our Voices of Research Participants series with co-host Sarah Walter, MSc, Br John-Richard describes how he went from a PhD student to a dementia research participant and his journey getting diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (LBD). Br John-Richard also discusses how his background in clinical psychology influenced his participation in research and his advocacy for disabled, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized community members in medical research.

Guest: Br John-Richard Pagan, MS, veteran, monastic, Episcopal Ecumenical Community, advocate, Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA)

Co-host: Sarah Walter, MSc, program administrator, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) and Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI)

Listen to the first episode of the Voices of Research Participants series, “From Caregiver to Research Participant: How One Woman’s Experience as a Dementia Caregiver Drew Her to Alzheimer’s Research,” and “Living with Lewy Body: A Neurologist’s Journey Through Research and Dementia Care,” on our website and all podcast platforms.

Learn more about AGREEDementia and the Participants’ Bill of Rights, mentioned at 17:10 and 30:12, on their website.

Learn more about the Dementia Action Alliance on their website.

Find support and resources from the Lewy Body Dementia Association on their website.

Learn more about Sarah Walter in her bio on the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium website.

Learn more about how to get a dementia diagnosis on our website.

Find resources for people with dementia and their care partners on our website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 5

Whether it be due to new research findings, innovative approaches and ideas, or technological advancements, Alzheimer’s disease research is constantly evolving. Now, dementia research is headed into the digital frontier. Dr. Rhoda Au joins the podcast to discuss digital biomarkers, gamifying cognitive testing, and how the field of Alzheimer’s disease research is entering its digital age.

Guest: Rhoda Au, PhD, digital technology leader, Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, co-principal investigator, director of neuropsychology, Framingham Heart Study, professor, Boston University School of Medicine

Watch Dr. Rhoda Au’s presentation from NACC’s Spring ADRC Meeting on NACC’s YouTube channel.

Learn more about Dr. Au at her bio on the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine website.

Learn more about the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center at their website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 4

Brain imaging is a key tool in Alzheimer’s disease research and diagnoses, allowing scientists to see changes in the brain years, even decades, before an individual experiences symptoms of dementia. The data these images provide researchers with is incredibly useful, leading the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center to take up numerous efforts to standardize, unify and share this type of data across the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers. Dr. Beth Mormino joins the podcast to discuss the NIA’s SCAN initiative, the new “legacy” data set, and the importance of standardizing MRI and PET scan procedures to predict brain trajectories better.

Guest: Beth Mormino, PhD, assistant professor, Stanford University

Learn more about Dr. Mormino’s presentation on the SCAN Legacy project by reading her presentation slides on NACC’s website.

Listen to Dr. Mormino’s last episode on Dementia Matters, “The Science of Alzheimer’s Disease Risk,” on our website.

Learn more about the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center at their website. 

Register for NACC’s Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting on their website. Registration is free and open to the public. The fall meeting, which will focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in Alzheimer’s research, will take place on Thursday, October 20, and Friday, October 21, virtually and in person in Chicago, IL.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 3

With big data comes big responsibility. Dr. Sean Mooney joins the podcast to discuss his work with NACC, the precautions NACC takes to keep participant data secure, and how this data can be used to better predict Alzheimer’s disease risk to allow for earlier interventions.

Guest: Sean Mooney, PhD, associate director of technology, National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center, Chief Research Information Officer, UW Medicine, professor, University of Washington

Watch Dr. Mooney’s talk from NACC’s Spring 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Meeting on NACC's YouTube page.

Learn more about the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center at their website. 

Register for NACC’s Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting on their website. Registration is free and open to the public. The fall meeting, which will focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in Alzheimer’s research, will take place Thursday, October 20th to Friday, October 21st both virtually and in-person in Chicago, IL.

Learn more about Dr. Mooney through his bio on the UW Medicine Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education website.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 2

Dr. Sarah Biber, the program director for NACC, joins the podcast to discuss building a one-stop shop for Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) data and what it means for the future of collaborative Alzheimer’s disease research.

Guest: Sarah Biber, PhD, program director, National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center

Learn more about Dr. Biber’s talk at NACC’s Spring 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Meeting by reading her presentation slides on NACC’s website.

Learn more about the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center at their website.

Register for NACC’s Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting on their website. Registration is free and open to the public. The fall meeting, which will focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in Alzheimer’s research, will take place Thursday, October 20th to Friday, October 21st both virtually and in-person in Chicago, IL.

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.