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Welcome to the new Connections, the newsletter of the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center, a service of the NIA. This issue is the first to adopt our redesigned and updated online format, which we hope will be more accessible and timelier than the printed version.
Along with the change in format and delivery, we've taken a fresh look at the Connections content. As in the past, each issue will highlight NIA-sponsored research, clinical trials, upcoming events, and items recently added to our Alzheimer's Disease Library (AD Lib). Readers will also find new features... More >> |
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New Research Illuminates Memory Loss and Early Dementia"Where are my glasses?" "Remind me who that person is. I can't remember his name." "What's the word I'm looking for? It's right on the tip of my tongue." Sound familiar? As people get older, they often have "senior moments," episodes of minor forgetfulness that can be frustrating. Are these moments part of healthy aging or the first sign of something more serious, like Alzheimer's disease (AD)? More >> |
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Is a Big Belly Bad for the Brain? Examining Body Fat's Ties to DementiaBelly fat may be bad for your brain. A number of recent studies, widely publicized in the media, have suggested that excess adipose tissue (body fat), particularly around the belly, during a person's midlife years may increase the risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), during old age. AD is the most common type of dementia among older people... More >> |
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International AD Meeting Highlights Research AdvancesThe International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD), sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association in Chicago in July 2008, attracted more than 5,400 researchers, physicians, and advocates seeking a better understanding of the complex neurodegenerative disorder... More >> | |
 Caregiving award recognizes two NIA-supported programsThe Rosalyn Carter Leadership in Caregiving Award is among the most prestigious awards in the caregiving field. This award, presented annually by the Rosalyn Carter Institute of Caregiving, recognizes programs that develop and implement innovative approaches to promote collaborations between community agencies and caregiving researchers that bridge the gap between science and practice... Read More >> Research Summaries:
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 Robert Katzman, M.D.The Alzheimer's disease (AD) research community lost a legendary figure and guiding light on September 16, 2008, when Dr. Robert Katzman, 82, died at his home in La Jolla, CA, after a long illness. He was professor emeritus of neurosciences and former chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. More >> |
 Helping Children Understand ADWhen a family member has Alzheimer's disease (AD), it affects everyone in the family, including children and grandchildren. Giving children understandable information about AD can help them cope with Alzheimer's in their family... More >> |
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Clinical Trials and Studies Update |
NOW RECRUITING:
- RAGE Inhibitor (RI) trial
This Phase II trial, conducted by the NIA-supported Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study at 44 sites in the United States, seeks 399 participants, age 50 and older, with mild to moderate AD, to test whether doses of an experimental drug, called a RAGE inhibitor (RI), can help treat memory loss...
- Home-based Assessment for Alzheimer's Disease Prevention (HBA) study
The HBA Study, conducted by the NIA-supported ADCs at 26 sites in the United States, is recruiting 600 healthy volunteers age 75 or older to test the use of mail, telephone, and computer assessments the participant can do at home...
- Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Disease Network (DIAN) study
This international study of an inherited form of early-onset AD is recruiting 300 adults who have a biological parent with a known genetic mutation for AD...
- Gammaglobulin Alzheimer's Partnership (GAP) trial
The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study and Baxter Pharmaceuticals are recruiting 360 volunteers ages 50 to 89 with mild to moderate AD to study the effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin (IGIV)... |
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This newly updated book describes the aging brain and what happens when someone has AD. It also highlights some of the latest research into AD causes, diagnosis, and treatment, and includes a section on support for caregivers, along with a glossary.
This report is a summary, in non-technical language, of AD and recent research on AD conducted or supported by NIA and other parts of NIH. It provides overviews of research on basic mechanisms, genetic and non-genetic risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and caregiving.
This booklet is intended for health care professionals who deal directly with older patients. Its aim is to introduce or reinforce communication skills essential in caring for older patients and their families.  Other new and updated NIA and ADEAR Center publications:
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The following selected materials and resources have been added to the ADEAR Center's searchable, online database of nearly 8,500 current materials related to Alzheimer's disease.
- UCSF YouTube Channel (YouTube and University of California, San Francisco, 2008)—Presents 20 videos dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal dementia and Creutzfeld-Jacob disease.
- Guideline for Alzheimer's Disease Management. Final Report (California Workgroup on Guidelines for Alzheimer's Disease Management, 2008)—Provides clinical practice guidelines for the assessment and management of people with AD.
- Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures 2008 (Alzheimer's Association, 2008)—Provides a comprehensive statistical abstract of AD facts and figures, describing the impact of AD on individuals, families, governments, businesses, and the nation's healthcare system.
- Measurement of Suffering in End-Stage Alzheimer's Disease (ProBook Ltd., 2007)—Describes the Mini-Suffering State Examination (MSSE), a new tool that evaluates suffering in end-stage dementia.
- End-of-Life Namaste Care Program for People with Dementia (Health Professions Press, 2007)—Describes Namaste Care, a holistic, person-centered program to help facilities provide gentle end-of-life care, especially for people with advanced dementia.
- Evercare Study of Family Caregivers—What They Spend, What They Sacrifice: The Personal Financial Toll of Caring for a Loved One (National Alliance for Caregiving, 2007)—Explores the extent to which caregivers pay for food, travel, medical expenses, and other goods and services for relatives and friends 50 and older with chronic conditions that make self-care difficult.
- An Introduction to Lewy Body Dementia (Lewy Body Dementia Association, 2008)—Provides information in an easy-to-read format for people newly diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and those still seeking answers. Also available: A Medical Alert Wallet Card to help patients quickly inform emergency room medical professionals of important medication sensitivities in LBD.
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Selected events
See the ADEAR calendar for an overview of all scheduled, AD-related events by month. |
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