Alzheimer’s and Dementia: What We Know Now
An internationally-recognized leader in Alzheimer’s research, Stephen Salloway is the Martin M. Zucker Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Neurology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, as well as Associate Director of the Brown Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research. Dr. Salloway graduated from Stanford Medical School and completed residencies in Neurology and Psychiatry at Yale University. He has helped pioneer the development of new brain scans and diagnostic tests, as well as new treatments to slow and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. He has published more than 400 articles and abstracts and edited 3 books. These include lead authorship on pivotal trials in journals such as the Lancet, Nature, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Overview
Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease with the rate doubling every five years starting at 65, ultimately affecting 30-50% of people over age 85. Though common, Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. It is a disease caused by the build-up of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain over many years that eventually produces the degeneration of nerve cells, memory loss and a decline in daily functioning. Many factors can both accelerate and retard this process. Advances in brain imaging and other diagnostic tests can safely detect the plaques and tangles and better determine an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease. New treatment strategies are emerging that can remove the abnormal proteins and slow the course of the disease. Lifestyle interventions such as exercise, diet, brain training and heart health may also promote brain health. In this course, Alzheimer’s researcher Dr. Stephen Salloway will share the earliest brain changes in Alzheimer’s disease and discuss the pros and cons about finding out about Alzheimer’s risk–and the steps that can be taken to slow or prevent the disease.
Discussion Questions:
1. What are the pros and cons about finding out your risk of Alzheimer’s disease?
2. What steps can be taken to delay or prevent the disease?
3. Should I enroll in a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease?
4. What happens in the brain in Alzheimer’s and what slows it down and speeds it up?