Taking a Closer Look at Cognitive Decline and Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease

Dr. Reisa Sperling returns for another episode of Dementia Matters. After covering her research focused on preclinical Alzheimer’s disease in part one, Dr. Sperling dives deeper into the different factors that can impact cognitive decline and early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and how clinical trials are shaping the field’s understanding of detecting, treating and preventing the disease. Guest: Reisa Sperling, MD, director, Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment (CART), co-principal investigator, Harvard Aging Brain Study, principal investigator, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC), co-leader, A4 Study, co-leader, AHEAD 3-45 Study, professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School   Show Notes Listen to our first episode with Dr. Sperling, “Defining and Addressing Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease,” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and on our website. Read more about the Harvard Aging Brains Study on their website. Read more about the AHEAD Study on their website. Watch “Voices from the AHEAD Alzheimer’s Disease Trial,” featuring Dr. Cynthia Carlsson and a research participant, on YouTube.  Learn more about the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (A4) study here. Learn more about Dr. Sperling in her profile on the Massachusetts General Hospital website.   Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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.

What if there was a way to detect Alzheimer’s disease before clinical signs and symptoms even appeared? Dr. Reisa Sperling joins Dementia Matters for a two-part series covering her research on detecting and treating Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest possible stage, known as preclinical Alzheimer’s. In this episode, Dr. Sperling goes in-depth on amyloid and tau proteins and the implications on early detection and treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s disease. Guest: Reisa Sperling, MD, director, Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment (CART), co-principal investigator, Harvard Aging Brain Study, principal investigator, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC), co-leader, A4 Study, co-leader, AHEAD 3-45 Study, professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School Show Notes Read more about the Harvard Aging Brains Study on their website. Read more about the AHEAD Study on their website. Watch “Voices from the AHEAD Alzheimer’s Disease Trial,” featuring Dr. Cynthia Carlsson and a research participant, on YouTube.  Learn more about the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (A4) study here. Learn more about Dr. Sperling in her profile on the Massachusetts General Hospital website. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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.

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 Show Notes 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. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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. Show Notes 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. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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.

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 Show Notes 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  Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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: 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)   Show Notes 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.   Connect with Us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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 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   Show Notes 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.   Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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: 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)   Show Notes 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.   Connect with Us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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.

When it comes to dementia diagnoses, the earlier, the better, but why is it difficult to detect dementia in its early stages? Moreover, what strategies can be used to improve dementia detection? Dr. Josh Chodosh joins the podcast to answer these questions and discuss how public health initiatives could improve dementia diagnoses. He also talks about his work with the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Center, a public health center focused on early detection and ending the stigma around dementia. Guest: Joshua Chodosh, MD, director, division of geriatric medicine and palliative care, Michael L. Freedman professor of geriatric research, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, staff physician, VA Harbor Healthcare System Show Notes Learn more about the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Public Health Center of Excellence on Early Detection of Dementia on their website. Learn more about the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) in Wisconsin and across the country. Learn more about Dr. Chodosh on his NYU Langone Health bio. Learn more about how to get a dementia diagnosis on our website. Learn how to get a free virtual memory screening through the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) on their website. Connect with Us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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.

Picture this: you are supporting someone experiencing memory changes as a clinician, support person or care partner while they go through the memory clinic process. How do you navigate the challenging conversations surrounding symptoms, diagnoses, care plans and more that come up? Dr. Toby Campbell joins the podcast to discuss the importance of shared decision-making and share strategies for clinicians, care partners and loved ones to help navigate these important conversations with respect and empathy. Guest: Toby Campbell, MD, MS, thoracic medical oncologist, chief of palliative care, UW Health, professor of hematology, medical oncology and palliative care, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Show Notes 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 5/13/2025. After this date, you will no longer be able to access the course or claim credit. Learn more about the SPIKES strategy, mentioned at 20:48, by reading “Breaking bad news: the S-P-I-K-E-S strategy” for free online. Read Dr. Campbell’s article, “Discussing Prognosis and Shared Decision-Making,” mentioned at 27:55 on ScienceDirect’s website. Read Dr. Campbell’s article, “Discussing prognosis: balancing hope and realism,” mentioned at 31:20 on The Cancer Journal’s website. Learn more about PalliTALK and WeTALK on the University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine website. Learn more about Dr. Campbell through his profile on the University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine website. Find Wisconsin-based and online resources for people with dementia and care partners on our website. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] 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.