Giving Patients a Much-Needed Voice in Alzheimer’s Research

Alzheimer’s is a disease that progresses slowly through its six stages, gradually robbing patients of their memories and abilities while placing great burdens on their caregivers. And as the global population rapidly ages and the number of those with this lengthy and cruel disease increases, the need to find and deliver Alzheimer’s treatments and cures has never been more urgent. The question we face is: How do we direct limited resources to accelerate rapid development, testing and regulatory approval of new treatments, while making sure those treatments provide what patients and their caregivers actually want? The answer is surprisingly simple

Pets and Engaging Those Living with Alzheimer's

There is substantial research supporting the notion that activities involving pets (and in some cases stuffed animals) can be beneficial to people living with Alzheimer’s. These activities usually reach those in the latest stages of the disease—even when they no longer talk or recognize loved ones. Here is some down-to-earth, practical advice on how to involve pets and stuffed animals to engage, comfort, communicate with, and bring joy to your loved one who is living with dementia. These tips are based on my personal experience as a caregiver, articles and books I have published, articles and books published by other

Veterans’ Health Experts Offer Solutions to Clinical Trial Inefficiencies

On April 12 th, I was very excited to participate in a summit focused on improving medical outcomes for veterans through more efficient clinical trials. This summit was put on by the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundation (NAVREF) and hosted at Deloitte in Arlington, Virginia. We were honored to sponsor this event alongside our friends at LUNGevity and our partners at Cohen Veterans Bioscience, and I was so grateful to have the opportunity to address a room full of experts who are committed to prioritizing the health of our veterans. We know that clinical trials offer the

Recap: Research in Action at the UsA2 Tokyo Scientific Roundtable

Last week, ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s co-hosted the Alzheimer’s Scientific Roundtable at the University of Tokyo in Japan, which brought together some of the best and brightest minds engaged in the global battle against this dreaded disease. Our hope is that this meeting will spur the Japanese government to make dementia a central theme of its 2019 G20 leadership. Anyone who has dealt with Alzheimer's knows the terrible toll it takes on patients and their families. I watched in horror as my wife’s brilliant, vibrant, extraordinary mother disappeared into the disease in the early 1990s.Let me take a minute to explain why this

Using Art to Bring Joy to Those Living with Alzheimer’s

Lester Potts, the father of neurologist, Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN, had never held a paintbrush in his life. When he developed Alzheimer’s, he eventually began going to a daycare program. While there, they encouraged him to paint with water colors. Lester produced stunning paintings, and later became an artist of acclaim. His work brought joy to him and to all who viewed it. In fact, Dr. Potts and I admired his paintings so much, we chose one for the cover of our book, “Finding Joy in Alzheimer’s: New Hope for Caregivers.” Research supports the notion that activities using art