USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A September 2, 2015 She Know Everything blog post highlighted a dozen things you didn’t know about Alzheimer’s, including George Vradenburg’s vision for Google Glass as a prosthetic for Alzheimer’s. According to the blog post, “Technologies may re-write the possibilities of life with dementia. Houses are becoming dementia friendly with the help of digital technologies — like fall sensors, “smart” reminders, etc. These technologies will drastically extend a person’s capability of living a life of independence — or even semi-independence. One of the greatest advocates, George Vradenburg, has begun to talk about how Google Glass can be a prosthetic for Alzheimer’s.”

MUST READS AND WATCH 

A September 3, 2015 The New York Times opinion piece by Nicholas Kristof highlighted the success of the Ice Bucket Challenge and pointed to potential breakthroughs for ALS and Alzheimer’s. According to Kristof, “Jonathan Ling, a Johns Hopkins scientist who was the lead author of the Science article, said the new work might also lead to a diagnostic test (though probably not a treatment) for Alzheimer’s. Ling said the research team was also working with experts on cancer and immunology to see if other proteins might perform similar roles as TDP-43, possibly leading to far broader implications.”

A September 2, 2015 Independent Mail article reported that “U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) spoke Wednesday about the toll that Alzheimer’s disease took on his father before he died earlier this year.” According to Rep. Duncan, “I watched my father become more and more aggressive due to the Alzheimer’s disease..My mom struggled with not having a power of attorney to access the funds that were going to be critical to take care of my father.”

A September 2, 2015 The San Diego Union-Tribune article reported that “A newly discovered cause of protein tangles implicated in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases has been reported Wednesday by a team led by San Diego scientists.” According to the article, “Tau normally protects neurons. But excess levels of another protein called appoptosin, produced by a gene of the same name, triggers destruction of tau. Appoptosin increases the activity of an enzyme called caspase, which breaks down tau into disorganized tangles. Besides Alzheimer's, tau-associated diseases include frontal temporal dementia, and progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP.”

Must Watch: A September 2, 2015 Huffington Post article highlighted a moving video of a five year old singing to her grandmother with dementia. According to the article, “A little girl's kind gesture brought a smile to her dementia-stricken great-grandmother's face. Five-year-old Sophie Flynn from Ireland was taken by her parents to meet her great-grandma Brenda Brock, 82, for the first time recently and took everyone by surprise when, instead of being frightened by her granny's condition, she warmed up to her instantly.”

NEWS YOU CAN USE 

A September 2, 2015 The Sunrise Senior Living Blog post offered advice for traveling with an Alzheimer’s patient. According to the post, “If possible, it can be very helpful to stay at the homes of the seniors' family or friends, according to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation. Being around familiar people will reduce older adults' confusion and symptoms. However, if this isn't an option, caregivers should plan to stay in a quiet location where noise and commotion are less likely to make seniors anxious.”