ACA’s 12th annual Glow for a Cure night golf tournament, July 26th, Highland Park Golf Course. Spectator tickets are only $30 and include music by Live Wire, auction, BBQ dinner, beer and specialty cocktail. The tournament is presented by our Junior Board and supports the Lindy Harrell Pre-doctoral Scholars Program in Alzheimer’s Research at UAB. ACA has funded 7 student researchers since 2019. https://alzca.org/glow/
Contenu is hosting a retreat that focuses on health and wellness activities for the person with a serious illness and their caregiver, August 24, New Water Farms, Dadeville, 8 am – 4:30 pm. This retreat will focus on health and wellness activities for the person with a serious illness, and their caregivers, with the aim of giving attendees a space to refresh, recharge, and relax. Com. e and enjoy a day of health and wellness. Activities will include sessions like movement and mindfulness, fruit farming, and taking a boat ride. The cost is $50. Contenu Retreat
Support Group Meetings:
- ACA’s support group with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, July 23, 11 – noon CT. Call (205) 871-7970 ormpiggott@alzca.org. Join us on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85247427423
- CJFS CARES, Mondays at 3 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
- St Lukes Episcopal Church on Tuesdays at 10:15. Contact Betsy Smith (smith35213@gmail.com) or Janis Cole (janiscarole3@aol.com).
- West Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Caregiver Support Group, Tuesdays, contact Nikki Poe, nikki.poe@westal.org.
- M4A’s Caregiver Support Group, 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, 10 – 11:30 am, Montevallo. Contact Robyn James, rjames@m4a.org.
- The Oaks on Parkwood, 4th Tuesday’s, 10:00 am, Contact: Karen Glover, karenrglover@gmail.com.
- CJFS CARES, Tuesdays, 7:00 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
- United Way Area Agency on Aging of Jefferson County, 3rd Tuesday of each month 11:30-12:30, contact Valarie Lawson, vlawson@uwaaa.org
- Leeds, 1st Tuesday, 6:30 pm. Contact Julie Slagle jslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- Pell City, 2nd Tuesday, 2:30 pm. Contact Julie Slagle, jslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- M4A virtual support group, 3rd Wednesday’s 2:00 – 3:00 pm. Contact Chalane Mims, cmims@m4a.org.
- Trinity United Methodist Church, every Thursday at 2:30 pm, contact Ernie at 205-370-0032 or emailewillis@trinitybirmimgham.com.
- Asbury United Methodist Church 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 1:00, contact Maggie Dunaway at mdunaway@asburyonline.org.
- AFTD support group, second Tuesday of the month. Amber Guy: 251-281-5344.
- Discovery United Methodist Church, Hoover, the first and third Thursday of each month. Peggy Harrison: pharrison@discoveryumc.org.
- St. Mark’s UMC, Vestavia Hills, Fridays at 1 pm. Contact Donna Baird: (205)717-9880.
July Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/
Alzheimer’s News:
A new drug for Alzheimer’s was just this month approved by the FDA for use in the United States, in people in the earliest stages of the disease. It’s a monoclonal antibody called Kisunla, by drugmaker Eli Lilly, and it’s part of a new generation of Alzheimer’s drugs designed not only to ease symptoms, but to actually treat the disease pathology itself as it spreads through the brain. Over the past four years, clinics around the world have been conducting extensive phase 2 and then phase 3 clinical trials of Kisunla under its generic name, donanemab. Here are seven key things to know about Kisunla from Being Patient. https://www.beingpatient.com/7-things-to-know-about-new-alzheimers-drug-kisunla/?utm_source=Being+Patient+Newsletter&utm_campaign=7748d093b4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_11_06_03_59_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_95b92454c1-7748d093b4-109213217
Individuals who are more active in the evening performed better on cognitive tests than did those who are typically more active in the morning hours, new research suggests. Rather than just being personal preferences, these chronotypes could impact our cognitive function. But the researchers also urged caution when interpreting the findings. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean all morning people have worse cognitive performance. The findings reflect an overall trend where the majority might lean towards better cognition in the evening types. In addition, across-the-board, getting the recommended 7-9 hours of nightly sleep was best for cognitive function, and sleeping for less than 7 or more than 9 hours had detrimental effects on brain function regardless of whether an individual was a night owl or lark. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/night-owl-or-lark-may-affect-cognition-2024a1000cvo?src=FYE&ecd=WNL_recnlnew5_broad_US_perso_etid6677895&uac=407526BK&240718&impID=6677895
Nightmares in middle age are linked to a significantly increased risk for subsequent dementia, new research suggested. Investigators found that middle-aged adults who reported having weekly distressing dreams at baseline had a fourfold increased risk of developing dementia compared with their counterparts who had no nightmares. In addition, older adults who reported nightmares had a twofold increased risk for all-cause dementia. The current study furthers the previous research by analyzing a subset of study participants who had genetic data available that was based on blood tests, saliva samples, and family history to determine if these had any impact on the previous findings. Researchers found that after controlling for genetic factors, the association between distressing dreams and both cognitive decline and dementia remained robust. However, one expert is skeptical that this is the case. It is their opinion that it is well-known that REM sleep behavior disorder may precede dementia by many years. One of the key symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder are nightmares, or ‘distressing dreams’…and this is why clinicians should always ask about sleep and nightmares during consultations in the memory clinic. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/nightmares-middle-age-forerunner-dementia-2024a1000cwo?src=FYE&ecd=WNL_recnlnew1_broad_US_perso_etid6677895&uac=407526BK&240718&impID=6677895
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s A-LIST® is an online community of people invested in our Brain Health. The community includes People Living With Alzheimer’s Disease, Family Caregivers & Healthy Individuals interested in maximizing our Cognitive Health. Their goal is to turn our experiences into data, to inform government, policy, the medical and research industries, and greater society about What Matters Most to the Alzheimer’s Community. Their latest study is “Measuring What Matters Most in Alzheimer’s Disease Next Generation: Phase 2 Study.” This crucial study was developed by The Alzheimer’s Disease Patient and Caregiver Engagement (AD PACE) Initiative. The Study will focus on the impact of Alzheimer’s disease and ranking priorities which help contextualize the lived experience of AD — with the aim of contributing to meaningful, future AD treatments. This important, online AD PACE Study about the lived experience of Alzheimer’s disease is for people living with Alzheimer’s disease (PLWAD), those at risk for AD and Care Partners of people living with AD — across ALL STAGES. There is also aspecial version of this survey for people who have been diagnosed by their physician with Alzheimer’s disease. You can take this Preliminary Survey to see if you qualify for the AD PACE Study here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WMMPLWD1?uid=MTk1MTQwNzQwNzQzMTg=
The MIND (Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Several studies have shown that treating and reducing high blood pressure may help: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/healthy-eating-nutrition-and-diet/healthy-eating-you-age-know-your-food-groups
Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies are currently defined by clinical features, which can be heterogeneous and do not capture the presymptomatic phase of neurodegeneration. Recent advances have enabled the detection of misfolded and aggregated alpha-synuclein protein (synucleinopathy) — a key pathologic feature of these diseases — allowing for earlier and more accurate diagnosis. This has led two international research groups to propose a major shift from a clinical to a biological definition of the disease.https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/major-shift-clinical-definition-parkinsons-triggers-debate-2024a1000cv1?ecd=WNL_trdalrt_pos1_240716_etid6675082&uac=407526BK&impID=6675082
A new gene for early-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been identified, a discovery that experts believe will have important clinical implications in the not-too-distant future. A variant in PMSF1, a proteasome regulator, was identified in 15 families from 13 countries around the world, with 22 affected individuals.https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/new-parkinsons-disease-gene-discovered-2024a1000d3s?ecd=wnl_dne1_240719_MSCPEDIT_etid6681886&uac=407526BK&impID=6681886
Taking antidepressants in midlife was not associated with an increased risk of subsequent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or AD-related dementias (ADRD), data from a large prospective study of US veterans show. Investigators analyzed data from 35,200 US veterans aged ≥ 55 years diagnosed with major depressive disorder and followed them to track a subsequent AD/ADRD diagnoses. 17,000 patients received antidepressants for a median duration of 4 years. Median follow-up time was 3.2 years. There was no significant association between antidepressant exposure and the risk for AD/ADRD. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/antidepressants-and-dementia-risk-new-data-2024a1000asu?ecd=mkm_ret_240714_mscpmrk_psych_anxiety_etid6666913&uac=407526BK&impID=6666913
Vestavia Hills Methodist Church is set to open Restore, a new respite ministry, in August. The program will be open on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 10 – 2 for $40. Participants must be able to eat, toilet and ambulate independently. There are also opportunities for volunteers to support this ministry. Contact Nancy Mosely at 205-769-0153 or nmosley@vhnc.org. Here’s the list of respite programs and adult day care centers:https://alzca.org/adult-day-care-centers/