Alzheimer's of Central Alabama

Serving people with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and professionals in central Alabama through education, caregiver services and research grants.

ACA’s Weekly Email, March 7, 2025

March 10 – 16 is Brain Awareness Week, a global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science.

Signs of Dementia with ACA Executive Director, Miller Piggott, Spring Garden Senior Center, March 10, at 10 am.  201 Spring Gardens Road, 35126.

UAB Arts in Medicine is offering a new weekly music therapy group for memory care patients and their caregivers. The group is free and meets every Wednesday at The Dance Foundation at 10 am, 1715 27th Court South, Homewood.  This group, led by a board-certified music therapist, provides a supportive and joyful environment where music can play a powerful role in enhancing well-being. No Registration Required: Simply show up!  For more info contact: Lauren Edwards at laurenme@uab.edu or Hannah Oakes at hannah@rootedmusictherapy.com.

Free confidential Memory Screening, Hoover Senior Center, March 12, 9 – noon.  For an appointment, contact Charla McClain 205-739-6713.  400 Municipal Drive, Hoover.

AFA Care Connection webinar: Advances in Treating Alzheimer’s Disease: Moving Toward a Breakthrough, March 13, noon – 1 pm CT, https://alzfdn.org/event/afa-care-connection-webinar-march-2025/

Free confidential Memory Screening, Irondale Senior Center, March 19, 9 – noon.  For an appointment, contact Julie Wright 205-951-1418.  5313 Beacon Drive, Irondale.

Aphasia and Communication with ACA Executive Director, Miller Piggott, March 31, Warrior Senior Center, 10:30 am.  100 Church Street, Warrior.

Support Group Meetings:

Alzheimer’s News:

About 6.9 million Americans aged 65 and older have Alzheimer disease, with prevalence and care costs continuing to rise. Explore the latest updates on modifiable risk factors, biomarkers, and disease-modifying therapies that aim to slow cognitive decline.  This article from Medscapes offers an Alzheimer’s overview with pictures, including vignettes.  It is a bit technical, but worth a look.

https://reference.medscape.com/slideshow/alzheimer-disease-6009707

Could a Chronic Gut Infection Trigger Alzheimer’s?  A herpes virus can hang out, dormant, in the gut. But new research suggests it might be sneaking up the vagus nerve and into the brain, where it could spark the onset of Alzheimer’s.  It’s among the latest evidence in a growing mound of research that shows viruses and bacteria might play a critical role in driving neurodegenerative diseases. Trying to answer whether or not viruses cause Alzheimer’s is complicated, in part because scientists still aren’t sure what Alzheimer’s disease is … or whether Alzheimer’s is too broad a term. Scientists have long suspected that what we currently think of as Alzheimer’s might actually be comprised of multiple subtypes, stemming from a range of contributing factors that range from genetic disposition and lifestyle choices to immune system problems, and, yes, viral infections. The latter, also known as Alzheimer’s viral theory, suggests that viruses play a role in triggering an immune response and/or directly infecting brain cells in a way that leads to a build up of Alzheimer’s key biomarkers: beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles. To date, a lot of the research into Alzheimer’s viral theory has focused on herpes simplex virus. The recent study homed in on a different, though widely common, member of the herpesvirus family: cytomegalovirus (HCMV).  Up to 90 percent of people are carriers of a dormant HCMV infection by the time they turn 80.  https://www.beingpatient.com/could-a-chronic-gut-infection-trigger-alzheimers/

There’s a Sandwich Bag of Plastic in Your Brain.  Watch the 8 minute video with F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE, an associate professor of medicine and public health and director of Yale’s Clinical and Translational Research Accelerator.   https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/theres-sandwich-bag-plastic-your-brain-2025a100059r

Congress is wrestling with how deeply to cut Medicaid, the government health program that covers about 72 million Americans and accounts for one-fifth of US healthcare spending.  To preserve tax cuts passed in President Donald Trump’s previous term, the Republican-controlled House last week passed a bill proposing to slash federal spending by $880 billion over the next decade. Medicaid is the prime target, health policy experts say, as Republicans have resisted slashing Medicare and Social Security. Amid growing political backlash from state leaders and constituents, some Republicans are urging a more cautious approach. House speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), whose state has nearly a third of its residents covered by Medicaid, said last week that certain approaches to cutting the program are off the table.  As the US Senate and House prepare to reconcile their spending bills to avoid a government shutdown, here’s what you need to know about Medicaid. Medicaid, funded by both states and the federal government, covers about 1 in 5 US adults and 40% of US children. It pays for 40% of births and 60% of nursing home residents.  16% – 20% of Alabamians receive Medicaid.  Reach out to your Congressman:  https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative.  Reach out to your Senator:  https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm.

As biomarker testing for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) evolves, timely and compassionate disclosure of a diagnosis is more complex than ever. Yet, clinicians may struggle with how — or in some cases whether — to disclose that a patient has mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.  A recent perspective offers a practical roadmap to help clinicians navigate these challenging conversations.  The authors from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, noted that disclosure of a dementia diagnosis “is particularly nuanced and requires a conscientious approach. Clinicians must assess patients’ understanding and appreciation of symptoms, goals for the evaluation, and desire for information.” https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/breaking-bad-news-guidance-disclosing-dementia-diagnosis-2025a100057h

A new study indicates that prolonged exposure to surgery under general anaesthesia during an individual’s lifetime significantly affects long-term cognitive decline.  Lifestyle management and prevention remain crucial for promoting healthy cognitive aging and could play a significant role in managing the aging surgical population.  Increased exposure to general anesthesia at baseline was associated with a decline in executive functioning, selective attention and mental speed, and information processing speed.  A negative effect on all cognitive domains was associated with older age and a lower level of education.  Health-related factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and smoking also negatively affected cognitive domains, such as executive function, selective attention and mental speed, and information processing speed. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/prolonged-anesthesia-exposure-linked-cognitive-decline-2025a10004oz

Regular dental flossing is linked to a lower risk for ischemic stroke, primarily by reducing systemic inflammation, which can lead to atrial fibrillation (AF) increasing the likelihood of a cardioembolic event, new research suggested.  The reduced risk is independent of oral care such as regular teeth brushing and visits to the dentist, the research showed.  We knew that flossing regularly will lower the body’s level of inflammation, and the level of oral infection, but now, based on this study, we know it will reduce the rate of stroke, atrial fibrillation, and cardioembolic stroke. Flossing is an affordable health measure that could be a very good primary prevention strategy, especially in rural areas where individuals have less access to dental care.  https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/regular-flossing-tied-reduced-ischemic-stroke-risk-2025

Upping your physical activity level may lower your risk of developing neuropsychiatric diseases such as anxiety, depression and dementia, according to new preliminary research. And the protection for your brain applies no matter how intense your exercise is, highlighting the importance of regular movement in promoting mental health. The data showed that increasing physical activity and lowering sedentary time was helpful for conditions such as dementia and depression, and that isn’t a big surprise.  Some studies have shown that exercise is as effective against depression as medications.  To understand why exercise may be so helpful, it’s important to note that some researchers are starting to think of depression as not just one condition, but a collection of subtypes with different causes.  About 25% to 30% of people with major depressive disorder may fall under the immunometabolic subtype, which is characterized by inflammation and altered metabolic function.  Exercise may help to regulate the metabolic function and lower the inflammation behind this subtype of depression.  The main takeaway from this study? Move more and spend less time sitting.  Engaging in daily activities that burn calories, like walking or even gardening, plays a significant role in protecting your brain health.  Particularly motivating is that the research showed all intensities of activity seemed to be beneficial.  You don’t need to commit to intense workouts, even light-to-moderate activities can have a meaningful impact on your well-being.  https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/27/health/exercise-brain-disease-wellness/index.html

March Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/

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