Dementia Matters

Dr. Rachel Whitmer details how social determinants of health can lead to an elevated risk for dementia and shares what she has learned about modifiable risk factors and how they affect brain health. Guest: Dr. Rachel Whitmer, PhD, UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences and Chief of the Division of Epidemiology  

This week, we speak with Dr. Shahriar Salamat and Mr. Jay Fruehling to discuss brain donation research and how it helps give the most accurate diagnoses. Guests: Dr. Shahriar Salamat, professor in the Department of Pathology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and Mr. Jay Fruehling, Wisconsin Brain Bank Program Manager and community educator on brain donations at the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center

This week, we continue our conversation with Dr. Art Walaszek discussing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). In this episode, he speaks about hallucinations and delusions and what caregivers can do to help. Guest: Dr. Art Walaszek, Geriatric Psychiatrist, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Dr. Art Walaszek joins us for a two-part series discussing the mental health and behavioral changes family members and caregivers may see in people with dementia. In this first part, he delves into the relationship between depression and dementia, as well as tips and advice for caregivers. Guest: Dr. Art Walaszek, Geriatric Psychiatrist, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, but who and when it strikes is unpredictable. Recent research can help us understand how brain changes, genetics, gender, and environment and lifestyle factors affect risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Guest: Elizabeth Mormino, PhD, assistant professor of neurology at Stanford University.

On this week’s episode, Dr. Kimberly Mueller helps explain connected language and how studying conversations can help detect early signs of cognitive impairment. Guest: Dr. Kimberly Mueller, Assistant Professor Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The holidays are a joyous time for many, however it can be quite stressful to caregivers of a person with dementia. Geriatrician Dr. Alexis Eastman discusses the most important tips and safety precautions for dementia caregivers this holiday season. Guest: Dr. Alexis Eastman, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

SuperAgers are people over age 80 who have the memory and thinking abilities of someone in their 50s. This week, Dr. Emily Rogalski discusses the science of SuperAging and how examining SuperAgers’ brains can help us learn about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Guest: Emily Rogalski, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Associate Director at Mesulam Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago

This week, we have a very special episode featuring former Governor of Wisconsin, Martin Schreiber. Governor Schreiber has been a widely outspoken advocate for awareness of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. He discusses the many beautiful and difficult moments of being a caregiver for his wife, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease more than a decade ago.   Guest: Martin Schreiber, Former Governor of Wisconsin (1977-1979), Former Lt. Governor of Wisconsin (1971-1977)

Preventive cardiologist Dr. Heather Johnson joins us this week to discuss how keeping a healthy cardiovascular system can reduce chances of developing dementia. She also discusses her MyHEART study, which aims to help young adults live heart-healthy lives. Guest: Dr. Heather Johnson, cardiologist with special interest in preventive cardiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Rarely are the steps to prevent Alzheimer's disease and dementia discussed thoroughly. On this week's episode, Dr. William Shankle, a neurologist specialized in the diagnosis, treatment and management of Alzheimer’s disease, discusses how management of lifestyle and other health conditions can reduce the rate of accumulation of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. Guest: Dr. William Shankle, Medical Director, Shankle Clinic, Newport Beach, California.

The quest for both patient and caregiver resources in your own community can be difficult. Bonnie Nuttkinson of the Alzheimer’s Association tells us the many different free resources for dementia patients and their caregivers. Guest: Bonnie Nuttkinson, Program and Advocacy Manager, Alzheimer's Association South Central Wisconsin Chapter

Guest: Sanjay Asthana, MD, associate dean of gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and director and founder, Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center   For decades, researchers from around the world have been working to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Sanjay Asthana explains the challenges Alzheimer’s disease drug trials have faced and introduces us to new, promising approaches to stopping or delaying the disease. 9/11/2018  

Guest: Dr. James Lah, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology, Alzheimer's Disease Investigator, Emory University   Research has shown Alzheimer's disease can be present in the brain decades before symptoms arise. Dr. James Lah discusses how he believes Alzheimer’s disease prevention should start in young and middle adulthood and shares with us what his vision of a cure might look like. 8/28/2018

A sleep scientist explains the importance of sleep to your brain, shares what the scientific community knows about the connections between sleep apnea and brain health, and offers tips for healthy sleep. Guest: Kate Sprecher, postdoctoral research associate, University of Colorado at Boulder

Guest: Suzanne Bottum-Jones, Registered Nurse, Children’s Author, Behavioral Consultant After more than 15 years of working with behavioral management strategies and symptoms associated with dementia, our guest has turned her focus to educating families and caregivers who are affected by this disease. She provides tips that every caregiver should know and sheds light on why it was important for her to write a children’s book that addresses Alzheimer’s disease.

Guest: Dr. Amy Kind, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Geriatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Director, VA Dementia Care Clinic, Investigator, Wisconsin ADRC Social determinants of health play a big role in our overall well-being. Unfortunately, too often we fail to recognize the impacts that these factors have on our brains and overall health. Dr. Amy Kind and her research team at the University of Wisconsin developed a tool called the Neighborhood Atlas to visualize neighborhood disparities and help facilitate change. Click here to take our podcast listener survey.

Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Chapman, geriatrician at UW Health specializing in acute care geriatric medicine and delirium in hospitalized patients Delirium can be caused by a range of conditions and can take on many different forms. One consistency, however, is its relation to an increased risk for developing dementia. Dr. Elizabeth Chapman speaks on the connections between these conditions and offers some useful tips to help prevent delirium

Guest: Dr. Cerise Elliott, Senior Research Program Analyst at the National Institute on Aging Dr. Cerise Elliott gives a look at the structure and function of the National Institutes of Health and its work relating to Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. She also emphasizes the importance of diversity in research and of recruitment and retention as Alzheimer’s disease-related research moves forward.

With the dramatic increase in life expectancy among people with Down syndrome over recent decades, it has been observed they develop Alzheimer’s disease at a much younger age and at a much higher incidence than the general population. Our guest, an expert on brain imaging and neurodegeneration, discusses the theories behind this relationship and the similarities and differences in how Alzheimer's disease progresses in the Down syndrome and general populations. Guest: Dr. Brad Christian, professor of medical physics and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin