Alzheimer's Research and Funding Articles

By Nancy Wurtzel

The national media covers Alzheimer’s heavily.  So heavily that I often find it’s difficult to keep track of it all.  You may feel the same.

I have hundreds and hundreds of links to Alzheimer’s stories bookmarked in my computer.  In my home office, there are stacks of clippings from magazines and newspapers.

My summer goal was to get everything organized by Labor Day.  I’m a little behind.

Last night, over a glass of red wine, I finally began organizing links on my desktop computer.  I’ve identified a handful of stories that I believe are worth sharing.  For those of us twisted types who are obsessed with Alzheimer’s and other diseases of the brain, these will make for enjoyable fall reading.

Everyone else can stop reading now.

Articles About Alzheimer’s Research

If you are still with me, then please scan the list and brief descriptions.  Click on a few of these links and then share with others or on social media.

Memory Loss Protein Identified

Alice Milliken, Newsweek. Published 7/7/15

Mice research study at the University of California, San Francisco provides a better understanding of how the human mind ages and what factors contribute to cognitive and memory disorders.

Steady Progress On America’s Most Terrifying Epidemic: Alzheimer’s Disease

Gilbert Ross and Henry I. Miller, Forbes, 6/22/15

This article gives an interesting overview of Alzheimer’s and the state of research.  I bookmarked it because it is clear, concise and doesn’t sugar coat.  The article runs three pages, but it’s a fast read.

Where’s the War on Alzheimer’s?

T.R. Reid, AARP Magazine. Published Jan/Feb 2015

As research funding lags, cases are increasing — with staggering costs.  Reid writes, “…Alzheimer’s is an also-ran when it comes to federal funding for research on prevention and treatment. In the intense political competition for federal dollars, other diseases come out far ahead of Alzheimer’s.”  Amen.

Scientists Close In on Alzheimer’s Cure

John Hockenberry, The Takeaway (radio).  Aired 4/16/15

Yes, it is another mice research study, but isn’t that how most everything starts in medical research?  Here is the lowdown: Duke researchers devised a way (in mice) to prevent immune cells from attacking a vital nutrient in the brain and thereby preventing the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s.  Of course, now it needs to be tested on actual humans. Stay tuned.

Nancy Wurtzel, a frequent contributor to ThirdAge, is the editor of the blog www.datingdementia.com.