An Unexpected Dementia Defense
For people with Down syndrome, an anti-seizure medication may block early changes linked to Alzheimer’s At Quinlan Terrace, a residential home on Chicago’s North Side for aging adults with disabilities, about half of the 60 residents are people with Down syndrome who have developed Alzheimer’s disease. Director Susy Rivera says care needs vary from person […]
Brain Health Starts Today
When people think about protecting their health, they often focus on their heart, weight, or blood pressure. They may think about diet, physical activity, or habits that help them live longer and feel their best. Yet one of the most important parts of our health is often overlooked: the brain. The brain is a complex […]
Alzheimer’s Research Cuts
Fact checked by Ros Lederman Dementia studies come under fire as the Trump administration puts universities and medical research on the chopping block Like Alzheimer’s disease researchers across the country, those in Chicago are grappling with funding threats and bureaucratic delays from the federal government — putting vital dementia studies at risk and potentially stalling […]
10 Common Questions About Alzheimer’s Disease
While most people have heard of Alzheimer’s disease, few know more than that it impacts memory. Yet, the disease impacts more than 3 million people each year. Below are answers to ten frequently asked questions about Alzheimer’s disease. 1. Are Alzheimer’s and dementia the same thing? No, dementia is a term used to categorize a […]
Super Aging
With mental capabilities of people decades younger, SuperAgers are gaining attention from researchers looking at the link between lifestyle and brain health. What if, as you got older, your memory abilities stayed as they were decades ago? This is what happens for so-called SuperAgers — a term coined 15 years ago at Northwestern University. SuperAgers […]
Alzheimer’s Prevalence
Researchers rank the U.S. counties with the highest rates of Alzheimer’s disease The Alzheimer’s Association released a first-of-its-kind study in July, ranking all 3,142 U.S. counties — by Alzheimer’s disease prevalence. About 6.7 million Americans have this form of dementia. Most counties with the highest Alzheimer’s prevalence are in the Eastern and Southeastern U.S., though […]
Explaining Dementia to Kids
Telling children their grandmother is suffering from dementia is not only scary for the children, but also difficult for the adult delivering the message. That message must be sensitive and age appropriate, experts say, with details on what children can expect to witness and how they should respond to it. “It’s good to be honest […]
A Life with Meaning
Enhancing quality of life for people with dementia Chicagoan Kris McCabe’s Instagram and TikTok accounts are peppered with sweet moments with her grandmother, Mary Padovani. Videos show the two singing a Patsy Cline song and sharing a hug as they swap, “I love yous.” In others, Padovani brushes McCabe’s hair, as she’s done for years. […]
Music and Memory
Making music engages the brain and improves mood Nine residents at The Selfhelp Home, a senior living community in Edgewater, gathered in a circle one spring morning, holding frame drums. “I feel like singing,” said Doris, a Selfhelp resident, hitting her drum with a mallet. That was the group’s goal: for residents with dementia to […]
Does Air Pollution Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?
Have you ever spent the day in a city with such bad air pollution that when you blew your nose the mucus had a black tinge? Have you ever coughed as you breathed in diesel fumes from a passing bus and thought to yourself, “Well, that’s a year gone from my life”? Could it actually […]