University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Gender Differences and Specific Populations

Study Finds Air Pollution a Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease

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Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that among older adults with cognitive impairment, the greater the air pollution in their neighborhood, the higher the likelihood of the presence of amyloid plaques in their brain. Lead researcher Leonardo Iaccarino, PhD, details his work examining air pollution and brain health outcomes and discusses possible ways individuals and society can lower the impact of air pollution on Alzheimer’s disease risk. 

Guest: Leonardo Iaccarino, PhD, University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center

Sex Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease

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Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women. In the Alzheimer’s disease research field, there is an interest in understanding the sex-specific differences in the risk and development of this disease. Dr. Michelle Mielke joins to discuss some of these differences as well as how pregnancy and menopause might affect cognition.

Guest: Michelle Mielke, PhD, Mayo Clinic Rochester

Neighborhoods and Neurons: Study Finds Association between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Alzheimer’s Disease-related Brain Changes

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A recent study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found that people who lived in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods were about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes at autopsy than people who lived in the wealthiest neighborhoods. One of the authors joins the podcast to discuss the research findings, the methodology behind the study, and future research directions.

Guest: Ryan Powell, PhD, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Medicine

Zip Codes Are More than a Number: Study Finds Link between Neighborhoods and Memory-related Brain Structures

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A recent study showed that research participants in the most highly disadvantaged neighborhoods had smaller hippocampal areas compared to research participants in more advantaged neighborhoods. The study’s first author explains the results and the tools researchers used to measure neighborhood disadvantage.

Guest: Jack Hunt, PhD, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Medical Scientist Training Program

Considerations for Caregivers in Indian Country

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Dr. J. Neil Henderson is an expert on diabetes and dementia, as well as creating culturally specific caregiver training programs for people who care for American Indian elders. Dr. Henderson, who is Oklahoma Choctaw, discusses cultural influences on caregiving and his work in improving brain health among American Indians and rural populations. 

Guest: J. Neil Henderson, PhD, professor, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Duluth campus; executive director, Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team on Health Disparities

What Population Research Can Tell Us about Alzheimer’s Disease Risk

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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

Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Is High in People with Down Syndrome

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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

The Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Alzheimer’s Disease

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How does hormone replacement therapy affect a woman’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease? Dr. Carey Gleason, a researcher at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, joins us to offer her insight on menopausal hormone therapy and the many factors patients and their physicians should consider in the decision-making process.

Guest: Carey Gleason, PhD, Clinical Psychology, Associate Professor and Researcher, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Gender Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease

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In this episode, we’re fortunate enough to be joined by Dr. Sanjay Asthana, the director and founder of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Dr. Asthana has published extensive research in the field of hormones and brain health and will be discussing some of his work, which looks at the gender differences that exist in Alzheimer’s disease.