University of Wisconsin–Madison

Episode Catalogue

Approaching Alzheimer’s Disease as a Preventable Condition

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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

Finding Community Resources after a Dementia Diagnosis

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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

New Approaches Yield Promise for Future of Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Trials

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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.

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

Key to Alzheimer’s Disease Cure May Lie in Early Detection

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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.

Guest: Dr. James Lah, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology, Alzheimer’s Disease Investigator, Emory University

Caregiver Strategies and the Importance of Changing the Way We Think about Alzheimer’s

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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: Suzanne Bottum-Jones, Registered Nurse, Children’s Author, Behavioral Consultant

The Link Between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Health Outcomes

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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.

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

Delirium and Its Pertinence to Dementia

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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. Elizabeth Chapman, geriatrician at UW Health specializing in acute care geriatric medicine and delirium in hospitalized patients

National Priorities for Dementia and Health Disparities Research

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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.

Guest: Dr. Cerise Elliott, Senior Research Program Analyst at the National Institute on Aging

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

Identifying and Managing Dementia in the Hospital Setting

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Research in dementia care has traditionally examined community and nursing home settings, leaving a gap in research on care for dementia patients during hospital stays. After identifying a need for improvement in caring for hospital patients with dementia, our guest developed a new approach that helps hospital staff better recognize dementia and address it.

Guest: Dr. Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi, PhD, RN, Researcher, Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Potential for Predicting Alzheimer’s Disease Through a Blood Test

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Dr. Howard Federoff, a ground-breaking researcher of brain disorders, discusses his research relating to predicting Alzheimer’s disease through a blood test and shares his lifestyle habits for brain health.

Guest: Dr. Howard Federoff, MD, PhD, Researcher and Professor of Neurology at University of California, Irvine College of Medicine

What It Takes to Become a Dementia Friendly Hospital

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The William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, was recently recognized as the first Dementia Friendly VA hospital in the country. We hear from Dr. Mary Wyman and Margaret Flood on the importance of Dementia Friendly and what it takes to reach this designation.

Guests: Dr. Mary Wyman, clinical psychologist, and Margaret Flood, clinically licensed social worker, VA Caregiver Support Coordinator

How Biomarkers and Brain Imaging Are Used to Detect Early Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease

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Alzheimer’s disease-related changes occur in the brain more than 15 years before a person experiences the memory and personality changes associated with the disease. By studying the disease in its earliest stages, scientists hope to find treatments that can prevent or delay the onset of dementia and memory loss.

Guest: Sterling Johnson, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Professor of Geriatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Associate Director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Principle Investigator of the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) Study