University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tag: research

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

Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative investigates genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease

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Research data collected from participants around the world has grown our understanding of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Guest Jessica Langbaum, PhD, is the co-director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, which conducts clinical trials in people at high risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Langbaum discusses some recent findings in genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease, the psychological consequences of learning one’s risk, and testing interventions to delay or prevent the onset of symptoms. 

Guest: Jessica Langbaum, PhD, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute

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

Bonus Episode: Current Research into Frontotemporal Dementia

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In this bonus episode, we continue our conversation with Dr. Howie Rosen on Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). On last week’s episode, Dr. Rosen spoke on the genetic risk factors, trajectories and family caregiving experiences of FTD. Now, our conversation turns to the research looking into how the disease affects self-awareness, biomarkers and early detection, as well as ways people can volunteer for a research study.

Guest: Howard “Howie” Rosen, MD, behavioral neurologist at the University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center

It Takes Two to Tango: The Importance of Amyloid and Tau in Cognitive Decline

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Our guests, Dr. Rebecca Koscik and Dr. Tobey Betthauser, are researchers investigating the trajectory of amyloid and tau proteins over time and the significance of amyloid chronicity. Koscik and Betthauser discuss their two recent publications on the topic and how amyloid PET scans have helped scientists better understand the early brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Guests: Rebecca Koscik, PhD, senior scientist, Tobey Betthauser, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison

What We Have Learned from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention Study

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Our guest is Dr. Sterling Johnson, associate director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and principal investigator of the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The WRAP study is one of the largest and longest-running observational studies of Alzheimer’s disease in the world. Dr. Johnson shares study findings, discusses advancements in brain imaging, and introduces the concept of amyloid chronicity.

Guest: Sterling Johnson, PhD, professor of medicine (geriatrics), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Building the Brain: Finding the Cognitive Benefits of Physical Activity

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To many people, exercise can seem like an uncertain and intimidating new world. The confusing marketing around it can make it hard to find a healthy, sustainable exercise plan. But it’s important for people to fit movement into their lives because a growing body of research is showing the positive effects that physical activity can have on your brain. Our guests Sarah Lose and Max Gaitan, research specialists and exercise physiologists, discuss building cognitive resilience, defining physical activity, and researching exercise and its links with brain health.

Guests: Sarah Lose, Max Gaitan, Research Specialists and Exercise Physiologists, Okonkwo Lab, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison

When Good Becomes Bad: Researching the Impact of Neuroinflammation

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Inflammation is a common response throughout the body that fights injury and infection and works to rebuild cells after damage. Inflammation works the same way in the brain, but sometimes the inflammatory response meets damage it can’t manage and becomes dysregulated. Our guest Dr. Linda Van Eldik discusses her research into the connections between neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, and how this research can help inform the medical community about drug-based treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.

Guest: Dr. Linda Van Eldik, Director, Sanders-Brown Center on Aging

The Evolving Definition of Alzheimer’s Disease

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Alzheimer’s disease researchers are developing new techniques for identifying the disease much earlier than was possible in the past. This requires patients, families, and the medical community to talk about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in different ways. Our guest Dr. Jason Karlawish joins us to discuss the evolving definitions of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, as well as the ethical and social issues people with dementia face.

Guest: Dr. Jason Karlawish, Penn Memory Center, Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania

Where’s the Connection? The Role of Synapses in Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease

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Synapses are points in the brain where two brain cells connect and communicate. Dr. Barbara Bendlin discusses her new research into synaptic change, its relationship to memory loss, and how her first-in-the-field research might one day lead to a new tool for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Guest: Barbara Bendlin, PhD, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

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

How Brain Autopsies Are Helping Further Dementia Research

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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

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