The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) announced the creation of a hotline for current In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) recipients. The hotline staff will be available to discuss recipients’ urgent needs during the coronavirus pandemic. Recipients can call (714) 825-3000 and press option 4.
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https://youtu.be/r4ZpVGrBw5o Nicole Schartz, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Andrea Tenner’s lab, shares her experience of what’s happening in her lab and her perspective on the pandemic. Dr. Schartz is also a member of REMIND. Research and Education in Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, or REMIND, is a campus organization led by UCI MIND predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees. It aims to encourage collaboration among the next generation of scientists and clinicians, and promote community outreach and education on neurodegenerative diseases.
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While doing a video interview with TIME, Craig Stark, professor at the University of California, Irvine’s Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, said that his eighth grade son was on a headset chatting with his friends while gaming. “I’m great with that,” says Stark. Still, he adds, “if you’re gaming 20 hours a day, let’s get out, let’s do some other stuff, let’s not just talk to each other on a screen. But in terms of the notion that video games are actively rotting the brain? No, I don’t see any evidence for that.”
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The UCI Health Affairs Vice Chancellor is delighted to announce the launch of OC-COVID19.org, a new website devoted to providing timely, useful, evidence-based information about the novel coronavirus pandemic to our friends and neighbors across Orange County. UCI and UCI Health are at the forefront of Orange County's response to this national emergency. Every day there are stunning examples of remarkable, cutting-edge clinical care provided by the UCI Health family. Our services are driven by innovation and research taking place across the university. In this way, the UCI community is leading the way to solutions that are local and global.…
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Contributed by Bill Edwards, UCI MIND Leadership Council and Speakers Bureau Member, former Alzheimer’s Caregiver, CEO and Global Advisor for Edwards Global Services, Inc. “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” Charles Darwin As a father, grandfather, business owner, and volunteer for UCI MIND, my life has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Here in Southern California, my daughter and I are, of course, shut in. We seldom go out except once a week to shop or to exercise. Less than 50 miles on the car in a…
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A message from the CA Department of Aging: Join us April 22 for a Caring for Family & Friends Check-In Call: Caregiving from Afar Are You Caring for Family or Friends from Afar During COVID-19? Whether you are providing support to an older person across town, across the country, or in a Nursing Home or Residential Care Facility, COVID-19 guidelines have presented new challenges and concerns. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to connect with caregiving experts! Wednesday, April 22th, at 1pm the California Department of Aging (https://aging.ca.gov) and the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org) will host their 2nd of a…
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Women's Alzheimer's Movement (WAM), led by Maria Shriver, recently featured brain health tips from UCI MIND Director Dr. Joshua Grill on Facebook. Here's what he had to say: https://youtu.be/KaQ5z7d7XP8 “Adjust your expectations. Life is not normal right now. Be forgiving of others and of yourself. We may not be able to live up to our personal or professional goals of ourselves during this time. I’m a person who works very hard and wants to accomplish a lot, but I’ve had to come to grips with the fact that I’m not going to accomplish as much as I want to in…
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Did you know UCI MIND keeps a comprehensive archive of educational videos on our YouTube channel? View past Distinguished Lectures on the Brain, Q&A with experts on topics such as sleep, medications, and brain scans, past Research Conferences, and more. Featured video: Dr. Reisa Sperling, Director of the Center for Alzheimer's Research & Treatment at Brigham & Women's Hospital, delivers the 2020 UCI MIND Distinguished Lecture on the Brain, “Can we detect and treat Alzheimer's disease a decade before dementia? (And why we must!)” https://youtu.be/6HfTvwnFzww
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Contributed by Steve O’Leary, former Caregiver, UCI MIND Leadership Council Member Transition: passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : change (Merriam-Webster) How well do we accept the transitions we face in our life, especially as we grow older? I don't know about you, but I've been through a whole bunch of transitions, especially in the past few years! Sold my company. Lost my wife. Fought off disease. Found the Lord. Death of my closest friend. Learning to love again. And the list goes on! Now I'm facing - we're facing - a new major transition…
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Police and fire agencies from across Orange County held a special drive-by parade at UCI Medical Center on Tuesday to show unity and support for the medical staff. Even though the salute was from a distance, they were able to touch hearts and lift spirits for those who are working long hours to get patients healthy. Meanwhile, Taco Bell's taco truck made a stop at the hospital to provide workers free lunch. … Next week, UCI Medical Center will get another dose of love, when the Anaheim Ducks send 200 meals a day.
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Interested in volunteering for research on Alzheimer’s, related dementias, and cognitive health? Search for clinical trials and studies near you with NIA’s Clinical Trials Finder. New and Featured Studies Click on the trial name for details, including contact information. Caregiving Alzheimer’s Disease, Caregiving, and Social Networks (Bethesda, MD, and Memphis, TN) Care Partners Program for Alzheimer’s Disease (Miami, FL, and New York, NY) Cognitive Training for Older Caregivers (Rochester, NY) Mindfulness Training for African American Dementia Caregivers (Chapel Hill, NC) Mobile Web-based Behavioral Intervention for Improving Caregiver Well-being (La Jolla, CA) Tele-Savvy Education Program for Dementia Caregivers (Atlanta, GA)…
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Shared by NAMI OC, Thrive NYC has compiled a list of mental health apps that can be useful during this time. These apps include mindfulness, well-being, depression, anxiety, stress, substance use, and pain. English: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/app-library/ Spanish: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/es/ For those in Orange County who need help or someone to talk to: NAMI Warm Line: 877-910-9276 New Hope Crisis Hotline: 714 - NEW HOPE (714-639-4672) There is a Teen Line open from 6:00PM - 10:00PM Pacific at (310) 855 - 4673 or you can text 839863. The app can be downloaded at: https://teenlineonline.org
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Amyloid accumulation not the only risk factor in Alzheimer’s risk Irvine, Calif. – April 8, 2020 – Amyloid is a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease, but the accumulation of these sticky proteins may not be the only risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published this week. Other, modifiable risk factors, such as the amount of fats in our blood and how efficiently our bodies generate energy could also play important roles.
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Contributed by Ahmad Sajjadi, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology The ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives are so profound that I fully expect us to, at least in our own heads, divide our life events to pre- and post-pandemic. I cannot think of a similar example in my life that affected every single aspect of my daily living. Of course, like others, I have developed strict rituals for disinfecting myself and everything I touch, and it takes me about 10 minutes to enter my house from a shopping trip! Negatives aside, it has also been…
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Older adults should stay home and avoid nonessential travel at this time to limit risk of exposure to COVID-19. People who must leave the house, those who care for older adults, and older adults living in close quarters with others can take precautions to limit transmission with cloth face coverings. The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be…
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Contributed by Virginia Naeve, Caregiver and UCI MIND Leadership Council Member Most people are just happier when on a schedule. Adults and children alike. It’s especially true if someone has Alzheimer’s disease. If you want to see someone with Alzheimer’s dementia turn upside down and backwards, change their schedule. Move them to new living quarters, admit them to the hospital for a health issue, or have a national disaster or upheaval. Like Covid-19. My Mom suffered with Alzheimer’s disease for almost 9 years. I wasn’t prepared for any of it. It took me years to figure out what was going…
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Visit our blog at www.mind.uci.edu/blog to stay informed. Upcoming 2020 Videos:
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COVID-19 Health Literacy Project All of these materials are reviewed and vetted by physicians and medical school faculty members at the Harvard hospitals. These materials are created in collaboration with Harvard Health Publishing. These materials are freely available for download and distribution without copyright restrictions. Get Fact Sheets in 30+ Languages COVID-19 Resources Provided by UIC School of Public Health This fact sheet library currently offers versions in up to 15 different languages. Fact Sheet Library
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#CANeedsYou covid19.ca.gov
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Contributed by Emory University ADRC, Spanish translation by University of Kansas ADRC, Mandarin translation and Korean translation by UCI MIND ADRCPDF versions in multiple languages:
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Dear Friends of UCI MIND, I wanted to provide a brief update on the state of UCI MIND during the COVID-19 pandemic: Our faculty, staff, and trainees have responded admirably to this unprecedented and rapidly evolving situation. Whenever possible, research studies are being performed remotely for at least the next three weeks. If you are participating in a study or were anticipating doing so soon, you can expect to hear from the specific study team about how to proceed. If you are uncertain about your study, you can email questions to research@mind.uci.edu or call (949) 824-0008. We'll get back to you as soon…
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ASK THE DOC! UCI MIND Facebook LIVE Video Series This monthly series features short talks and Q&A with experts from the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), 1 of 32 congressionally designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers in the nation. Join UCI MIND on Facebook (@UCIrvineMIND) to learn about advances in research to improve Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. How can you help someone with dementia and behavioral symptoms? About the Speaker: Dr. David Sultzer joined the faculty at UCI in 2019 after more than 20 years at UCLA and the West…
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Social workers from Alzheimer’s OC and Riverside County Office on Aging visited our labs to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease research and educational programs at UCI MIND. Our local Alzheimer’s Association and Caregiver Resource Center hosted a research update, where UCI researchers Drs. Dan Nation, Kei Igarashi, and Matt Inlay discussed current research projects and their motivation for studying Alzheimer’s disease. Graduate students, Morgan Coburn, Marina Ritchie, Mary Ryan, and postdoctoral scholars, Nicole Schartz, Ashley Keiser, Tiffany Petrisko, hosted 50 local middle schoolers at UCI MIND. They discussed Alzheimer’s disease and how they began their careers studying the brain. For…
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UCI MIND congratulates four members who have been named 2020 Physicians of Excellence. This distinction is given by Orange County Medical Association, and was published in Orange Coast magazine. There were more UCI Health physicians honored than from any other Orange County hospital or health system. Please join us in celebrating the achievements of these outstanding faculty. Click here to learn more >
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Stalked by the Fear That Dementia Is Stalking You The New York Times (Kaiser Health News) - Feb. 20, 2020 I spoke to half a dozen experts, and none was in favor of genetic testing, except in unusual circumstances. “Having the APOE4 allele does not mean you’ll get Alzheimer’s disease. Plenty of people with Alzheimer’s don’t have the allele,” said Mark Mapstone, a professor of neurology at the University of California, Irvine. “And conversely, plenty of people with the allele never develop Alzheimer’s.”
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Orange County Business Journal - Feb. 17, 2020 Dr. Ruth Benca, who is chair of the Psychiatry and Human Behavior School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine in 2018 restarted the UCI sleep center. She’s designed a new, 6,000-square foot facility in Newport Beach … and has recruited doctors from a variety of fields, such as Dr. Kevin Im, who won a 2014 national award for a sleep study, Dr. Rami Khayat, the center’s medical director and expert on the effects of sleep apnea on cardiovascular diseases, and Dr. Behrouz Jafari, an expert in pulmonology. “We’ve built this…
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ASK THE DOC! UCI MIND Facebook LIVE Video Series This monthly series features short talks and Q&A with experts from the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), 1 of 32 congressionally designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers in the nation. Join UCI MIND on Facebook (@UCIrvineMIND) to learn about advances in research to improve Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Are you getting enough sleep for your brain? About the Speaker: Dr. Ruth Benca is a Professor and Chair of Psychiatry & Human Behavior in the UCI School of Medicine and Founding Director…
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Faculty members Mathew Blurton-Jones, PhD, Kim Green, PhD, and Masashi Kitazawa, PhD, are principal investigators (PI) of productive, independent laboratories at UCI MIND all aiming to target the underlying cause of and develop effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related disorders. How did they get to where they are now? After graduate school in 2003, they came together from different backgrounds to train with renowned scientist, Frank LaFerla, PhD, who continues to run a successful laboratory of his own at UCI MIND. Blurton-Jones, Green, and Kitazawa reflect on their training experience and what they believe to be their…
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Jan 14, 2020 Announcements and research updates from the The Women's Alzheimer's Movement - WAM and UCI MIND Initiative to fund sex disparities in #Alzheimers research at University of California, Irvine. Congratulations to Mathew Blurton-Jones, PhD and Sunil Gandhi, PhD from the UCI School of Biological Sciences and Anshu Agrawal, PhD from the UCI School of Medicine, recipients of seed funding grants made possible by WAM Founder Maria Shriver and the Living Legacy Foundation led by VP and Executive Director Alisha Ballard.
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ASK THE DOC! UCI MIND Facebook LIVE Video Series This monthly series features short talks and Q&A with experts from the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), 1 of 32 congressionally designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers in the nation. Join UCI MIND on Facebook (@UCIrvineMIND) to learn about advances in research to improve Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. When will we have an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease? About the Speaker: Joshua Grill, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior and Neurobiology & Behavior at UCI. He serves…
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Contributed by Keith Swayne, UCI MIND Leadership Council Outstanding Philanthropist Keith Swayne, center, with Honorary Chairs and 2019 Legacy award honorees for Ueberroth Family Foundation Ginny Ueberroth, left, and Vicki Booth, right.(Tony Lattimore and Carla Rhea) - Daily Pilot It is humbling to be recognized as Philanthropist of the Year, particularly when I think about the many individuals who are working to make a difference in the world. The OC National Philanthropy Day event brought together Orange County philanthropists and non-profit organizations to celebrate our shared vision of improving our community. This is what drives me. I wish to use…
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Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD On Thursday, December 5, attendees at the Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) Conference heard more from Biogen about its recently resurrected drug, aducanumab (see previous Blog). New data were presented that were consistent with what had previously been shared. Biogen claims that a single positive Phase 3 trial of aducanumab and a secondary analysis of data from a second, negative Phase 3 trial suggest a benefit among patients receiving the highest dose for the full duration of the study (18 months). In both cases, high dose aducanumab appeared to slow the rate of disease…
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Contributed by Chelsea Cox, MPH, MSW, Associate Director of Education In a recent study, researchers at the University of Michigan analyzed survey responses from over 1,000 adults age 50 to 64 to learn about their perceived risk for developing dementia and any actions they take to reduce their own risk. The study found that more than half of respondents believed they were not likely to develop dementia, with this outlook being more common in non-Hispanic blacks who are, in fact, at a greater risk of developing dementia than non-Hispanic whites. The vast majority of respondents reported having never discussed risk…
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UCI MIND faculty member, Dr. Ruth Benca, discussed sleep, brain health, and Alzheimer’s disease at the October 2019 #MIHealthSummit in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Milken Institute. The session opens with a conversation with Maxine Waters, U.S. Representative of California, followed by a panel discussion among leading researchers and policymakers on the latest evidence regarding reducing risk for cognitive decline, including nutrition, exercise, sleep, socialization, and stress management. View the plenary session below.
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Contributed by Bryce Mander, PhD A new landmark study from researchers in Boston was published in Science this month. This study linked human brain waves during deep sleep, called “slow waves,” with the pulsating flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the brain. Fultz et al., 2019, NPR This study is important because it is the first to directly link sleeping brain waves with a mechanism thought to clear the brain of metabolic waste and toxins, called the “glymphatic system.” Prior studies in rodents indicate that the glymphatic system actively clears Alzheimer’s disease pathology, as well as other toxins and…
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Contributed by David Sultzer, MD, Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior This past weekend, China’s regulatory agency conditionally approved sodium oligomannate for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. The approval was based on results from a 9-month treatment study of 818 people, and is the first approval globally of an Alzheimer’s drug in 16 years. Oligomannate (GV-971) is a plant-based complex sugar derived from ocean seaweed. It’s thought to adjust the microbiome in the GI tract, thereby tweaking amino acid levels in the body and reducing the toxic effects of brain inflammation that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Results from…
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