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 The Cache County Study on Memory, Health and Aging
SUMMER 2007
CENTER FOR EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES
New Brain Imaging Studies to Examine
Early Stages of Memory Disorders
and Alzheimer’s Disease
Summer on the Logan River
In this issue:
New Brain Imaging
Studies ....................p. 1
Update: Alzheimer’s
Association
Conference .............p. 2
Recent Findings from
the Cache County
Study ........................p. 2
Staff Profiles:
Sharell Eames and
Kim Graham ...........p. 3
Researchers at Utah State University and the University of Utah have
joined together in an exciting new
study. Advanced brain imaging technology will be used among a small
group of volunteers from the Cache
County Study on Memory, Health,
and Aging to examine the feasibility
of detecting memory disorders at very
early stages. Early detection of memory and brain disorders is important
because it may allow better evaluation of future treatments and ways to
prevent these conditions.
Positron emission tomography
(PET) is a powerful tool that creates
detailed color-coded images of brain
function in healthy persons and in patients with brain diseases. Dr.
Norman Foster, Director of the
Center for Alzheimer’s Care, Imaging
and Research at the University of
Utah School of Medicine, recently
received funding to develop PET
brain imaging studies in the Cache
County Study. In the PET brain images shown below, the level of brain
activity is color-coded. The normal
brain (left image) shows a pattern of
yellow and red colors that indicates
normal activity of brain cells. The
mildly impaired brain (center image)
reveals some areas of green shading that reflect early reduction in
brain cell activity. The brain of an
Alzheimer’s patient (right image) reveals widespread areas of green and
blue colors that reflect more severe
reductions in brain cell activity.
(continued on page 3)
AARP Staying Sharp
Seminar....................p. 3
Alzheimer’s
Association Memory
Walk.........................p. 3
Campaign for Utah
State University .....p. 4
PET brain scan images reveal areas of reduced brain activity linked to Alzheimer’s disease
(images courtesy of Norman L. Foster, M.D.).
SUM M E R , 2 0 0 7
T H E C AC H E CO U N TY S TU DY O N ME M O R Y, H E A L TH AND A G IN G
PAG E 2
2007 Alzheimer’s Association
International Conference on the Prevention of Dementia
By Kathleen A. Welsh-Bohmer, PhD
The 2007 Alzheimer’s Association International
Conference on the Prevention of Dementia was held
June 9-12 in Washington, D.C. The projected
growth worldwide in the number of people affected
by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brings an increased
urgency to identify more effective means of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately, a cure. A
number of new insights were revealed at the meeting in the following areas:
•
Prevention: One message was consistent and
clear: treating conditions related to heart
disease and stroke including obesity, high
blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and
diabetes results in better brain health. Lifestyle factors known to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular diseases, including increased
physical activity and healthy diets, may also
reduce the risk of AD.
•
Diagnosis: Diagnostic tools that show
promise include the combined use of brief
memory tests, blood tests and brain imaging
studies. New tests are being developed that
detect blood levels of the amyloid-beta protein
which may be an indicator of AD. Further
research is needed, however, before these
methods are used in medical practice.
•
Treatments: New treatments are being
developed that modify levels of the amyloidbeta protein and may reduce the progression of
the disease. These medications are experimental and are not yet available for medical use.
Clinical trials are now underway in many locations to determine the safety and effectiveness
of new treatments for AD.
Dr. Kathleen A. Welsh-Bohmer is the Principal Investigator of
the Cache County Study on Memory, Health, and Aging and is
Director of the Joseph and Kathleen Bryan Alzheimer’s
Disease Research Center at Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, North Carolina.
Other recent findings of the Cache
County Study :
•
Dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins from
food. Higher intakes of antioxidant vitamins
from food (especially vitamins C, E, and betacarotene) were associated with better cognitive
function and slower rates of cognitive decline.
Food sources of these vitamins, especially
fruits and vegetables, appeared more important
than nutritional supplements. These findings,
recently published in the Journal of Nutrition,
Health & Aging, suggest there is truth to the
adage “you are what you eat” and that a
healthy diet plays an important role in
maintaining a healthy brain.
•
Dementia progresses slowly in many people.
Many studies of dementia are limited to
examining a small number of patients at
clinics and hospitals, but the Cache County
Study includes an entire community. In Cache
County, 30 percent of persons diagnosed with
dementia experienced much less decline in
memory as compared to persons in clinic
studies, even five years after their onset of
dementia. Understanding the factors associated
with this slow rate of cognitive decline may
help in understanding how to maintain the
quality of life of persons with dementia.
•
Caregivers and the progression of dementia.
A slower rate of cognitive decline was found
when the relationships between caregivers and
dementia patients included higher levels of
understanding and appreciation, feelings of
closeness, and the ability to discuss difficult
matters. These findings suggest that closer
caregiving relationships may help to maintain
higher levels of cognitive functioning and
quality of life in persons with dementia.
SUM M E R , 2 0 0 7
T H E C AC H E CO U N TY S TU DY O N ME M O R Y, H E A L TH AND A G IN G
PAG E 3
Sharell and Kim: The Faces Behind the Phones
Sharell Eames was
one of the first
interviewers to start
vi s it i n g
Cache
Valley seniors in
1995 and has stayed
with us through
each new round of
interviews. “This is
the best job I could
ask for. I thoroughly
enjoy spending time
with our participants and knowing
that we’re all doing something to help future generations,” she says. Sharell also works with the
brain donation program, helping participants and
their families to understand the importance of the
brain autopsy program.
You may not recognize her face, but
Kim
Graham’s
voice is one that
our participants and
family members
know quite well.
Kim has been our
lead clinical coordinator for over 10
years making
arrangements by
telephone for our
clinical visits. She
has also visited participants in their homes and administered memory tests. Kim feels strongly connected and cares about each study participant and
family member.
AARP Utah presents:
Brain Imaging, (continued from page 1)
Staying
Sharp
An unsolved mystery of Alzheimer’s disease is
why some families have many affected relatives
while other families are rarely affected. Broader
studies of families across generations will be
necessary to unravel this mystery. PET brain
imaging of Cache County elders, their adult
children, and their grandchildren will provide a
powerful method for understanding the genetic and
environmental factors that cause Alzheimer’s
disease and enhance the prospects for prevention
and more effective treatments in the future.
CURRENT ADVANCES
IN BRAIN RESEARCH
Saturday, August 25, 2007
9:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Lunch will be served courtesy
of AARP Utah.
Park City Marriott
1895 Sidewinder Drive
Park City, UT 84060
Learn from the nation’s
top brain research experts
•
•
•
•
Brain fitness and brain diseases
Brain fitness and how to keep sharp
Memory loss: what’s normal and what’s not
Successful longevity and the brain
Presenters:
Ronald Munger, Ph.D., MPH, Director, Center for
Epidemiologic Studies, Utah State University
Norman L. Foster, M.D., Director, Center for
Alzheimer’s Care, Imaging and Research, University of Utah
School of Medicine
It’s FREE! Hurry—space is limited.
Call 1-877-926-8300.
LOGAN MEMORY WALK
August 25, 2007
Mount Logan Park
1400 E 200 S
For Information: 435-752-9321
NON-PROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
Center for Epidemiologic Studies
4450 Old Main Hill
Logan, Utah 84322-4450
Phone: 435-797-8108
http://www.usu.edu/memorystudy
Return Service Requested
TRADITION
FUTURE
Honoring
Securing Our
The CAMPAIGN for UTAH state university
“Generations” Project Supports the Cache County Study
The Cache County Study on Memory, Health
and Aging is part of a new fundraising campaign
underway by Utah State University entitled,
“Honoring Tradition, Securing our Future.” The
“Generations” project of The Campaign for Utah
State University focuses on sustaining the essential
work of the USU researchers involved in the
Cache County Study who are uncovering new
knowledge about memory and healthy aging.
Donations and planned giving ensure that future generations, the legacy of the Cache County
Study participants, will benefit from continued research. If you are interested in contributing to this
effort, please contact the Development Office at
(435)797-1327 and mention the “Generations”
project.
For more information on The Campaign for Utah
State University and ways to give, see
http://www.usu.edu/campaign/ways_to_give/.