Alzheimer's Disease, Dementias and Healthy Aging

April Newsletter

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) are pleased to host their 10th Annual Autism Awareness Month Special Event, A Portrait of Autism: Artists and Their Works. The event will feature 4 artists, who will talk about how their experiences as individuals living with autism has shaped their artistic expression. The event will include a sampling of their artwork and a Q&A with the artists.

There are numerous events planned throughout the month to showcase the contribution of people on the autism spectrum and the autism community to our nation and the world. See the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee website for details about events that inform and celebrate the neurodiverse community.

Dementia in Correctional Facilities

A survey by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that the number of incarcerated individuals age 55 or older increased by 280 percent from 1999 to 2016. Incarcerated individuals have a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, myocardial infarction, asthma, arthritis and cervical cancer than the general population. Studies show that the prison environment accelerates aging. Many states categorize incarcerated individuals 50 and over as elderly, with research indicating they age up to 15 years faster than non-incarcerated adults. Higher rates of chronic disease and accelerated aging may increase risk for dementia for older incarcerated individuals.

With many prisons already overcrowded and understaffed, inmates with cognitive impairment present an especially difficult challenge. Medical costs for older inmates range from three to nine times as much as those for younger inmates. Individuals with cognitive impairment or dementia are also vulnerable to victimization. The US prison system is woefully unprepared for the consequences of this demographic shift. But innovative programs such as True Grit and Gold Coats may help address this challenge.

Can the gut help us understand Parkinson's disease?

Most people think of the brain when they think of Parkinson’s but research indicates that the gut may also play an important role. The gut, like the brain, is full of nerves and chemical messengers that help us respond to the world around us and within us. Some of the earliest symptoms of Parkinson’s, which may appear years before diagnosis, affect the gut. Dr. Ehraz Anis, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the Van Andel Institute, is exploring how this link may influence Parkinson’s in hopes that it may lead to new ways to detect the disease.

World Health Organization:

Optimizing Brain Health Across the Life Course

Many factors are known to have an impact on brain health at different stages of life. Stages of brain development were traditionally conceptualized as consecutive and non-overlapping but, we now know that this is not the case. We can improve our brain health throughout our lifetimes by minimizing risk

factors, as well as by enhancing protective factors that promote neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to grow, create new connections

and recover or compensate for injuries. No single factor determines a person’s brain health outcomes. Broadly speaking, however, brain health can be optimized through actions across the following domains: physical health, healthy environments, safety and security, learning and social connection, and access to quality services.

Understanding and Addressing Hypertension as a Community Health Worker

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can increase the risk for serious conditions such as heart disease and stroke, and Mild Cognitive Impairment which may lead to dementia. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are uniquely qualified to improve health outcomes among individuals diagnosed with hypertension and support at-risk individuals to prevent the development of the condition and to support effective hypertension management. The purpose of this webinar is to outline the role of CHWs in addressing hypertension self-management and prevention in their communities while showcasing a Vermont CHW program.