University of California, Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman states: "Our faculty continues to do a tremendous job of winning research grants, the lifeblood of our research efforts. In just the last couple of months...our renowned Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, known as UCI MIND, received a grant of $47 million from the National Institute on Aging; an interdisciplinary UCI team will receive $10 million from the National Institutes of Health...Clearly, the future of science at UCI is very bright indeed." The UCI research team is directed by (seated, from left) Frank LaFerla, Andrea Tenner and Kim Green. Other investigators…
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The CHOC Children's Neuroscience Institute and Alzheimer Biomarkers Consortium — Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) have teamed up to sponsor the 2022 Buddy Walk hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County (DSAOC). Funds raised for the walk support the programs and services DSAOC provides to their constituents. The event will be held on Sunday, Nov 6th starting at 11:00 am at the Santa Ana Zoo (admission included with registration)! In support of DSAOC, Eric Doran, MS, of UCI has created The CHOC/UCI Down Syndrome Program Team. Please consider supporting this event by: Joining our team (using the highlighted link or QR code above) Making a gift Sharing the event with…
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The newest edition of MIND Matters is now available to view digitally and will arrive in mailboxes soon! This issue is a special edition on Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) and covers: UCI MIND converges upon San Diego for AAIC Buzzworthy Brain News Evening on the Peninsula Michael Chang Foundation A December to Remember is back! In-person! Bright MINDs Shine at AAIC Spotlight on 90+ Learn more here > Donate to UCI MIND here >
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Responding to an article written in AlzForum on the future of Alzheimer's treatment and research from October 7th, Joshua Grill, PhD, from UCI MIND, and his colleague, Jason Karlawish, MD, from the University of Pennsylvania, write: Josh Grill, Professor, Psychiatry & Human Behaviorphoto: Steve Zylius/UCI "Anticipation that FDA will grant full approval of lecanemab (or another disease-modifying treatment) invites an exciting but challenging thought exercise: How will such treatments change research and practice for Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? We’ve considered some of the issues. Our top line point is that a new disease-slowing treatment is unlikely to make use of placebo…
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Then and now: Laguna Woods resident Helen Weil plays accordion as a young woman and today, 80 years apart. Weil turned 101 this year. She survived the Nazis in Germany but lost her parents and older sister. (Photo by Daniella Walsh) When Weil was in her 90s, she enrolled in the 90+ Study, a UC Irvine program initiated in 2003 to study “the oldest-old.” The program started in 1981 as the Leisure World Cohort Study, in which Leisure World residents in their 90s filled out surveys about what contributed to their longevity. … UCI researchers visit participants every six months…
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Contributed by Christian Salazar, PhD, MPH, Hye-Won Shin, PhD, and Joshua Grill, PhD Recent papers in JAMA Network Open and JAMA Neurology further our understanding of potential differences among self-reported racial and ethnic groups in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers. The two new papers add to a growing literature that suggest AD biomarkers may work differently in people of different races. Perhaps the most consistent finding so far is that people who self-report as Black may have lower levels of phosphorylated tau in the cerebrospinal fluid and now (in the paper from colleagues at Emory University) in the plasma. As noted by…
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Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD An article in the October 3 New York Times highlights recent developments in providing patients legal access to their medical records. Brought about by the 21St Century Cures Act, this effort aims to remove barriers to citizens having access to their own health data. Implementation of the 21St Century Cures Act essentially mandates that medical test results be made available through electronic health records in near real time, giving patients access almost immediately to their health information without context. This is producing challenges for clinicians and their practices. Photo credit: The New York Times Some…
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On Saturday, October 1st, UCI MIND participated in the HFC “10th Birthday Extravaganza,” hosted by Lauren Miller Rogen and Seth Rogen. The event raised critical dollars for HFC’s caregiver respite and education programs. This includes HFC’s funding of the UCI MIND Research And Mentorship Program with the School of Medicine and several of the trainees were able to attend this star-studded evening in Los Angeles. The night of laughter and music also gave UCI MIND the opportunity to talk about our research, share who we are with the community, and allowed attendees (including Mr. Rogen) the opportunity to hold a human brain. We thank…
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Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD Since Wednesday’s announcement by Eisai and Biogen of positive topline Phase 3 results for their treatment lecanemab in early Alzheimer’s disease, the field has been markedly aligned. Most agree that we need to see the data but that this seems to be a clear win and an important step in a positive direction. Some debates have begun, and more will happen, about the size and meaning of the win—that is, the size of the drug’s disease-slowing effects and the clinical meaningfulness. These debates will be extremely important but will take time. Joshua Grill, PhD Combined…
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Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD Today, Eisai and Biogen announced that the topline results of their Phase 3 trial, known as CLARITY, were positive. CLARITY was a placebo-controlled double-blind study of the monoclonal antibody against the amyloid beta protein lecanemab in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Lecanemab has been shown previously to reduce amyloid burden in the brain of patients with symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. According to today’s press release, lecanemab was effective in slowing decline measured with the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR), compared to placebo. This scale has been suggested by the…
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