Today, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed what researchers at UCI MIND have long known to be true: Alzheimer’s disease is an escalating public health crisis that requires increased attention. The report examined rates of death due to Alzheimer’s disease from 1999 to 2014 and found a staggering 55% national increase over that time. Rates were higher among women than men and among non-Hispanic whites compared to other racial/ethnic populations. However, over this time period Alzheimer's death rates saw a greater increase within minority groups compared to non-Hispanic whites. The report also confirmed that the number of Alzheimer’s deaths is highest in…
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Drs. Dan Cooper, Director of UCI ICTS, Howard Federoff, Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs, and Frank LaFerla and Joshua Grill, Co-Directors of UCI MIND, write letter to the editor re: “O.C. doctor helps halt Alzheimer’s progression” >
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Yesterday, UCI MIND volunteer Steve O'Leary shared his powerful story to help raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease research and the UCI C2C Registry with members of his congregation at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in San Juan Capistrano. We are grateful for the time and energy Steve and so many others commit to helping advance Alzheimer's disease research at UCI MIND. We could not do it without the support of our dedicated community members!
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The medications may help a bit with thinking and memory, but the results vary among patients, and may not be that big, says Dr. Claudia Kawas, a neurologist at UC Irvine. Still, they can make a difference. If family members start noticing that a person remembers conversations better, she’d call that a “great” result. read more>
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“We show a proof-of-concept therapy where we could reverse some of the abnormalities in the blood vessel cells by treating them with a drug,” - Thompson, who is affiliated with UCI MIND and the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center
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“Stroke is a major cause of human disability and we are trying to come up with ways of giving people a larger dose of rehabilitation therapy, especially in the home, in order to reduce disability after stroke.” - Cramer
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UCI MIND Co-Director, Dr. Frank LaFerla, discusses Alzheimer's disease research funding with CNBC... California, one of the few states that does Alzheimer's research, has even cut back its funding, said Dr. Frank LaFerla, dean of the UCI School of Biological Sciences at University of California Irvine. "Almost all funding comes from the NIH now," he said. Dr. LaFerla, who is waiting for his own Alzheimer research grants to be approved, is also an advocate. He also takes regular trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress to push for more money that creates "a healthy ecosystem in the…
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Several incredible organizations came together on Sunday, April 30, in Marina del Rey for an explosion of sound, spirit, and information. CANVAS and Betty’s Foundation were joined by Music & Memory and UCI MIND for an incredible evening that featured live musical performances, touching portrayals of the impact music can have on the lives of people with dementia, and a lecture on the neuroscience of music from UCI MIND’s own Dr. Joshua Grill. The powerful evening concluded with CANVAS making a donation of $1000 to Betty’s Foundation to support their work as a non-profit organization committed to eliminating Alzheimer’s disease. Betty’s…
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UCI MIND investigators Mathew Blurton-Jones, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology & Behavior, Wayne Poon, PhD, Director of UCI MIND Tissue Repository, and Edsel Abud, MD/PhD student, have created a method to generate brain cells called microglia using human skin cells. Here, they discuss their findings and what it means for Alzheimer's disease research in an interview with Chelsea Cox, Associate Director of Education: What is microglia and what role does it play in Alzheimer's disease? Poon: Microglia are the immune cells of the brain. They play a big role in the inflammation of the brain that occurs in Alzheimer’s disease. How can…
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