Dr. Ortega’s newest role as associate dean of clinical practice now places her at the helm of clinical care for both the Green Memory and Wellness Center and the FAU and Northwest Community Health Alliance’s Community Health Center (FAU/NCHA CHC), operated by the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. She will collaborate with FAU/NCHA CHC executive director Karethy Edwards, Dr.PH, APRN, professor and associate dean for academic programs; and clinical director Desiree’ T. Weems, APRN, a certified nurse practitioner.
Tag: Alzheimer’s Disease
Fixed vial sizes for controversial Alzheimer’s drug could waste $605 million in Medicare spending each year
Medicare could waste up to $605 million per year on the controversial Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab if it is eventually approved for widespread use because it is supplied in vials containing fixed doses that may not be appropriate for all patients–resulting in the trashing of large volumes of unused drug
UTHealth Houston study: Flu vaccination linked to 40% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease
People who received at least one influenza vaccine were 40% less likely than their non-vaccinated peers to develop Alzheimer’s disease over the course of four years, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston.
Recent Study Indicates High Prevalence of Recently Defined Non-Alzheimer’s Dementia
Researchers from the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging say a paper recently published in Acta Neuropathologica is the most definitive assessment yet of the prevalence of a form of dementia classified in 2019 and now known as LATE. The results show that the prevalence of brain changes from LATE may be roughly 40% in older adults and as high as 50% in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Chula Dementia Day Center Can Help You Prepare for Old Age with a Clear Mind and Away from Alzheimer’s
Dementia Day Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society prepares for Thailand’s anticipated aging society by offering various rehabilitation services to help slow down the decline of people with dementia, while planning to launch a professional course for caregivers, and establishing the “Bright Brain Club” to persuade people of all ages to learn and care for early brain health to avoid the possibility Alzheimer’s disease.
Target Protein for Diabetes Drug Linked to Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Mechanisms associated with a particular diabetes drug can also help to protect against Alzheimer’s disease, a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and published in Neurology reports.
Evidence Mounts for Alternate Origins of Alzheimer’s Disease Plaques
A breakdown in how brain cells rid themselves of waste precedes the buildup of debris-filled plaques known to occur in Alzheimer’s disease, a new study in mice shows.
Dementia diagnosis often comes as part of costly crisis
Medicare costs around the time of a dementia diagnosis are much lower for older adults screened proactively rather than those diagnosed while experiencing a health issue.
Johns Hopkins Medicine Researchers Link Sugar-Studded Protein to Alzheimer’s Disease
Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they discovered that a special sugar molecule could play a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. If further research confirms the finding, the molecule, known as a glycan, could serve as a new target for early diagnostic tests, treatments and perhaps prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, say the researchers.

Could Viagra Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease? Expert Source Available to Comment on This and Other Potential Breakthroughs as We Kick Off Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month
A new Cleveland Clinic-led study has identified sildenafil – an FDA-approved therapy for erectile dysfunction (Viagra) and pulmonary hypertension (Revatio) – as a promising drug candidate to help prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Drug repurposing offers a practical alternative to…
Breakthrough COVID infections more likely in cancer and Alzheimer’s patients, studies find
Breakthrough COVID-19 cases resulting in infections, hospitalizations and deaths are significantly more likely in cancer and Alzheimer’s patients, according to two new studies from researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Insulin spray improved gait, cognitive function in patients with and without type 2 diabetes, clinical trial shows
Scientists have assessed the long-term effects of intranasal insulin on cognition and on gait in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Tufts University Researchers Discover New Function Performed by Nearly Half of Brain Cells
Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine have discovered a previously unknown function performed by a type of cell that comprises nearly half of all cells in the brain.
The scientists say this discovery in mice of a new function by cells known as astrocytes opens a whole new direction for neuroscience research that might one day lead to treatments for many disorders ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer’s to traumatic brain injury.
MSU research could lead to new Alzheimer’s treatments
Working with tiny bacteria, Michigan State University researchers led by Lee Kroos have made a discovery that could have big implications for biology.
The researchers revealed a new way that nature can inhibit or switch off important proteins known as intramembrane proteases — pronounced “pro tea aces” — which the team reported April 26th in the journal eLife.
When it Comes to Preventing Alzheimer’s, Women and Men are Not Created Equal
A study is the first to examine if sex significantly affects cognitive outcomes in people who follow individually-tailored, multi-domain clinical interventions. The study also determined whether change in risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), along with blood markers of AD risk, also were affected by sex. Results showed that while care in an Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic setting is equally effective at improving cognitive function in both women and men, the personally-tailored interventions used by the researchers led to greater improvements in women compared to men across AD and CVD disease risk scales, as well blood biomarkers of risk such as blood sugar, LDL cholesterol, and the diabetes test HbA1C. Findings are important because women are disproportionately affected by AD and population-attributable risk models suggest that managing risk factors can prevent up to one-third of dementia cases.
Race of people given Alzheimer’s blood tests may affect interpretation of results
Three of four blood tests used to identify people in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease perform differently in Black individuals compared to white individuals, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such differences may put Black patients at risk of misdiagnosis.
Risky driving behaviors increase as common sleep disorder worsens
Up to half of older adults may have sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing and sleep are briefly interrupted many times a night. A new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that this chronic tiredness can have serious implications for road safety.
Einstein Aging Study Receives $32 Million Grant to Study Alzheimer’s Disease
To help address the rising tide of Alzheimer’s disease nationwide, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in collaboration with faculty at Pennsylvania State University and other institutions, have received a five-year, $32 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the ongoing Einstein Aging Study (EAS), which focuses on both normal aging and the special challenges of Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias. EAS was established at Einstein in 1980 and has been continuously funded by the NIH.
Cedars-Sinai Gifted $10M to Create Memory and Aging Program
Cedars-Sinai announced today a $10 million gift to establish the Bernard and Maxine Platzer Lynn Family Memory and Healthy Aging Program in the Department of Neurology. The program will broaden the scope of age-related care at Cedars-Sinai—with a focus on healthy aging, patient independence, care coordination, and brain health.
Research uncovers new insights on ALS and points to a potentially promising treatment strategy
New research provides a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and points to a potential treatment strategy.
Does Estrogen Protect Against the Risk of Brain Shrinkage?
A new study found that people with higher cumulative estrogen exposure over their lifetime had greater brain volumes and fewer indicators of brain disease on their brain scans in midlife . The research is published in the November 3, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Cat’s Meow: Robotic Pet Boosts Mood, Behavior and Cognition in Adults with Dementia
Researchers tested the effectiveness of affordable, interactive robotic pet cats to improve mood, behavior and cognition in older adults with mild to moderate dementia.
Alzheimer’s Disease Among the Latinx Population: Preparing for a Growing Need in Care
Dr. Melissa Hladek and Jason Resendez join the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing’s On the Pulse podcast to discuss Alzheimer’s disease among the Latinx population.
Could a Novel Light Therapy Help People With Alzheimers?
Recently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai a five-year grant to out whether exposing patients to a combination of light therapies will slow Alzheimer’s debilitating effects.
New research “sniffs out” how associative memories are formed
Has the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies ever taken you back to afternoons at your grandmother’s house? Has an old song ever brought back memories of a first date? The ability to remember relationships between unrelated items (an odor and a location, a song and an event) is known as associative memory.
MIND Diet Linked to Better Cognitive Performance
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found that older adults may benefit from a specific diet called the MIND diet even when they develop these protein deposits, known as amyloid plaques and tangles.
Help ward off dementia, step by step
To mark Dementia Action Week and World Alzheimer’s Day, researchers at the University of South Australia are sharing their latest insights about dementia in a new podcast series, Re-imagining Ageing.
Rutgers expert available: World Alzheimer’s Day (9/22)
“Alzheimer’s disease is the only top 10 leading causes of death in the US without an effective treatment,” says William Hu, MD, PhD, FAAN. Dr. Hu is Associate Professor and Chief of Cognitive Neurology at Rutgers-RWJ Medical School and Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care…
UF, UF Health announce gift and new $75 million initiative to expand Norman Fixel Institute
The University of Florida and UF Health on Tuesday, Sept. 14, announced an additional $25 million gift from the Lauren and Lee Fixel Family Foundation aimed at improving the lives of patients across the globe through the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health. The new investment will spur growth in the areas of national and international telemedicine, Alzheimer’s disease clinical research, mental health, traumatic brain injury and ALS and will help cultivate the next generation of expert researchers tackling these challenging diseases.
Time until dementia symptoms appear can be estimated via brain scan
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed an approach to estimating when a person with no cognitive symptoms will start showing signs of Alzheimer’s dementia based on data from brain scans and the person’s age.
Research reveals drug targets for memory enhancement
Bristol-led research has identified specific drug targets within the neural circuits that encode memories, paving the way for significant advances in the treatment of a broad spectrum of brain disorders.
UIC researchers find evidence of possible link between herpes simplex and neurogenerative diseases
A new study by researchers at University of Illinois Chicago suggests that when the protein optineurin, or OPTN, is present in cells it restricts the spread of HSV-1, the herpes simplex virus type 1.In a “first of its kind” study, researchers also found a potential direct connection between neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), glaucoma, and the herpesvirus.
As dementia’s toll on the U.S. rises, new study shows major gaps in who gets care that could help them remain at home
A new study provides stark statistics about a reality that 6 million Americans with dementia and their families live every day: one where people with dementia receive unpaid care from spouses and adult children, and where some rely on paid help. The study finds major disparities in potential family caregiver availability, and the chance that a person with dementia will move to a nursing home.
September is World Alzheimer’s Month & Healthy Aging Month
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the number of Americans diagnosed with this disease is growing fast. An estimated 6.2 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2021. By 2050, the number of people aged 65…
Mayo Clinic Conference on Brain Health and Dementia to welcome people living with dementia, caregivers and health care providers
The inaugural Mayo Clinic Conference on Brain Health and Dementia will be held virtually on Oct. 29 from 9:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. CDT with an optional workshop to follow. The event is a collaboration among Mayo Clinic, AARP and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Biomedical engineers show potential of new peptide for fighting Alzheimer’s disease and COVID-19
NYU Tandon professors Mary Cowman and Jin Ryoun Kim recently published a paper describing a novel peptide with broad therapeutic potential to combat chronic inflammation in multiple diseases.
Inflammatory Proteins Help Better Diagnose Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
Testing for some inflammatory proteins associated with the nervous and immune systems will help diagnose the earlier onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a Rutgers study.
New Study Provides Structural Insights into How Cholesterol in the Brain Regulates Ion Channels and Alters Their Function; Findings Could Facilitate the Development of Therapeutics for Neurological Diseases
UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 11am EST on August 24: Cell Reports Senior Author: Paul A. Slesinger, PhD, Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Center for Neurotechnology and Behavior, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,…
Eyes Provide Peek at Alzheimer’s Disease Risk
Amyloid plaques found in the retinas of eyes may be an indicator of similar plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, and may provide a more visible biomarker for detecting disease risk.
Physical exercise modulates iron in Alzheimer’s disease
A recent experimental study shows how regular physical exercise modulates iron metabolism in both the brain and the muscles.
First of its kind study using multi-omics approach identifies large list of candidate genes associated with alcohol use disorder
New York, NY (Aug 20, 2021) – Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have published the first study of its kind in the field of addiction genetics using a multi-omics approach to provide a large list…
Flawed quality control in the brain
Proteins are the “tools” of our cells – they are essential to all vital tasks.
Stem cell treatment for dementia clears major hurdle
UCLA researchers have successfully grown restorative brain cells in large batches suitable for transplantation in patients. The therapy is designed to repair damage to the brain from white matter stroke, a “silent stroke” that can kick off years of cognitive deterioration and can accelerate Alzheimer’s disease. A new paper is published in the journal Stem Cell Research.
Stem cell treatment for dementia clears major hurdle
UCLA researchers have successfully grown restorative brain cells in large batches suitable for transplantation in patients. The therapy is designed to repair damage to the brain from white matter stroke, a “silent stroke” that can kick off years of cognitive deterioration and can accelerate Alzheimer’s disease. A new paper is published in the journal Stem Cell Research.
Do Some Diabetes Drugs Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s?
MINNEAPOLIS – People taking certain drugs to lower blood sugar for type 2 diabetes had less amyloid in the brain, a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease, when compared to both people with type 2 diabetes not taking the drugs and people without diabetes. The new study, published in the August 11, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, also found people taking these drugs, called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, showed slower cognitive decline than people in the other two groups.
Understanding Alzheimer’s Progression with Improvements to Imaging, Image Processing, Machine Learning
Because there is no ethical way to extract brain tissue from patients to look for clues about how amyloid plaques and protein aggregates proliferate, supplementary techniques are needed to better understand the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. During ACA’s 71st annual meeting, Abdullah Al Bashit, from Northeastern University, will discuss using computational techniques to help address these challenges. His work demonstrates how using small and wide-angle scattering along with state-of-the-art detection techniques will help probe the molecular structure and proliferation.
Fine particulate air pollution associated with higher risk of dementia
Using data from two large, long-running study projects in the Puget Sound region — one that began in the late 1970s measuring air pollution and another on risk factors for dementia that began in 1994 — University of Washington researchers identified a link between air pollution and dementia.
New grant to help advance Alzheimer’s disease research
A five-year, nearly $6 million grant from the National Institute on Aging will allow investigators with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Biomedical Informatics to use artificial intelligence (AI) to advance Alzheimer’s disease research.
Obesity and Cardiovascular Factors Combine to Cause Cognitive Decline in Latinos
Obesity is a major public health issue among Latinos, and a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. But in a new study, researchers at UC San Diego report that cardiometabolic abnormalities, such as hypertension, are more strongly associated with cognitive decline than obesity alone.
Global Dementia Cases Forecasted to Triple by 2050
Positive trends in global education access are expected to decrease dementia prevalence worldwide by 6.2 million cases by the year 2050.