I have always been a performer at heart, starting with theater in school. For 28 years, I was a law professor at Indiana University in Indianapolis, and teaching gave me a captive audience. Beyond the classroom, I have always been passionate about music. I play the guitar and sing, and back in the day I was part of a band. I was also a distance runner and dreamed of completing …
Even before Mia was born, I could sense that something about her was different. With my other children, I felt constant movement during pregnancy, but Mia stayed curled up in one spot and hardly moved at all. When I mentioned this to my obstetrician, he assured me that it was normal. But I was sure that there was something more going on.
As soon as Mia was born, there were signs …
There’s an ever-growing body of evidence to suggest that diabetes contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Some even go so far as to dub Alzheimer’s disease “diabetes type III.”
How might diabetes cause Alzheimer’s disease?
It’s the sugar: Chronic high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can damage blood vessels, including those in the brain. This vascular damage reduces oxygen and nutrient delivery to brain cells, increasing …
Mother scholar.
The phrase rolls off the tongue with the force and ferocity of a curse word—blunt, unsparing, weighty. I didn’t coin the term, but I inhabit it. A vessel for the seeming contradictions of tenderness and skepticism, integration and dissection. Of being simultaneously maternal and cerebral in institutions that reward detachment, autonomy, and efficiency.
As I sit in reflection this May—a month of devotion to motherhood and due dates for faculty …
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Journalist and patient advocate Carol Steinberg discusses her article, “Alzheimer’s impact on the young should be an open book.” She argues that while Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) …
I recently attended a medical conference for the Huntington’s disease (HD) community. Hundreds of people were gathered to collaborate, share knowledge, and learn how to better address the needs of their patients. During the first session, I found it challenging to listen to the presentation and the conversations taking place around me. The detached manner in which people were speaking was troubling to me, so I stepped out for a …
It has long been said that Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia (ADRD), like some other conditions, is a disease of the family. The ramifications of the disease extend well beyond the periphery of the person with cognitive decline to other family members, such as parents, adult children and siblings, and children under 18.
Yet, the latter, the most vulnerable, are often left in the dark.
Whether young children are living with …
It’s getting close to that time of the school year. Your teenage patient with chronic headache/migraine is finishing up their high school education, either through the traditional or non-traditional pathway. They have chosen their next step—going to college. As their provider, you are so proud of them. Perhaps high school has been really hard for them academically, socially, and/or emotionally. They needed and used accommodations around schoolwork and attendance. They …
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Neuroscientist Adrian Owen discusses his KevinMD article, “A wake-up call for dementia detection: the urgent need for precision tools across health care.” Adrian highlights the alarming rate of dementia diagnoses worldwide and …
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We explore the groundbreaking efforts to advance autism research through postmortem brain tissue donation with David G. Amaral, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. Learn how brain donation provides unique insights into the …
Our nation and the health care industry have been in shock following the assassination of the CEO of one of the largest insurance companies in the U.S. The brazen killing of Brian Thompson and the suspected shooter Luigi Mangione has captured America’s attention. The assassination has focused public outrage toward the health care insurance industry and revealed a lack of empathy for the victim and his family. A recent survey …
Americans heard a lot this campaign season about family caregivers. The federal government is making progress, but more needs to be done. I know about the importance of family caregiving; I’m alive today because a family caregiver advocated for me when I could not do that for myself.
At the age of 38, in January of 2005, I started having difficulty walking. My primary care doctor sent me to a neurologist, …
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In this episode, we sit down with neurologist Lealani Mae Acosta to explore the intersection of beauty standards, professionalism, and gender disparities in medicine. From the impact of COVID-19 on personal appearance routines …
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Before her diagnosis, my mom was extremely active and healthy. She loved bird watching, walking, and volunteering at her church and its school. So in 2013, when she began experiencing symptoms like incontinence and difficulties with walking, we knew that something wasn’t right.
We faced many potential explanations for my mom’s symptoms before receiving her diagnosis. I remember the doctors testing her for numerous diseases like diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS), …
Recently, consumer articles heralded that blood tests for detecting Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and many cancers were close to clinical availability. Given the narrow window in which AD must be diagnosed for present treatments to be effective, and questions regarding the utility of early cancer detection, will these tests provide any patient advantage?
Presently, there are two medications to treat AD. Neither is curative, but they slow disease progress by about five …
Efforts to generate a resource of postmortem brain tissue for research are in their infancy. Autism BrainNet, a program of the Simons Foundation, is trying to jump-start those efforts. Currently, there are fewer than 200 postmortem autistic brains in the Autism BrainNet program available to researchers worldwide who are looking into the underlying biological causes of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders. Postmortem brain tissue accelerates research efforts and advances …
Dementia is advancing at an unprecedented rate—every three seconds, another person is diagnosed. Currently, 55 million people worldwide live with dementia, and by 2050, that number could soar to 139 million. These figures aren’t mere statistics; they represent individuals, families, and communities facing complex, life-altering challenges. For primary care providers, who often stand as the first line of defense, this signals a crucial need for precise, sensitive tools to …
A series of behaviors in autistic children, not well addressed by medical providers today, include self-harming, hitting, biting, mouthing, licking objects, pickiness with food, clothing textures, and touching private areas – otherwise known as “sensory behaviors.” Some of these behaviors, often found to be embarrassing, can remain prevalent and persist into adulthood. Part of the problem is that medical providers typically are not educated regarding the nuances of these unique …
Here are 23 simple things you can do (in five minutes or less) to improve your brain health. Do one of them each day. Keep it up for a few short weeks and your brain will sing your praises.
Attitude of gratitude
The act of being grateful improves mental health in a number of ways, such as making the grateful person less prone to depression and fostering stronger relationships. Becoming more grateful …
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Join us for an enlightening discussion with neurologist Amy E. Sanders as we explore the evolution of biomarkers in diagnosing and monitoring Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. We’ll delve into the significance of …
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