Dementia Matters

Study Finds COVID-19 Can Cause Build-up of Alzheimer’s-Related Proteins in Eyes and Brain

What do COVID-19 brain fog and ophthalmology have to do with Alzheimer’s disease? There may be more connections than one might think. Dr. Sean Miller is one of the scientists behind a recent study that used retinal tissue to investigate the links between COVID-19 infections and the build-up of amyloid and other indicators of Alzheimer’s disease in the central nervous system. Dr. Miller joins the podcast to discuss his research and its implications for COVID and dementia diagnosis and treatments in the future. Guest: Sean Miller, PhD, research scientist, department of ophthalmology and visual science, Yale School of Medicine, co-investigator, Logan Lab, Endicott College  Show Notes Read Dr. Miller’s study, “SARS-CoV-2 induces Alzheimer’s disease–related amyloid-β pathology in ex vivo human retinal explants and retinal organoids [https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.ads5006],” on the journal Science’s website. Learn more about Dr. Miller at his profile on the Yale School of Medicine website [https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/sean-miller/]. Read “Retinal pathological features and proteome signatures of Alzheimer's disease [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10020290/],” mentioned by Dr. Miller at 2:50, on the National Library of Medicine website. Listen to our past episode, “Long COVID and Its Effect on Cognition [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters/long-covid-and-its-effect-cognition],” on our website for more information on how COVID-19 can affect the brain. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Taking a Positive Approach to Dementia Care with Strategies from Teepa Snow

Caring for someone living with dementia can be both deeply meaningful and incredibly challenging. Finding effective ways to connect, communicate and provide support often requires shifting how we see and respond to changes in the brain. In honor of National Family Caregivers Month, renowned dementia care specialist Teepa Snow joins the podcast to share her insights on improving life with dementia through empathy and understanding. As the founder of Positive Approach to Care (PAC), Teepa has developed the Snow Approach, a set of practical and compassionate techniques designed to empower care partners. She discusses the philosophy behind her methods, the importance of recognizing retained abilities and strategies that can make daily interactions more positive and meaningful for both care partners and those living with dementia. Guest: Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, dementia care specialist, educator, owner, trainer, Positive Approach LLC, co-Founder & chair, Snow Approach Foundation Show Notes This episode was uploaded as an exclusive video episode on the Wisconsin ADRC YouTube page [https://www.youtube.com/@WisconsinADRC] on November 5, 2025. Watch the video interview with Teepa Snow here [https://youtu.be/YHlKc1J-ad8]. Find videos, resources and more on Teepa Snow’s website [https://teepasnow.com/]. Interested in hearing more from Teepa? Attend Dementia Friendly America’s (DFA) Dementia Friendsgiving on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 [https://dfamerica.org/friendsgiving/], to hear her keynote talk on supporting people with dementia in dignified and respectful ways. Learn more about lecanemab and the eligibility requirements from our past episode, “Looking at Lecanemab’s Eligibility Guidelines and Prescription Process, [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters/looking-lecanemabs-eligibility-guidelines-and-prescription-process]” on our website. Learn more about grief and dementia from our past episode, “A Guide to Grief: Strategies for Navigating Loss and Dementia [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters/guide-grief-strategies-navigating-loss-and-dementia],” on our website. Learn more about the National Council of Dementia Minds on their website. [https://dementiaminds.org/] Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.

A Guide to Grief: Strategies for Navigating Loss and Dementia

Grief is a complex topic for people with dementia, their loved ones, caregivers and doctors to navigate. Dr. Erica Srinivasan, an expert on the psychology behind grief, joins the podcast to discuss the different kinds of grief people can experience and share strategies and resources for addressing the grief associated with dementia. Guest: Erica Srinivasan, PhD, associate professor of psychology, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (UWL), director, Center for Grief and Death Education, lead instructor, Grief Support Specialist Certificate, UW–Madison Continuing Education Show Notes Register for Dr. Srinivasan’s Grief Support Specialist Certificate course at the UW–Madison Continuing Education website. [https://continuingeducation.wisc.edu/courses/grief-support-specialist-certificate-online/] Register for Dr. Srinivasan’s Dementia Support Specialist online courses course at the UW-La Crosse Extended Learning website [https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.uwlax.edu/gel/ppd/dementia-resources/__;!!Mak6IKo!K4T1hUYWCJq_RQrPBzw_PKeEPV4lZuKzWVCbkgybm4DFfy2-qBbgWdiNuFNMBBFXBsYfDNCpEZRWRN_qT5igYcW6obocrco$]. Read more about Dr. Srinivasan at her profile on the UW–La Crosse website. [https://www.uwlax.edu/profile/esrinivasan/] Listen to our episode “Shining Light on Younger-Onset Dementia with Lorenzo’s House,” mentioned by Dr. Chin at 14:19, on our website. [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters/shining-light-younger-onset-dementia-lorenzos-house] Learn more about MyGrief [https://mygrief.ca/], the resource mentioned by Dr. Srinivasan at 22:42, on the Canadian Virtual Hospice’s website.  Learn more about the UK Alzheimer’s Society [https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/], mentioned by Dr. Srinivasan at 23:04, on their website. Learn more about Wisconsin’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), mentioned by Dr. Srinivasan at 23:13, on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website [https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/adrc/index.htm]. Looking for resources outside of Wisconsin? Find local organizations using the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) Eldercare Locator [https://eldercare.acl.gov/home]. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Clarifying the Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials Landscape

Clinical trials are essential for improving the lives of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. With so many trials out there, it can be difficult for someone who’s interested in participating in research to know where to start. Dr. Jonathan Graff-Radford joins the podcast to discuss the ins and outs of clinical trials and the state of Alzheimer’s treatments today, as well as share some highlights from his presentation at the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) 2025 Spring ADRC Meeting. Guest: Jonathan Graff-Radford, MD, behavioral neurologist, associate professor, vice chair, Mayo Clinic Department of Neurology, co-investigator, Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Show Notes Read more about Dr. Jonathan Graff-Radford at his profile on Mayo Clinic’s website [https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/graff-radford-jonathan-m-d/bio-20157263]. Listen to part one [http://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters/defining-and-addressing-preclinical-alzheimers-disease] and part two [http://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters/taking-closer-look-cognitive-decline-and-preclinical-alzheimers-disease] of our series on preclinical Alzheimer’s disease and the AHEAD study with Dr. Reisa Sperling, mentioned at 19:53, on our website. Learn more about the AHEAD study on their website. [https://www.aheadstudy.org/] Learn more about clinical trials in Wisconsin at the UW Clinical Trials Institute's website [https://uwclinicaltrials.org/]. Interested in participating in clinical trials? Visit clinicaltrials.gov [https://clinicaltrials.gov/] or Alzheimer's Association's TrialMatch [https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/research-and-progress/clinical-trials/trialmatch] to learn how to get involved. Learn more and register for the 2025 Fall Community Conversation: Addressing Hearing Loss for Better Brain Health on our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/fcc2025]. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Making Sense of Microplastics: New Research Looks at How Microplastics Build Up in the Brain and Body

Microplastics are a growing concern in the field of environmental health, but their impact on the brain is only beginning to be understood. Joining the podcast to share the latest research on these tiny particles, which have been found in the brain and other parts of the body, is Dr. Matthew Campen, a leading researcher in the field whose work is helping to uncover how environmental exposures like the accumulation of microplastics could affect neurological health, dementia risk and more. Guest: Matthew Campen, PhD, MSPH, director, New Mexico Center for Metals in Biology and Medicine, director, University of New Mexico Clinical and Translational Sciences Center KL2 Mentored Career Development Program, deputy director, Training Core director, UNM Metal Exposure and Toxicity Assessment on Tribal Lands in the Southwest (UNM METALS) Superfund Research Program Center, professor, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Show Notes Learn more about Dr. Campen and his research at his profile on the University of New Mexico website [https://hsc.unm.edu/directory/campen-matthew-j.html].  Read Dr. Campen’s article, “Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03453-1],” published by Nature Medicine on Nature’s website. Read “Nanoplastic concentrations across the North Atlantic, [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09218-1]” the research article Dr. Campen mentioned at 23:08, on Nature’s website. Read “The Story You’ve Been Told About Recycling is a Lie [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/opinion/trash-recycling-global-waste-trade.html],” the opinion piece Dr. Campen mentioned at 25:40, on The New York Times website. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production.