Dementia Matters

Taking Steps to Slow Decline: New Study Examines the Role of Physical Activity on Alzheimer’s Progression

10,000 – that’s the magic number of steps often recommended for a healthy lifestyle. With recent research looking into whether that number is an accurate benchmark for health, could the number of steps taken per day have an impact on brain health and, specifically, cognitive decline? That’s precisely what a new study from Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham sought to examine, looking at how physical activity, specifically step count, impacted cognitive decline for those living with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Bri Breidenbach and Sarah Lose join the podcast to break down the results of this new study, as well as share what current research says about the effect of other kinds of physical activity, such as different intensity exercises, on the brain and Alzheimer’s progression. Guests: Bri Breidenbach, PhD, scientist, exercise physiologist, Okonkwo Lab, and Sarah Lose, MS, research program manager, exercise physiologist, Okonkwo Lab, UW School of Medicine and Public Health   Show Notes Read the study, “Physical activity as a modifiable risk factor in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03955-6],” published by the journal Nature Medicine on their website. Learn more about Dr. Breidenbach and Sarah Lose’s work on the Okonkwo Lab website [https://okonkwolab.medicine.wisc.edu/]. Read “Association of Daily Step Count and Intensity With Incident Dementia in 78 430 Adults Living in the UK [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2795819],” mentioned by Dr. Breidenbach at 12:01, on JAMA Neurology’s website. Listen to Sarah Lose’s previous episode, “Building the Brain: Finding the Cognitive Benefits of Physical Activity [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters/building-brain-finding-cognitive-benefits-physical-activity],” on our website. Learn more about physical activity and the six pillars of brain health on our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/prevention]. Complete the Dementia Matters Feedback Survey [https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eFoGuqf2V1ivaOa] to let us know what our show is doing well and how we can improve in the New Year! This anonymous survey is estimated to take about 5 minutes to complete and is open to all.   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.

Reflecting on 2025: The Impact of Gratitude on Brain Health

As 2025 comes to an end, host Dr. Nathaniel Chin discusses the importance of gratitude for brain health and shares what he’s grateful for from this past year. Show Notes Complete the Dementia Matters Feedback Survey [https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eFoGuqf2V1ivaOa] to let us know what our show is doing well and how we can improve in the New Year! This anonymous survey will be open until January 14th, 2026 and is estimated to take about 5 minutes to complete. Read the study Dr. Chin mentions at 0:57, “Association between gratitude, the brain and cognitive function in older adults: Results from the NEIGE study [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167494322000267?via%3Dihub],” on the ScienceDirect 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.

Talking TBI: The Impact of Traumatic Brain Injuries on Cognitive Decline

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) like concussions are not uncommon, especially in children and older adults. These injuries can have both short-term and lasting effects on the brain, but what about their impact on cognitive function? Dr. Deling He of UW–Madison’s Cognitive-Communication in Aging and Neurogenic Disorders Laboratory (CCANDL) lab joins the podcast to discuss her research on the connections between TBI, speech pathology and cognition and what her study findings mean for people with a history of TBI. Guest: Deling He, PhD, postdoctoral research associate, Cognitive-Communication in Aging and Neurogenic Disorders Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, UW–Madison Show Notes Read the study from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), “Traumatic Brain Injury Strikes 1 in 8 Older Americans,” mentioned by Dr. Chin at 0:30 on the UCSF website [https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2024/05/427701/traumatic-brain-injury-strikes-1-8-older-americans]. Learn more about Dr. He’s study in the article, “TBI linked to long-term cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease [https://www.healio.com/news/neurology/20250805/tbi-linked-to-longterm-cognitive-decline-in-preclinical-alzheimers-disease],” published on Healio’s website. Learn more about the Cognitive-Communication in Aging and Neurogenic Disorders Laboratory (CCANDL) [https://ccandl.csd.wisc.edu/] on their lab website. Learn more about Dr. He on the CCANDL website [https://ccandl.csd.wisc.edu/people/]. 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.

How Occupational Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists Support Cognitive Health

When memory, thinking or communication changes begin, knowing where to turn for support can make all the difference. In this episode, we explore how two key health care specialties can help individuals and families meet those challenges with confidence. Sarah Gunderson, an occupational therapist, and Kari Esser, a speech-language pathologist, draw from their work supporting people experiencing a wide range of neurological conditions to walk us through the foundations of their specialties and their unique roles in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia care. Sarah and Kari also provide a preview of their upcoming talk, “Partnering with Your Healthcare Team,” as part of the 2025 Healthy Living with MCI education program. Guests: Sarah Gunderson, OT, occupational therapist, UW Health, Kari Esser, MS, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist, UW Health Show Notes Register and learn more about the upcoming Healthy Living with MCI event featuring Dr. Chin, Sarah Gunderson and Kari Esser, happening on December 12, 2025, and future programs on our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/mci]. Learn more about Sarah from her profile on the UW Health Website [https://www.uwhealth.org/providers/sarah-gunderson-otr]. Learn more about Kari from her profile on the UW Health Website [https://www.uwhealth.org/providers/kari-esser-ms-ccc-slp]. 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.

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.