Dementia Matters

Holistic medicine, alternative medicine, complementary medicine – you may have heard these terms or seen them used online and wondered what they mean. Each term refers to the concept of integrative medicine, a comprehensive approach to healthcare that focuses on treating a person’s mind, body and spirit rather than addressing symptoms or a specific disease through a combination of medical treatments and other evidence-based therapies. By integrating practices like nutrition, mindfulness, supplements and other alternative therapies with traditional care, integrative medicine aims to promote overall wellness, enhance healing and improve quality of life, especially for individuals managing chronic conditions like dementia. Dr. David Rakel, a leader in integrative medicine, joins the podcast to share about how this holistic approach can help people experiencing memory change and how diet, mindset and lifestyle can play a crucial role in supporting brain health.  Guest: David Rakel, MD, professor, chair, University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, founder, University of Wisconsin Osher Center for Integrative Health Show Notes Learn more information about the Healthy Living With Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) program and register for upcoming events by  visiting our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/mci]. Learn more about Dr. Rakel from his profile on the UW Madison Department of Family Medicine and Community Health website [https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/directory/4445/]. 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.

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia can be challenging, with no two journeys being the same. Who better to turn to for caregiving support, tips and advice, then, than other caregivers who have been on similar paths? Steve O’Leary and Virginia Naeve join Dementia Matters to share their different experiences caring for their partner and parent respectively, their goal to help other caregivers on their journeys through their podcast Spotlight on Care and more. Guests: Steve O’Leary, co-host, Spotlight on Care, member, leadership council, University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), and Virginia Naeve, co-host, Spotlight on Care, volunteer, UCI MIND Show Notes Listen to the Spotlight on Care podcast on the UCI MIND website [https://mind.uci.edu/mindcast/#spotlight], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spotlight-on-care/id1549732435], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7jJ59qwycdZTzZPAFUyB8b] or wherever you listen to podcasts. Read Virginia’s blog, A New Path for Mom [https://anewpathformom.com/], online. 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.

Dementia diagnoses affect families in many different ways. One of the most challenging to navigate is that of younger-onset dementia (YOD), a form of dementia that affects someone below the age of 65. This diagnosis can be particularly jarring for young families, as resources, support and research for this form of dementia are limited. When Diana Cose’s husband Lorenzo received this diagnosis, she decided to change that by founding Lorenzo’s House, a nonprofit that supports families grappling with younger-onset dementia and works toward lessening the stigma surrounding it. Diana Cose joins the podcast with programs lead Patti LeFleur to share their experiences with younger-onset dementia and how Lorenzo’s House brings light in the darkness. Guests: Diana Cose, founding executive director, Lorenzo’s House, Patti LeFleur, youth and lighthouse outreach lead, Lorenzo’s House Show Notes Learn more about Lorenzo’s House and their free programs on their website [https://lorenzoshouse.org/]. Follow Lorenzo’s House on their Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lorenzos_house/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/lorenzoshouseofficial/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/lorenzos-house/] for updates and more information. Learn about early-onset dementia, mentioned by Dr. Chin at 27:30, listen to our episode with Dr. Susanne Seeger, “Early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease: What to Know and What to Expect [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters/early-onset-alzheimers-disease-what-know-and-what-expect]” on our website. Learn more about the documentary on autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease, mentioned by Dr. Chin at 28:05, on CBS News’ website [https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/60-minutes-alzheimers-disease-medellin-colombia-lesley-stahl/] and watch the documentary on Paramount+ [https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/6qXFC7Z577n3hmm1MTbKDMC75o3YK2G7/?ftag=CNM-00-10abb6c]. 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.

What exactly does a mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis mean, and what should you do after receiving one? Hearing this diagnosis from a doctor can bring up a lot of emotions and questions for individuals and family members. Jennifer McAlister joins Dementia Matters to offer advice for next steps after receiving an MCI diagnosis and share strategies and resources that have been successful for individuals she’s worked with over the course of her career. Guest: Jennifer McAlister, outreach and partnerships manager, Outreach, Recruitment & Engagement Core, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center   Show Notes Find Jen’s “Next Steps After Diagnosis” flowchart, mentioned at 41:22, on our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/diagnosis-next-steps] and as a PDF [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/2025-01/MCIEarly%20Stage%20Flowchart-Jan282025.pdf]. View and download a PDF of the decision-making tool [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/2025-01/Decision%20Making%20Tool.pdf], mentioned at 28:57, online. Learn more about the Wisconsin ADRC’s Healthy Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) series on our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/mci]. Watch the Healthy Living with MCI series on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMkCvbIiRBFcabxhowsOHJK6LQuVf_UJo]. Learn more about MCI by listening to our past podcast episode, “Our Evolving Understanding of Mild Cognitive Impairment [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters/our-evolving-understanding-mild-cognitive-impairment]” on our website, Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/33PIG1UlvsmdIZIDqwDSUM?si=682f4630572946a7], Apple Podcasts [https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-evolving-understanding-of-mild-cognitive-impairment/id1292353638?i=1000600849775__;!!Mak6IKo!NImdpsygNZl1Yo7VQY7ispvBjujpHy6BH20q9oGoW24w5GoniHv3wGAmAmpX2Gha4pYw1kHVU8m10tOS-r9YKnNqrZ4$], and all podcast platforms.   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.

While there are many kinds of dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, there’s one that researchers have only recently identified. LATE, or Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy, is a newly-characterized type of dementia associated with abnormal clumps of a protein called TDP-43. So, what exactly do we know about LATE? Dr. David Wolk joins the podcast to share what key features of LATE are, how it compares to Alzheimer’s disease and impacts treatment, and what next steps are needed to better understand this neurodegenerative disease. Guest: David Wolk, MD, director, Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, co-director, Penn Memory Center, co-director, Penn Institute on Aging, chief, Division of Cognitive Neurology, professor of neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Show Notes Learn more about LATE on the National Institute on Aging’s website [https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-and-dementia/what-limbic-predominant-age-related-tdp-43-encephalopathy-late] and on Penn Memory Center’s website [https://pennmemorycenter.org/education-and-support-resources/understanding-my-diagnosis/limbic-predominant-age-related-tdp-43-encephalopathy-late/]. Read Dr. Wolk's article, "Clinical criteria for limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy [https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/alz.14202]," on the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia's website. Learn more about Dr. Wolk in his profile on the Penn Memory Center website [https://pennmemorycenter.org/who-we-are/staff/david-wolk-md/]. 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.