3 Questions Answered About Dementia-Related Studies

This week's Miles for Memories Moment focuses on dementia-related studies. Have you considered participating in one? Glin Winsor of Walgreens - a Miles for Memories volunteer - tells 95.3 WBCK a person need not be living with dementia in order to participate. Click the player above to hear more.

He also answers three main questions:

Why get involved in a dementia related study?

One of the greatest ways you can help move Alzheimer's research forward is by participating in a research study. Without research, there can be no prevention, no new treatments and no cure. By volunteering to be part of a clinical trial, you can make a difference. Right now, at least 50,000 volunteers are urgently needed to participate in more than 100 actively enrolling clinical trials about Alzheimer's and related dementias. Trials are recruiting people with Alzheimer's, as well as healthy volunteers to be controls.

How can I find one?

Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center is a collaboration between MSU, UofM and Wayne State University – the Governor’s colleges.
http://alzheimers.med or alz.org

What have recent studies found?

ACTIVE Study – A study for brain training and resilience working on procedural memory (Long-term memory of skills and procedures - steps the brain learns about how to do something) . They have ten one-hour sessions over six weeks. After ten years their processing was improved over the control group. Net: 33% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease after ten years.

COACH Study – Prototype development for those needing assistance with activities of daily living. Includes cognitive orthopedic for assisted activities in the home. Net: 60 fewer interactions with caregiver needed when COACH used.

EXERT Study – Exercise in adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment – It is an 18-month cooperative study with the YMCA and the NIA. There may be opportunities near us to participate in this one.

FINGER - A Finish study to prevent cognitive impairment. It was a two-year intervention study that is still having an impact seven years later.

Laggy at Grand Valley – Using virtual reality to train people to remember how to get around their home, facility, etc. Don't have a lot of details on this one yet.
And there are so many more that include music, color, sound, etc.

Miles for Memories is a grassroots organization creating solutions for those impacted by dementia in Calhoun County through movement, programming and research. For more information call (269) 979-1412 or visit Miles for Memories on Facebook.