Please enjoy Brain Health Bulletin #10! Please feel free to forward this to anyone who may find benefit in receiving it! The Brain Health Bulletin is designed to be your quick reference to the latest information about brain health, dementia research, technology, cultural awareness for effective, inclusive, and compassionate dementia treatment, care partner tools, and more! Be sure to check out our new podcast called The Resilient Caregiver at The Resilient Caregiver: Empowering Those Who Serve People Diagnosed with Dementia • A podcast on Anchor

1. Brain Health Bulletin
V O L U M E 1 1
From Dementia Care Specialists ADRC Southwest Wisconsin Nov 30, 2022

2. Disclaimer
Reference in this Brain Health Bulletin to any
specific commercial products, processes, or
services, or the use of any trade, firm, or
corporation name is for the information and
convenience of the public, and does not
constitute endorsement, recommendation, or
favoring by the ADRC, or its officers, employees
or agents.

3. Source: https://share.upmc.com/2014/12/get-know-brain-series-frontal-lobe/
Frontal Lobe Info

4. Source: https://share.upmc.com/2014/12/get-know-brain-series-frontal-lobe/
Frontal Lobe Info
The frontal lobe, located in the front part of the brain, is the largest of the four main
lobes and is considered our emotional control center and home to our personality and
decision-making abilities. The frontal lobes also are linked to sensory and memory
centers throughout the brain and allow us to determine how to use information that is
stored elsewhere. To put it simply, it allows us to think things through and rationalize
decision making.
Problem Solving
You feel good knowing that $20 can buy you 10 $2 candy bars. Thank your frontal lobe
for knowing simple math. Activity in this lobe allows us to solve problems, reason,
make judgments, make plans and choices, take action, and generally control your
living environment. Without the frontal lobe, you could be considered a genius,
however; you would be unable to use any of that intelligence.
Movement
The frontal lobe controls your voluntary muscles, or the muscles you use to ride a
bike, jog, throw a baseball, or make other conscious movements. Other parts of your
brain control involuntary movement and muscle coordination. Also, the ability to
determine the position of your body in a natural environment, or spatial orientation, is
also a function of the frontal lobe.
Social Interaction
The frontal lobe gives us the ability to communicate and interact appropriately in any
given situation. This area of the brain also allows us to understand the thinking and
experience of others, which helps you determine how to respond or behave when
placed in a social situation. For example, was that joke you’re friend told funny? Maybe
not and you gave a fake laugh just to make them feel better. You guessed it, frontal
lobe at work.
Can you live without your frontal lobe?
Technically, you can live without a frontal lobe. However, you would experience a total
paralysis of your cognitive abilities and motor control. In short, you wouldn’t be able
to reason and form simple thoughts, and you also wouldn’t be able to move.

5. Source: https://www.viridian-nutrition.com/blog/brain-
health/keeping-your-brain-healthy

6. Technology
"As the population across the globe continues to dramatically
increase, the prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia will
inevitably increase as well, placing increasing burden on families and
health care systems. Technological advancements over the past
decade provide potential benefit in not only relieving caregiver
burden of caring for a loved one with dementia, but also enables
individuals with dementia to age in place. Technological devices have
served to improve functioning, tracking and mobility. Similarly,
smartphones, tablets and the ubiquitous world wide web have
facilitated the dissemination of health information to previously hard
to reach populations largely through use of various social media
platforms." Thank you for subscribing to this bulletin as one of these
offerings designed to reach far and wide!
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8040150/

7. Sense Garden
The progressive impact of dementia on memory, communication,
behaviour, orientation, and mood can have serious implications for an
individual’s wellbeing. Whilst there is currently no cure for dementia, it
has been suggested that activity involvement can improve the quality of
life for individuals living with the disease. Activities such as sensory
stimulation and reminiscence therapy have been shown to have positive
effects on mood, memory, and self-identity.
People with dementia will visit the SENSE-GARDEN room, accompanied by
a caregiver, professional or family member. The SENSE-GARDEN will adapt
itself to the life experiences of its visitor by connecting to a digital Life
Book with her or his history and memories. The person’s favourite music
fills the room; photos of familiar places are displayed, like the church next
to the house where she or he lived when younger, or showing people such
as family members and friends.
The project includes four countries in which the SENSE-GARDEN is tested:
Norway, Belgium, Romania and Portugal.
Source: http://www.aal-europe.eu/projects/sensegarden/

8. Research
Updates
"The Brain's Immune Cells Can Be Triggered to Slow Down Alzheimer's
Disease."
"New Target for Alzheimer's Therapies Found: Medin has been known
for over 20 years, but its influence on diseases was previously
underestimated. We were able to show that pathological changes in the
blood vessels of Alzheimer's patients are significantly enhanced by
medin," says Dr. Jonas Neher from the Tübingen site of DZNE, who led
the study.'"
"Down syndrome, like Alzheimer's, is a double-prion disorder, study
shows.
Discovery may point to new therapeutic approach for common
neurodegenerative disorders."
"Gossypetin found in hibiscus may beat Alzheimer's disease. A research
team has verified that gossypetin activates immune cells in the brain
that clear A beta, which triggers Alzheimer's disease."
"Machine learning gives nuanced view of Alzheimer's stages.
Researchers used machine learning to pinpoint the most accurate
means, and timelines, for anticipating the advancement of Alzheimer's
disease in people who are either cognitively normal or experiencing
mild cognitive impairment."
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/dementia/

9. "New Alzheimer’s Drug Shows Positive Results but Side Effects
Eisai Co. and Biogen Inc.’s drug, called lecanemab, slowed cognitive decline
by 27% compared with a placebo over 18 months in a study of more than
1,700 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s, researchers reported in the New
England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday.
The drug’s effect was moderate, and was associated with swelling and
bleeding in the brain, the researchers said. They recommended further,
longer study of the drug.
Some 17.3% of patients taking lecanemab had signs of brain bleeding,
compared with 9% in the placebo group. Brain swelling occurred in 12.6% of
people getting the drug, versus 1.7% who got placebos."
Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-alzheimers-drug-shows-positive-results-but-
side-effects-11669766449
Research
Updates

10. C U L T U R A L L Y R E S P O N S I V E
R E S O U R C E S
A new USC study shows that older African Americans
who received culturally tailored text messages about
Alzheimer’s disease had the highest increase in
Alzheimer’s disease literacy levels when compared
with other participants.
Researchers say the study, published in the American
Journal for Geriatric Psychiatry, shows culturally
competent educational formats are an important way
to reduce health disparities.
Enter the BrainWorks study by Karen Lincoln, an
associate professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck
School of Social Work and founder of Advocates for
African American Elders at the USC Edward R. Roybal
Institute on Aging. The study tested an intervention
that began with participants attending an hourlong
“talk show” in an African-American community setting
that delivered information about Alzheimer’s. The
next phase incorporated a monthlong regimen of
daily text messages to promote Alzheimer’s literacy —
defined as knowledge about the disease and
understanding of its causes, consequences, symptoms
and treatment.
“Alzheimer’s education is important for everyone,”
Lincoln said. “However, increasing Alzheimer’s literacy
among African-Americans is crucial for increasing
their awareness of their personal risk for the disease,
improving care, reducing disparities and ultimately
enhancing the quality of life of people diagnosed and
their caregivers.”
Source: Alzheimer's in African Americans: Risks and
inequities (medicalnewstoday.com)

11. Check out The Resilient Caregiver Podcast!
Make sure to subscribe to catch all of our
interviews with amazing experts who can
empower you be resilient during your journey
of caregiving!
Learn more at
https://anchor.fm/theresilientcaregiver

12. Make sure to Like and Follow the
Dementia Care Specialist Page on
Facebook @adrcswwi.dementia! If you
have any friends or clients who would
benefit from getting information about
how to be a resilient caregiver, please
recommend this page to them!

13. Questions?
Want a brain wellness check?
Reach out today at
(800) 514-0066
bbeam@gchsd.org
bbiddick@gchsd.org

14. Disclaimer
Reference in this Brain Health Bulletin to any
specific commercial products, processes, or
services, or the use of any trade, firm, or
corporation name is for the information and
convenience of the public, and does not
constitute endorsement, recommendation, or
favoring by the ADRC, or its officers, employees
or agents.