During his first on-camera interview since having a stroke, Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman stumbled over words and used closed captioning to read interview questions, prompting Republicans to raise new questions about his health. Disability advocates, however, say that response shows a lack of understanding about accommodations that are often made after a major health event such as a stroke.
News and Announcements
Read the latest news from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease. The links below take you to articles where you can learn more about our members' latest achievements, awards and honors.
12.07.2022 WOSU Public MediaCognitive decline is a common worry of aging people. But researchers like Dr. Emily Rogalski are studying a group of humans called “SuperAgers” who have excellent cognitive skills past the age of 80. She explains how her lab is seeking to better understand what may help people to be SuperAgers.
12.06.2022 WTTWAn experimental Alzheimer’s drug modestly slowed the brain disease’s inevitable worsening — but the anxiously awaited new data leaves unclear how much difference that might make in people’s lives. Ian Grant, MD, joined Chicago Tonight to discuss Alzheimer's Disease and the potential implications of Lecanemab.
12.01.2022 Brain & LifeSandra Weintraub, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychology, and Neurology, recently published an article in Brain & Life, a publication of the American Academy of Neurology, explaining the roles and duties of a neuropsychologist.- 11.30.2022 CNN This MorningDr. Emily Rogalsksi, Associate Director of the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease at Northwestern University, discusses the Northwestern SuperAging Research Program on the November 28, 2022 edition of CNN this Morning.
- 11.28.2022 News Medical
The term ‘Superagers,’ as defined by Northwestern researchers, reflects adults over the age of 80 who have a superior memory capacity that resembles that of middle-aged adults. In order to be accepted into the program, this group of elderly individuals must demonstrate that their ability to recall everyday events and previous personal experiences is significantly better than people in their 50s and 60s; however, their performance on other cognitive tests does not necessarily need to be superior.
11.28.2022 CNNDespite volunteering and working out at the gym several days each week, socializing frequently with friends and family, reading all manner of books and doing daily crossword puzzles, 85-year-old Carol Siegler is restless. “I’m bored. I feel like a Corvette being used as a grocery cart,” said Siegler, who lives in the Chicago suburb of Palatine. Siegler is a cognitive “SuperAger,” possessing a brain as sharp as people 20 to 30 years younger.
11.15.2022 The Daily NorthwesternInternationally, the population of older people is the largest it has ever been. Cases of aging-related diseases grow in tandem with this trend, but until recently, research on them has primarily focused on dementia. But an initiative from the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease at the Feinberg School of Medicine is taking the opposite approach. The program studies “SuperAgers,” or those with exceptional cognitive ability at over 80 years old who perform at least as well as their 50- to 60-year-old counterparts.
10.31.2022After 28 years of leadership, M. Marsel Mesulam, MD, has announced that he will be stepping down as director of the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease; he will be succeeded by Robert Vassar, PhD.
The post New Leadership in Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease appeared first on News Center.
10.14.2022 Washington Post- 10.06.2022 Popular ScienceA new study in The Journal of Neuroscience found that SuperAgers have significantly larger neurons in a specific brain region compared to people of the same age and individuals 20-30 years younger. Senior author Tamar Gefen, PhD discussed the study findings.
10.05.2022 Biopharma DiveA large study of the drug, called lecanemab, hit its main goal, but doctors and researchers point out the effects appear relatively modest. Bob Vassar, PhD discussed the potential applications of the new drug.
10.03.2022 BBCUS scientists believe they may be closer to answering why certain elderly people retain rare cognitive ability comparable to people 30 years younger. A recent study from Northwestern Medicine showed that post-mortem brains of SuperAgers reveal significantly larger neurons in memory region. Tamar Gefen, PhD discussed the study findings with BBC.
09.29.2022 BloombergShares of Eisai Co. and partner Biogen Inc. have soared since reporting that their drug lecanemab helped slow cognitive decline by 27% among people living with early Alzheimer's disease. However, questions remain over the benefits, side effects, and insurance coverage. Marsel Mesulam, MD discussed the potential implications of the new drug with Bloomberg.
- 09.19.2022 WGN RadioDr. Emily Rogalski, associate director of the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Disease at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, joins Lisa Dent on Chicago’s Afternoon News to talk about the new exciting approaches to Alzheimer’s research.
- 09.13.2022 Business InsiderThe brain changes as people get older, but people's minds can differ hugely thanks to their environment, lifestyle, and genetics. Emily Rogalski, PhD sat down with Business Insider what effects these external factors can have on cognition.
- 09.13.2022
Dedicated scientists, physicians, and social workers at Feinberg’s Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease are tackling dementia disorders from all angles. They are treating patients’ symptoms in creative ways, while studying the underlying factors that allow these devastating diseases to affect the mind and behavior.
- 09.13.2022 Honolulu Star-AdvertiserExperts had long believed that exercise could help protect against developing dementia. However, though they had observed a general pattern of reduced risk, studies on the subject had been small — and often conflicting — with little consensus on the type, frequency or intensity of exercise that might be best.
- 09.12.2022 Weekend Today (NBC)A new study points to how much and how quickly you should walk to reduce your risk of dementia. “With interventions like exercise and cognitive stimulation, it’s unlikely that there will be a one size fits all strategy,” Emily Rogalski, PhD said. What’s important on an individual level is melding the science with what fits for an individual, she added.
- 09.06.2022 HealthDay News
The program, Musical Bridges to Memory, has been shown to enhance patients' ability to non-verbally interact with their caregivers, according to a study published recently in the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders. The music therapy also reduces troubling dementia symptoms like agitation, anxiety and depression. Borna Bonakdarpour, MD, FAAN, discussed the study and the benefits of music therapy can have on patients diagnosed with dementia.
- 08.30.2022 Earth.com
Dementia is a devastating disease that robs individuals of their connections with others. Researchers at Northwestern Medicine wanted to explore a unique way that music could help alleviate the isolation that comes with the disease.
- 08.29.2022 Northwestern NowThis award will enable the Mesulam Center to continue its 15-year-long study of PPA and focus on enrolling and supporting newly diagnosed persons each year. The grant also will support the Mesulam Center’s effort to increase representation of traditionally underrepresented groups in research studies including Black/African American and Hispanic/ Latino communities and raise awareness in their communities, a primary goal of the center.
- 08.25.2022 Today ShowA new study looked at the impact of specific activities, from walking to watching TV, on reducing risk of dementia as you age. Emily Rogalski, PhD, sat down with the Today Show to discuss these findings and the importance of remaining mentally, physically, and socially active.
08.18.2022 WVON-AMBrittanie Muse, MSPH, CCRC, was recently interviewed by WVON-AM radio to discuss the AHEAD Study and the importance of URG recruitment in clinical trials.
- 08.18.2022 New York TimesExperts had long believed that exercise could help protect against developing dementia. However, though they had observed a general pattern of reduced risk, studies on the subject had been small — and often conflicting — with little consensus on the type, frequency or intensity of exercise that might be best. Sandra Weintraub, PhD, recently sat down with the New York Times to discuss three major long-term studies released in recent months have attempted to characterize the types, intensities and durations of physical activity that confer the most overall protection against dementia.
07.25.2022Phyllis Timpo is the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Mesulam Center. She joined the center in March of this year to expand, strengthen, and coordinate a robust community engagement strategy for the Mesulam Center while serving the Center’s mission and that of our community partners. Today, she guides the center’s Underrepresented Group Recruitment and Retention Task Force to build and strengthen partnerships in nearby neighborhoods.
- 07.13.2022 WGN
Knowing the difference between normal aging and symptom’s of Alzheimer’s or dementia can make it easier when it comes getting an early start on cognitive health care. Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour, from Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Disease shares tips on what to look for and when to start conversations about care.
07.13.2022 Feinberg Development & Alumni RelationsIn May 2022, Run4Papa founder Jason Boschan ran the Everest Marathon to support dementia awareness and research in the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease.- 07.12.2022 Discover
A new study has found that at least five different brain-attacking diseases strike different parts of the human language network. Conducted by researchers at Northwestern University’s Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease and published in the journal Brain, the findings suggests that not only is it time to shift the way brain diseases are diagnosed but it’s also time to change the approach to treatment when patients exhibit language impairment.
07.08.2022 The Detroit Jewish NewsJason Boschan has gone to great lengths in his Run4Papa campaign. Now it can be said he’s also gone to great heights. Boschan,who has run marathons and half-marathons around the world since 2012 not to compete but to raise money for research and awareness for Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia in honor of his late grandfather, ran in the Everest Marathon on Mount Everest on May 29