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NPR: Two common herpes viruses appear to play a role in Alzheimer's disease. The viruses, best known for causing a distinctive skin rash in young children, are abundant in brain tissue from people with Alzheimer's, a team of scientists reports Thursday in Neuron. The team also found evidence that the viruses can interact with brain cells in ways that could accelerate the disease. READ MORE
Bloomberg: Christophe Weber, the first foreign-born chief executive officer of Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., last month inked a $62 billion takeover of rare-disease drugmaker Shire Plc. The deal will reshape the 237-year-old, Osaka-based company into a global powerhouse. In a recent interview in Manhattan, the French-born CEO talked about exciting areas of research and the potential of China. READ MORE
Washington Post: Older adults report that a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is the thing they most fear about their future. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease characterized by increasing forgetfulness and confusion, eventually resulting in loss of independence and, ultimately, loss of self. Patients with advanced Alzheimer’s disease are often unable to recognize even their spouse or children. There is an urgent scientific effort underway to solve the mystery of Alzheimer’s, but many are still unclear on its fundamentals. READ MORE
Everyday Health: Even after she was diagnosed by a neurologist, it was sometimes hard for me to believe my mother actually had Alzheimer’s disease. Didn’t she still drive, play Rummikub, and make small talk? My lack of understanding made me unsympathetic just when Mom needed help. I was impatient with her for staying home when she needed contact with humans. I told her if she’d exercise and eat healthier food, her thinking abilities would improve. READ MORE
Forbes: In my last article in my series on dementia I talked briefly about De Hogeweyk village, more famously known by its informal moniker The Dementia Village. Located on the outskirts of Amsterdam in the small town of Weesp, De Hogeweyk is a four acre complex that looks like any other small village, with supermarkets, hair salons, theaters, and post offices. The difference is that, in De Hogeweyk, every resident is living with severe dementia and all the shops and businesses are staffed with caretakers and healthcare providers. There’s also only one way in or out of the town, through a set of glass double doors that are constantly monitored by cameras, part of a security system that covers the entire De Hogeweyk campus. READ MORE
