Posts in this category discuss scientific findings and ideas.
“If I needed you, would you come to me? Would you come to me and ease my pain?”
As old-time fiddler Heidi Clare Lambert, artist in residence at UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center, sang these lyrics from Townes Van Zandt, her music filled a Parnassus campus conference room not the typical place to hear such sounds. Read more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Friday, April 6 2012, that it has approved the use of Amyvid™ (florbetapir) PET scans for patients being evaluated for Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of cognitive impairment. Amyvid is a radiotracer, or a radioactive imaging agent that is injected intravenously at a very small (“trace”) dose. Amyvid PET scans detect the presence of amyloid plaques, one of the core microscopic features of Alzheimer’s disease. A patient with a significant number of amyloid plaques in their brain is likely to have a “positive” Amyvid scan. Read more
For years, the medical and scientific community considered frontotemporal dementia (FTD) a rare disease that could not be distinguished from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) until after a patient’s death. As our technology and understanding have improved, so has our ability to diagnose disease. A correct diagnosis helps not only the patient and family put a name to their experience, but also helps physicians direct treatment and determine research opportunities. Doctors use specific, validated criteria to confirm a suspected diagnosis. Read more