Noggin Notes: Dementia in the News

Welcome to Wednesday.  We hope it's treating you well. If you are a new caregiver, or you know a new caregiver, or you like pressing on links because mysteries are fun, please check out our Resources page.  For the latest episode, Listen Here.

Here are a few recent dementia related news items strewn about the internet by people smarter than us.

• Julie Halpert wrote an excellent New York Times piece on the unique circumstances of caregivers during the Coronavirus pandemic.
• In 100 words, readers were asked to present their Tiny Love Stories. In "Who's There?" we get a small glimpse of what has become a common ritual in homes throughout the U.S., where sons, daughters, spouses and friends struggle to connect by Zoom with their loved ones living with dementia.
• A Yale Study published this morning reveals a new imaging tool that helps scientists detect decrease in brain synapses for individuals who may not yet be showing any obvious dementia symptoms. 
• The National Institute on Aging released an article on how the so-called Alzheimer's gene contributes to breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. Rather than focus on amyloid β plaques and tau tangles, the commonly discussed culprits of cognitive impairment, this article focuses on the role that blood-brain barrier damage plays in Alzheimer's disease.
• Author Edie Thys Morgan discusses the surprising beauty of her mom's Alzheimer's journey in a New York Times Opinion essay.
• Boston Public Radio WGBH explores how the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting routines for families caring for loved ones with dementia.