Brain Talk | Being Patient for Alzheimer's Patients and Caregivers

Journey to Diagnosis is a Being Patient series sponsored by Eisai. As with all of our reporting, the sponsor has no role in choosing guests, shaping questions, or reviewing content before publication.George King’s work spans film, theater, writing, and photography. With both parents having lived with dementia, King was already attuned to the possibility of cognitive change when he began noticing subtle shifts in his own memory. A word game on his phone eventually became an unexpected warning sign, prompting him to seek evaluation from a neurologist. Today, he documents his experience on Instagram at @dancing.with.delirium, using his platform to share what it is like to live with Alzheimer’s.In this conversation with Being Patient founder, Deborah Kan, King reflects on the path to diagnosis, the role of Leqembi in his treatment and the importance of finding a neurologist who answers questions clearly. He also discusses the daily adaptations that help him manage frustration, stay independent and continue traveling, creating, and engaging with the world. For King, living with Alzheimer’s is not about fighting the disease, but learning how to negotiate with it while continuing to live as fully as possible.----If you loved listening to this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Being_Patient_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingpatientvoices/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beingpatientalzheimersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/being-patientBeing Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/

The symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t always begin with the memory changes that many people associate with dementia. For some, the first signs may involve vision, language, decision-making, behavior, or changes in daily functioning.Dr. Gil Rabinovici, a professor of neurology and radiology at the University of California, San Francisco, and a behavioral neurologist at the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, explains why Alzheimer’s can look different in people who develop symptoms before age 65. His research focuses on using brain imaging and other biomarkers to improve dementia diagnosis, better understand neurodegenerative diseases, and support the development of new treatments.In this Live Talk with Being Patient’s founder, Deborah Kan, Rabinovici discussed how early-onset Alzheimer’s may first appear through changes in executive function, language, visual processing, or personality, and why those symptoms can sometimes lead to confusion or delayed diagnosis. He also explainsed how advances in PET scans, spinal fluid testing, and emerging blood tests are helping clinicians detect the biology of Alzheimer’s during life, while new antibody treatments and future combination therapies are beginning to reshape what diagnosis and care may look like for patients and families.-----If you loved listening to this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Being_Patient_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingpatientvoices/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beingpatientalzheimersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/being-patientBeing Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/

Blood tests and other biomarkers are bringing researchers closer to detecting Alzheimer’s disease before memory loss begins — a shift that could reshape prevention, treatment, and the way families think about risk.Dr. Joshua Grill, director of the UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) and UCI’s NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, explains how advances in amyloid PET scans, spinal fluid testing, and blood-based biomarkers are changing Alzheimer’s research and care. Grill has published more than 150 articles and is nationally recognized for his work on clinical trials, recruitment and retention, and biomarker disclosure.In this conversation with Being Patient’s Mark Niu, Grill discussed why these tests are useful today for people already experiencing cognitive symptoms, why they are not yet recommended as a routine risk test for people without memory problems, and how biomarkers are helping researchers design prevention trials for people at higher biological risk. He also explained the emotional, ethical, and legal questions that come with assessing Alzheimer’s risk and what still needs to happen before early testing and treatment become part of routine care.---If you loved listening to this interview, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Being_Patient_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingpatientvoices/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beingpatientalzheimersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/being-patientBeing Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/

An Alzheimer’s disease or dementia diagnosis can leave families unsure of what comes next. In his new book, Dr. Nathaniel Chin offers families a guide to navigating Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, from the first signs of memory loss to the later stages of care.

Chin, the medical director and clinical core co-lead of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and an associate professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Medicine, hosts the podcast “Dementia Matters.” `He wrote “When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer’s and Dementia” after his father’s diagnosis changed his career and he became one of his father’s primary caregivers. The book offers practical guidance on recognizing early symptoms, navigating medical exams, holding family meetings, building routines and maintaining connection as the disease progresses.

In the conversation with Being Patient founder, Deborah Kan, Chin shared guidance from “When Memory Fades,” including how families can approach early symptoms, why people should be prepared before pursuing biomarker testing, and how routines, habits and advance care planning can help people live with more stability and dignity. He also discussed the promise and limits of new Alzheimer’s blood tests and treatments, the importance of building brain resilience in the early stages, and the need for honest conversations about what families may face as the disease progresses.

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If you loved listening to this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Being_Patient_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingpatientvoices/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beingpatientalzheimersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/being-patientBeing Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/

Can memory be trained? Six-time USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis says the answer is yes. He explains simple techniques to help people strengthen recall, focus and confidence in everyday life.Dellis is a memory coach, author, speaker and one of the world’s top competitive memorizers. Inspired by his grandmother’s death from Alzheimer’s disease, he began training his memory in 2009 and later founded Climb For Memory, a nonprofit that raises awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research through mountain climbing.In this conversation with Being Patient’s founder Deborah Kan, Dellis explains how memory techniques work, such as turning information into vivid images and linking items together through stories. He shares practical tips for remembering names, lists and numbers, and discusses the role of practice, attention and repetition in moving information from short-term recall to longer-term memory. Dellis also discusses how technology and artificial intelligence may be changing the way people use their memories, and why memory remains closely tied to identity, storytelling, and daily life.---If you loved listening to this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Being_Patient_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingpatientvoices/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beingpatientalzheimersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/being-patientBeing Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/

Bacteria found in the eye may offer new clues about inflammation, cognitive decline, and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, a professor of neurosurgery, neurology and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University, has found that Chlamydia pneumoniae, a common respiratory bacterium, may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease-related changes in the brain and retina. Her work, focusing on Alzheimer’s disease, neuroinflammation and retinal imaging, seeks to improve how neurodegenerative diseases are detected, monitored, and treated.

During this conversation with Being Patient’s Mark Niu, Koronyo-Hamaoui explained how her team found evidence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in eye and brain tissue, with higher bacterial burden associated with more severe Alzheimer’s disease. She also discussed how the retina may serve as a noninvasive window into brain health, why chronic inflammation may play a role in disease progression, and why future research is needed to understand whether infection may contribute to Alzheimer’s risk in some people.---If you loved listening to this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter:   / being_patient_  Instagram:   / beingpatientvoices  Facebook:   / beingpatientalzheimers  LinkedIn:   / being-patient  Being Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/

Brain donation is helping researchers better understand why Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders develop, progress, and affect people differently.Dr. Melissa Murray is a professor of neuroscience at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, where her research focuses on the biological changes, including tauopathies, that drive Alzheimer’s and related neurodegenerative disorders.. At Mayo Clinic Florida she helps direct one of the world’s largest brain banks focused on these diseases, giving scientists access to donated brain tissue that can reveal details about diagnosis, disease progression, genetics, resilience and risk that cannot always be seen during life.In this conversation with Being Patient’s Mark Niu, Murray explains what tauopathies are, how tau and amyloid contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, and why brain banks are essential to understanding the many ways dementia can appear. She also discusses how brain donation can support biomarker development, genetic discoveries, and more specific diagnoses. She emphasizes that brain donation also offers families answers and helps researchers work toward better ways to detect, treat, and ultimately prevent neurodegenerative disease.----If you loved listening to this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter:   / being_patient_  Instagram:   / beingpatientvoices  Facebook:   / beingpatientalzheimers  LinkedIn:   / being-patient  Being Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/

Women make up about two-thirds of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, but experts say longer life expectancy alone does not explain the gap. Dr. Jessica Caldwell’s research focuses on how sex and gender influence Alzheimer’s disease risk, resilience, and progression, including the roles of genetics, menopause, lifestyle factors, and life stressors. 

Caldwell is a neuropsychologist and investigator of the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention, or WRAP, at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, as well as a visiting associate professor in the Department of Neurology at UW–Madison. She previously directed the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic, the first Alzheimer’s prevention center designed exclusively for women.

In this conversation with Being Patient’s Mark Niu, Caldwell explained how the disparity is influenced by multiple factors, including genetics, menopause, estrogen loss, medical conditions, lifestyle, and caregiving-related stress. She discussed why midlife may be an important window for prevention, especially for women. Caldwell also described how hormonal changes during menopause, symptoms such as hot flashes and depression, and chronic stress may affect brain health, while lifestyle factors such as exercise, nutrition, medical care and social connection may help support resilience.

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If you loved listening to this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Being_Patient_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingpatientvoices/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beingpatientalzheimersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/being-patientBeing Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/

Journey to Diagnosis is a Being Patient series sponsored by Eisai. As with all of our reporting, the sponsor has no role in choosing guests, shaping questions, or reviewing content before publication.Eisai: https://www.eisai.com/index.htmlJourney to Diagnosis: https://beingpatient.com/journey-to-diagnosis/Juli Chenault first began noticing memory lapses in 2008 while working as a business representative and traveling regularly across Kentucky. One of the first warning signs came when she could not remember how to get to an apartment she had visited many times and had to call her supervisor for help. After raising concerns about her memory with her primary care doctor and undergoing further evaluation, Chenault was diagnosed with early-stage dementia in her early 50s. Her mother had also lived with Alzheimer’s disease.Since her diagnosis, she has remained committed to managing her health, staying on medication, and keeping her mind active. The support of her family has played a central role, both in recognizing the early changes and in helping her move forward.In the conversation with Being Patient’s Mark Niu, Chenault discusses the relief of finally having answers, the importance of staying mentally and socially active, and the role her family has played in supporting her day to day. She also speaks about the need for more awareness in Black communities, where stigma, denial, and lack of information may keep people from seeking help. Chenault encourages others to take memory changes seriously, see a doctor, follow treatment recommendations, and stay connected to the people and activities that help keep the brain active.-----If you loved listening to this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Being_Patient_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingpatientvoices/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beingpatientalzheimersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/being-patientBeing Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/

This interview is brought to you in partnership with Eisai and is part of the Journey to Diagnosis series.Eisai: https://www.eisai.com/index.htmlJourney to Diagnosis: https://beingpatient.com/journey-to-diagnosis/Bob Ehlers was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at 58 and has since become an advocate for early diagnosis, clinical trial participation, and using technology to support people living with neurocognitive conditions.

Ehlers was a vice president of product management in the semiconductor software industry when he first began noticing memory changes, including getting lost on a familiar bike ride home and forgetting a full week of work meetings. He was one of the early participants in the Clarity AD clinical trial of lecanemab. Now living in Arizona, Ehlers continues to use his background in technology and business to support others, mentoring entrepreneurs and developing Conexo Casa, a nonprofit focused on making technology more accessible for people living with neurocognitive conditions.In this conversation with Being Patient’s Mark Niu, Ehlers reflects on the emotional weight of diagnosis, his experience joining a clinical trial, and the importance of getting answers early. He also discusses how music, AI, and staying active have helped him maintain purpose after diagnosis. ---If you loved listening to this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/Follow Being Patient: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Being_Patient_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingpatientvoices/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beingpatientalzheimersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/being-patientBeing Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/