Arm Yourself with Knowledge at Symposium on Dementia

The Markesbery Symposium on Aging and Dementia

Community Session in Lexington: Saturday, October 27, 2018

Alzheimer's disease wreaks emotional havoc on patients, who are robbed of their memories, their dignity, and their lives.  It’s financially devastating as well: care for Alzheimer's patients is predicted to top $1 trillion by about the time children born today are having children of their own.

According to a recent survey, more than half of U.S. adults are worried that they may develop Alzheimer’s disease.  While almost 90 percent of them believe the solution lies in medical research, a third have no idea how they could get involved.

 

In Kentucky, there are opportunities.

The UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is a jewel in Kentucky's backyard. We are one of only 31 centers in the U.S. designated an Alzheimer's Disease Research Center by the National Institutes of Health -- a coveted award that means additional dollars for research into a disease that kills more people than that of breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.  We have been a world leader in some of science's most important discoveries about Alzheimer's, and we intend to have our fingerprints on the cure as well.

There are currently eight studies recruiting at Sanders-Brown. Having Alzheimer's is not a prerequisite; there is a pressing need for healthy volunteers as well. If you wish to learn more, call Hardin Stevens at 859-323-2997 or email at Hardin.Stevens@uky.edu

We are much more than a research center, however. It our mission to help patients and their families here and now, not just those who may suffer from dementia later. Our outreach programs connect patients and their families with the resources they need to manage the day-to-day ups and downs that is life with Alzheimer's disease.

One of our most important outreach programs is The Markesbery Symposium on Aging and Dementia.  The symposium brings some of the world's leading dementia specialists to Lexington to share their knowledge and advice on Alzheimer's prevention and treatment with the community, free of charge. There is also a Q&A where you can ask questions of the experts.

The Markesbery Symposium on Aging and Dementia

Saturday, October 27, 2018

8:00 am-noon

Lexington Convention Center Bluegrass Ballroom

Free event, free parking, and free continental breakfast

Reservations required, call 859.323.5474 or email  paula.thomason@uky.edu .

This year, our speakers are:

• Sanjay Asthana of the University of Wisconsin, whose personal experience with Alzheimer's has driven his quest to identify Alzheimer's earlier in patients, when treatments might be more effective at slowing the progression of the disease.
• Monica Parker of Emory University, an Alzheimer's specialist who helped establish the Registry for Remembrance, an organization dedicated to educating citizens of color about brain health.

Whether you have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, know someone who has, or are simply interested in what you can do prevent dementia, the Markesbery Symposium is an opportunity to learn more.

Linda Van Eldik, PhD, is Director of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky.