ASWE: Research Day Tuesday April 9th, 2024
The Alzheimer Society of Windsor and Essex County is delighted to invite you to our Research Day on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at Art Windsor Essex.
This event will showcase the fascinating research taking place on both a national and local level. The esteemed presenting researchers are Dr. Joshua Armstong (Alzheimer Society of Canada), Dr. Jerry Cohen (University of Windsor) and Dr. Siyaram Pandey (University of Windsor). Additional presentation support will be provided by Keanna Dube (Doctoral Candidate Research Assistant, University of Windsor).
Our exciting topics are:
“The Many Faces of Dementia in Canada: Findings from the Alzheimer Society of Canada’s Second Landmark Study Report”: With the rapidly increasing size of the dementia population, it is important to enhance our understanding of the similarities and differences that are found among the people living with the condition. This second report from the Landmark Study takes a closer look at the many faces of dementia in Canada by highlighting the diversity that is found within the Landmark Study projections. To conduct these forecasts, a simulation model was developed using demographic characteristics and risk factors for dementia to estimate the number of people living with dementia in Canada from 2020-2050. From the results of the Landmark Study, we will highlight findings related to dementia within Indigenous populations, differences in dementia across various ethnic- and racial groups, findings related to sex and gender, and the unique challenges for people with young onset dementia. These findings illustrate the changing landscape of growing numbers of people living with dementia in Canada. (Dr. Joshua Armstrong)
“Preclinical Research to halt progression of Alzheimer’s Disease”: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is caused by progressive loss of brain cells and brain cell function leading impaired memory and cognitive functions. Unfortunately, there not much success in developing therapeutic or preventative interventions for preventing or halting the progression of AD. There are many causal factors associated with the development of AD including i) increased oxidative stress and accumulation of defective proteins, ii) impaired proteasome system and autophagy, iii) mitochondrial dysfunction and iv) inflammatory activation of microglia/astroglia. These interrelated/interdependent mechanisms could be triggered by amyloid peptide oligomerization, tauopathy and/or by age-related decrease in anti-oxidative defense. Any interference targeting any one of the pathways may not be successful for treatment of this disease. Furthermore, using chemo-modulators as therapeutics for AD patients over a long period could have severe toxic/psychological side effects. Natural health product, Ashwagandha extract in combination with water soluble coenzyme Q10 could target these mechanisms and provide robust neuroprotection. In our collaborative and multiprong approach using rodent models of AD, we are developing memory test and MRI based structural changes for early diagnosis of AD. In parallel, we are also evaluating the neuroprotective efficacy of Ashwagandha extract and water soluble CoQ10. We have shown that oral delivery of this combination leads to amelioration of behavioral and histochemical symptoms of these diseases in a transgenic rodent model. The exciting findings include resumption of autophagy, activation of pro-survival astroglia function, inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain following treatment with this combination. These preclinical observations indicate that this combination treatment has a great potential for safe and successful clinical therapy for AD in humans. (Dr. Jerome Cohen and Dr. Siyaram Pandey)
Please join us on Tuesday April 9, 2024 for one of our two identical free sessions:
09:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. OR
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Art Windsor Essex, 401 Riverside Drive West, Windsor, Ontario. Refreshments will be provided.
Kindly RSVP at the following link: https://on.alz.to/site/Calendar?id=124132&view=Detail and select the session you would like to attend.
We look forward to welcoming you to this free event.
