Must reads

• An April 17, 2014 Southeast Missourian article reported on a featured session with Diane Rehm at Southeast Missouri State University's 2013-2014 Speakers Series. According to the article, "Rehm has been a radio host for 35 years and has never suffered any "stage fright." She even said she is now performing in a play all around the country called "Surviving Grace", which is about Alzheimer's disease. Rehm said the play is the most enriching experience she has ever had in addition to radio because it demonstrates what an entire family experiences when dealing with someone who has a form of dementia -- a subject very dear to her as her husband suffers from Parkinson's disease and Parkinson's dementia."
• An April 17, 2014 TGD article reported on Salk Institute research focused on how memories are created. According to the article, "Scientists at the Salk Institute have created a new model of memory that explains how neurons retain select memories a few hours after an event. This new framework provides a more complete picture of how memory works, which can inform research into disorders liked Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, post-traumatic stress and learning disabilities."
• An April 16, 2014 The Baltimore Sun letter-to-the-editor by Dr. Susan Molchan cautioned against Alzheimer's screenings. According to Dr. Molchan, "For although it makes intuitive sense to screen and catch diseases early, for all our good intentions, the more we learn, the more we are finding that screening has been way oversold in breast cancer and a number of other diseases. We are learning the lessons that screening is not without risks: people end up going through pain and anxiety, additional medical tests and complications…Screening is expensive. It also now implies use of not only memory testing in the clinic but brain scans for amyloid for which three drugs are now approved from three different pharmaceutical companies. Money spent on such screening and testing takes away from funds that are sorely needed to care for patients with Alzheimer's disease." The letter is in response to an April 14 Baltimore Sun opinion piece by Susan Peschin.
• An April 16, 2014 Consumer Reports article reported on the "hard truth about Alzheimer's drugs." According to the article, "The companies that sell Alzheimer’s drugs peddle hope to people looking for a way to ease the pain and frustration. But a hard look through the research paints a far more disappointing picture."