Alzheimer’s in the Family | WBUR and NPR - On Point with Tom Ashbrook

TODAY IS MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2010

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 11:00 AM EDT

Alzheimer’s in the Family

For a long time in life, Alzheimer’s seems like somebody else’s problem. An issue for the unfortunate old. A misty, separate continent of life.

And then, it can hit you. Your own parents, needing help. Losing their grip. Your own odds of following them into Alzheimer’s — higher than you’d ever wish.

One in 10 people get Alzheimer’s. New research suggests that if both your parents had it, your odds may be one in five. Now the Baby Boom generation and its children are lining up to learn their fate. And science is racing to intervene.

This hour, On Point: going after Alzheimer’s.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Reisa Sperling, neurologist and Alzheimer’s researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston

Thomas Bird, Professor of Neurology, Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Washington

Pierre Tariot, director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix

Tags: Alzheimer's, medicine, science, technology

Comments are closed.

The Bandwidth Crunch
Monday, March 22, 2010

The coming bandwidth crunch. Does the U.S. economy have the broadband Internet capacity to surge again?

Health Care Reform and History
Monday, March 22, 2010

We’ll look at how the epic battle over health care compares to other defining reform moments in U.S. history.

Comments [5]

The Stieg Larsson Story
Friday, March 19, 2010

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” the Swedish thriller that’s sweeping the globe — and the death of its author, Stieg Larsson.

Comments [8]

Week in the News
Friday, March 19, 2010

The health care climax looms. The president signs a jobs bill. And murder in Mexico hits home. Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

Comments [90]

Sonny Rollins on Race and Jazz’s Future

Jazz legend Sonny Rollins joined us to reflect on his storied career and give us his thoughts on the future of music. To celebrate his 80th birthday, the hugely influential tenor saxophonist is embarking on yet another national tour.

IED’s in Afghanistan: Hard Numbers

The Department of Defense provided On Point with some statistics about IED attacks in Afghanistan, where there has been an increase in the use of such weapons over the past 14 months. It’s striking to see the spike in numbers — from 2,677 IED incidents in 2007 to 8,159 last year.

More » | Comments [2]

Christopher Hill: U.S. Troop Withdrawal ‘On Schedule’

U.S. Ambassaor to Iraq Christopher Hill spoke with On Point live from Baghdad today as early voting gets underway, part of the run-up to Sunday’s elections. “So far so good,” Hill said, despite scattered violence. Hill said that the plan to withdraw U.S. combat troops by Sept. 1, and to leave only a residual advisory force of 50,000 or fewer, remains “very much on schedule.” Observers worry that a spike in violence could derail that timeline.