Minding Memory

Michigan Medicine Podcast Network
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Welcome to Minding Memory. In this podcast we discuss topics related to dementia research. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for dementia research, and we have topics for both those new to the space as well as old pros. We start with some basics, like: What exactly is dementia? What are the different types of dementia? What is the TICS, if not a swarm of blood-sucking insects?  But we also invite researchers on to discuss their interesting work to give you a glimpse at the questions, data, and methods moving the field forward.    Minding Memory is co-hosted by Matthew Davis and Lauren Gerlach. Matt and Lauren are health services researchers and professors at the University of Michigan. Matt’s PhD is in Data Science and Lauren is a geriatric psychiatrist. The Minding Memory podcast is part of the Center to Accelerate Population Research in Alzheimer’s (CAPRA) at the University of Michigan, supported by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. Additional support also comes from the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. The content of this podcast does not represent the views of the National Institutes of Health or the University of Michigan. Please consider subscribing to this podcast and make sure to check out our website. On our website you’ll also find links to the center’s seminar series and data products created specifically for dementia research.  You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Convoys of Caregiving: Arab American Families Living with Dementia

    2 DAYS AGO

    Convoys of Caregiving: Arab American Families Living with Dementia

    In this episode, Matt & Lauren speak with Kristine Ajrouch, PhD - a new member of our CAPRA leadership team. Kristine is a Research Professor at the Institute for Social Research whose work focuses on aging, health, immigration and family in the United Statues and the Middle East; social networks over the life course; and Arab American identity and well-being.    Kristine discusses a recent article that examined an intervention to improve outcomes among Arab American caregivers who provide care to a family member living with dementia. She also shares what this work teaches us about caregiving as a family system rather than the responsibility of a single individual.   The transcript for this episode can be found here.   Link of Interest:  Kristine Ajrouch Faculty Profile    Article referenced in podcast:  Ajrouch KJ, Barada FM, Janevic MR, Antonucci TC. Supporting Arab-American Families Living With Dementia: Testing a Culturally Adapted Program. J Appl Gerontol. 2025 Apr;44(4):515-519. doi: 10.1177/07334648241281153. Epub 2024 Sep 23. PMID: 39313309.  You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  2. Neighborhood Income and Cognitive Health

    23 MAR

    Neighborhood Income and Cognitive Health

    Welcome back to Minding Memory! In today’s episode, Lauren & Matt speak with Dr. Laura Zahodne – a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and an affiliate of the Institute for Social Research. She's a clinical neuropsychologist by training and studies how psychosocial experiences shape late life, cognitive health, and risk of neurodegenerative disease.  Also, a new member of our CAPRA leadership team!      In this episode, we’ll get to know Laura a little better and talk with her about one of her research studies, the Neighborhood Racial Income Inequality in Cognitive Health, which looks at the association between racial income differences and a variety of cognitive measures.  The transcript for this episode can be found here.   Links of Interest:   Laura Zahodne Faculty Profile   Introduction to the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project    Articles Referenced in Podcast:  Zahodne LB, Sol K, Scambray K, Lee JH, Palms JD, Morris EP, Taylor L, Ku V, Lesniak M, Melendez R, Elliott MR, Clarke PJ. Neighborhood racial income inequality and cognitive health. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Aug;20(8):5338-5346. doi: 10.1002/alz.13911. Epub 2024 Jun 27. PMID: 38934219; PMCID: PMC11350017.    Hu Y, Elliott MR, Meier HCS, Chen L, Walters ME, Sol K, Zahodne LB. The impact of census-tract level mortgage discrimination on cognitive function: accounting for measurement instability in small-area data via joint modeling. Am J Epidemiol. 2025 Nov 4;194(11):3258-3266. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwaf131. PMID: 40522478; PMCID: PMC12634109.   You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min
  3. An Introduction to the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model of Care

    25/02/2025

    An Introduction to the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model of Care

    In today’s episode, Matt and Lauren discuss the new CMS GUIDE model for dementia care with Dr. Brystana Kaufman, MSPH, PhD – a health services researcher at the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy at Duke University. The GUIDE model aims to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia by reducing strain on caregivers and enabling individuals to remain in their homes.     Brystana talks with the Minding Memory team about a spectrum of topics as related to the GUIDE model including, what motivated CMS to develop and implement the model; what defines a serious illness; how the model supports caregivers; and what an organization needs to have in terms of services in order to participate in the implementation of the GUIDE model. Dr. Kaufman is the co-author of an article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society titled “GUIDE Dementia Model: Opportunities for Serious Illness Care” which provides additional insight into the model.     Episode Transcript   Brystana Kaufman, PhD, MSPH Faculty Profile    Article referenced in this episode:   Kaufman BG, Grant M. GUIDE dementia model: Opportunities for serious illness care. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2024 Jun;72(6):1935-1938. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18787. Epub 2024 Feb 5. PMID: 38315037.    Additional Resources:   Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model  Health and Aging Policy Fellows  You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  4. Exposure to a Natural Disaster and Long-term Cognition

    04/02/2025

    Exposure to a Natural Disaster and Long-term Cognition

    In this episode, Matt and Lauren speak with Drs. Elizabeth Frankenberg at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duncan Thomas at Duke University about their research which focuses on understanding how survival and physical health evolve after exposure to large scale shocks like the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami. They will specifically speak about the STAR Study and what they’re learning about long-term effects on cognitive outcomes.      Faculty Profiles:   Elizabeth Frankenberg, PhD  Duncan Thomas, PhD    Resources from the Episode:   Study of the Tsunami Aftermath and Recovery (STAR)  STAR Study Design and Results  The transcript for this episode can be found here. You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  5. Identifying Cognitive Difficulty among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Americans

    21/01/2025

    Identifying Cognitive Difficulty among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Americans

    In this episode, Matt and Lauren speak with Dr. Tiffany Kindratt whose research focuses on examining health outcomes among the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) population, a group that was – until recently – categorized as “white” by the US government despite. Evidence showing their health and lived experiences are different. We’ll get into a recent American Journal of Public Health article authored by Dr. Kindratt that that examines how cognitive difficulties differ among the MENA population when compared with other racial and ethnic categories.      Faculty Profile: Tiffany Kindratt, PhD, MPH  Health Survey Research (HSR) Lab @ University of Texas at Arlington  American Community Survey (ACS)     AJPH Article:    Kindratt TB, Smith A. Cognitive Difficulty in Middle Eastern and North African Adults Living in the United States Compared With Other Racial and Ethnic Categories, 2017-2021. Am J Public Health. 2024 Nov;114(11):1265-1274. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2024.307803. PMID: 39357001; PMCID: PMC11447784.  The transcript for this episode can be found here. You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  6. Understanding Dementia Risk Factors with Helen C. Kales, MD

    07/01/2025

    Understanding Dementia Risk Factors with Helen C. Kales, MD

    In this episode, Matt & Lauren have the unique opportunity to talk with Dr. Helen C. Kales, a geriatric psychiatrist and health services researcher who has participated in the previous Lancet Commissions on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care – including the most recent one released in 2024. Dr. Kales discusses how the commission puts together all the evidence to make recommendations that can play a crucial role in dementia prevention. Dr. Kales is the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Joe P. Tupin Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California at Davis and has dedicated much of her career to improving the lives of patients living with dementia.      Helen C. Kales, MD Faculty Profile    2024 Lancet Commission: Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet Standing Commission  The transcript for this episode can be found here. You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
  7. The Link Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline

    17/12/2024

    The Link Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline

    Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions of aging, affecting nearly two-thirds of older adults over the age of 70, but it’s not just a matter of diminished hearing. Hearing loss can contribute to poor psychosocial outcomes for patients including loneliness, depression, and social isolation. New research also shows that hearing loss is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia. In fact, the 2024 Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care identified hearing loss as one of 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia. According to the commission, treating hearing loss could prevent up to 7% of dementia cases globally, making it one of the most impactful areas for potential prevention. This raises the question of whether use of hearing aids in people with hearing loss can reduce or mitigate this increased dementia risk.    To help us understand these connections and the latest research in this area, we are joined today by Dr. Alison Huang, an epidemiologist and Senior Research Associate from the Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health. Her research studies the impact of sensory loss on cognitive and mental health in older adults. Dr. Huang was an author of the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study, a large, multicenter randomized controlled trial that tested whether treating hearing loss in older adults could help slow cognitive decline published in the Lancet.     Alison Huang, PhD, MPH     Link to article:   Lin FR, Pike JR, Albert MS, Arnold M, Burgard S, Chisolm T, Couper D, Deal JA, Goman AM, Glynn NW, Gmelin T, Gravens-Mueller L, Hayden KM, Huang AR, Knopman D, Mitchell CM, Mosley T, Pankow JS, Reed NS, Sanchez V, Schrack JA, Windham BG, Coresh J; ACHIEVE Collaborative Research Group. Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the USA (ACHIEVE): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2023 Sep 2;402(10404):786-797. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01406-X. Epub 2023 Jul 18. PMID: 37478886; PMCID: PMC10529382.  The transcript for this episode can be found here. You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  8. Greenspace and Late-Life Cognitive Decline

    03/12/2024

    Greenspace and Late-Life Cognitive Decline

    In this episode Matt and Lauren will speak with Dr. Marcia Pescador Jimenez, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Boston University whose research focuses on understanding the relationship between exposure to green space and health outcomes (including hypertension and cognitive measures). Emerging research has shown that midlife risk factors may delay or even prevent the onset of dementia later in life - among these include physical activity and social interaction. It’s not a stretch to imagine how a person’s environment may impact behaviors such as physical activity. For instance, there are places that lack sidewalks and parks that make exercising exceedingly difficult. Among environmental epidemiologists, there is growing interest in understanding how the built and natural environment influence our behaviors that, in turn, influence our health.      We encourage you to listen to this episode while on a walk outside!     Dr. Marcia Pescador Jimenez Faculty Profile    Article Referenced in Podcast:   Pescador Jimenez M, Wagner M, Laden F, Hart JE, Grodstein F, James P. Midlife Residential Greenness and Late-Life Cognitive Decline among Nurses' Health Study Participants. Environ Health Perspect. 2024 Jul;132(7):77003. doi: 10.1289/EHP13588. Epub 2024 Jul 17. PMID: 39016600; PMCID: PMC11253812.    Nurses’ Health Study  The social engagement scale that was referenced in the podcast is called the “Berkman-Syme Social Network Index” The transcript for this episode can be found here. You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min
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About

Welcome to Minding Memory. In this podcast we discuss topics related to dementia research. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for dementia research, and we have topics for both those new to the space as well as old pros. We start with some basics, like: What exactly is dementia? What are the different types of dementia? What is the TICS, if not a swarm of blood-sucking insects?  But we also invite researchers on to discuss their interesting work to give you a glimpse at the questions, data, and methods moving the field forward.    Minding Memory is co-hosted by Matthew Davis and Lauren Gerlach. Matt and Lauren are health services researchers and professors at the University of Michigan. Matt’s PhD is in Data Science and Lauren is a geriatric psychiatrist. The Minding Memory podcast is part of the Center to Accelerate Population Research in Alzheimer’s (CAPRA) at the University of Michigan, supported by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. Additional support also comes from the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. The content of this podcast does not represent the views of the National Institutes of Health or the University of Michigan. Please consider subscribing to this podcast and make sure to check out our website. On our website you’ll also find links to the center’s seminar series and data products created specifically for dementia research.  You can subscribe to Minding Memory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Michigan Medicine Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Regents of the University of Michigan
  • Show Website
    Minding Memory

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