Alzheimer’s education

• By ELLYN COUVILLION
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Nov 6, 2009 - Page: 1D

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More than 500 people showed up at a forum on dementia research at Pennington Biomedical Research Center looking for information — and they got it.

A panel of researcher physicians succinctly laid out the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, the various hypotheses of causes and what researchers are trying to do to stop the disease.

The Tuesday conference was presented by the Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention, headed by Jeff Keller, Ph.D., at Pennington.

“This is our first annual” forum, Keller told the audience. “We are going to be coming here every year and have these events.”

The guest speakers addressed an audience that filled the large auditorium at Pennington’s conference center.

Before the program began, audience members Judy and Don Brown, of Baton Rouge, said they were there to learn more about the disease that afflicted Judy’s late mother and uncle.

Don Brown said his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 15 months ago.

“When you look at someone that was very vibrant and worked outside all of his life and had his own business that he ran — and now basically just sits and looks” it’s very difficult, Don Brown said.

“We all cope with whatever we have,” Judy Brown said of the caregiver’s role. “We find our own methods.”

Many of those attending the event were caregivers.

Each of two 20-minute  presentations by the researchers  was followed by 40 minutes of questions from the audience.

Most of the questions were about Alzheimer’s, the fatal and progressive brain disease that is the most common form of dementia for those ages 65 and older.

The questions were often personal and specific.