November 7, 2017
The field of Alzheimer’s disease research is widening, and today there is an easy way every one of us can help hasten the finding of an Alzheimer’s cure. Through an online game, Stall Catchers, many people are devoting time to combing through slides of mouse brains to help researchers in discovering the effectiveness of addressing cerebral circulation troubles to reverse loss of memory.
A part of the flourishing trend in “citizen science,” Stall Catchers blends today’s technology with the overall population’s desire to really make a difference in the world around them. An incredible number of volunteers lend their valuable time each day to causes such as diagnosing malaria, hurricane damage tracking, and even searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.
And it’s actually helping. Stall Catchers volunteers’ efforts made an impact on reaching the finding that impaired blood circulation is not associated with the amyloid plaques linked to Alzheimer’s disease, processing slides at a rate which would take a single laboratory researcher an entire week within an hour. With government financing for Alzheimer’s research topped out at $986 million during the past year (and at least $2 billion needed yearly, according to the Alzheimer’s Association), volunteer researchers are invaluable.
The next phase in this particular study is to search for a medication that can address these circulation blockages while not compromising patients’ immune systems – an effort involving the tedious evaluation of tens of thousands of images. And although it’s going to take a lot of time, even with an enthusiastic audience of research volunteers, individuals with a loved one dealing with Alzheimer’s find purpose in the ability to do something to work hard towards a cure, at any time the desire arises. According to Judy Johanson, whose father has difficulties with the disease, “You don’t have to wait for the walk or the triathlon to do this. You can do this whenever you need to.”
If you’ve got a senior loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, you’re able to register to be part of the Stall Catchers community in order to help, and contact Continuum for in-home help with specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Our fully trained, experienced, and compassionate caregivers are available as much or as little as needed – whether only a few hours a week to provide family caregivers with a little time to themselves, or full-time, around-the-clock care to keep seniors safe and well. Call us at (314) 863-9912 to learn more about our St. Louis dementia care services.