“Funding from this grant will have far-reaching benefits,” she explained. “It will help older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers by supporting the development of better diagnostic and intervention strategies and helping them to connect with practicing health-care professionals. 

“The general public, especially those who live in rural areas and African-Americans, will be provided information about dementia and about the importance of approving an autopsy at the time of death.”

Each year the Senior Health Center at UAMS’s Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging serves approximately 3,600 older adults. Almost one fourth have dementia; 26 percent live in rural areas; and 13 percent are African-American. 

Dr. Beck added that UAMS students will learn about Alzheimer’s disease through the Area Health Education Centers and other health education programs.

The clinical team of neurologists, geriatricians and health care professionals from neuro-psychology, social work and nursing will evaluate a pool of up to 400 people, composed of those with Alzheimer’s disease, healthy normal older people, and people with certain other kinds of memory loss that is not caused by Alzheimer’s disease.  The team will evaluate patients twice a year according to a set of measurable outcomes.

Compared to the rest of the country, Arkansas residents are older, more impoverished, and have lower educational levels and poorer health.  “Because Arkansans tend to ‘age in place,’ we can follow Alzheimer’s disease patients and their caregivers over an extended period of time,” Dr. Beck said. “Deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease were more prevalent in Arkansas than nationally, and deaths in Arkansas due to cerebro-vascular disease were the second highest in the United States. I believe this center will provide a natural laboratory for studying how to provide Alzheimer’s disease services cost-effectively in medically underserved areas.”

Links on This Page

Alzheimer’s Disease Center: http://alzheimer.uams.edu/
Center on Aging: http://centeronaging.uams.edu/
National Institute on Aging: http://www.nia.nih.gov/