The Cure to Alzheimer's

The TED Talk by Samuel Cohen, “Alzheimer’s is not normal aging – and we can cure it,” caught my attention due to its bold title. I chose to watch this in hopes that I could make connections to our neuroscience class as well as apply any learnings as an occupational therapy student and future practitioner. As a major medical epidemic, it is inevitable as a future occupational therapist that I will connect with others diagnosed with this particular condition. However, Cohen states that by the year 2050, the number of people Alzheimer’s will affect compared to present-day will almost quadruple and the chance of developing this disease will be 1 in 2. 

Over a century ago, a medical case kindled the origins of Alzheimer’s disease. From a woman named Auguste’s experience, Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered plaques and tangles – both contributing components involved in AD. Since then, there has been virtually no progress in the treatment of Alzheimer’s. To this day, it is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and the only one in this category that is still not preventable, curable, or able to be slowed down in its progression. In this TED Talk, Samuel Cohen argues that there is a cure that could come into existence but cannot be reached due to a lack of awareness, compared to other prevalent medical diagnoses such as cancer and HIV. This has been due to the misunderstanding and belief that the signs and symptomology of Alzheimer’s were merely indicative of someone becoming senile. It was not until the brain of a patient with Alzheimer’s and a brain of one without were compared that there is an observable physical difference between the two.

Cohen revealed for the very first time a new drug that he and his research team had developed which applied to worms at an early age, live a normal, healthy lifespan. He demonstrated this in order to illustrate that Alzheimer’s is a disease we are all able to understand and one day cure. Because we as practitioners are involved in the field of medicine and directly interact with others who may be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it is important to actively educate ourselves and play a key role in raising awareness. Today, there is such a diverse group of people contributing to this goal in order to transform it into a reality, including our very own occupational therapists.

Here is a link to the TED Talk if you would like to know more! https://www.ted.com/talks/samuel_cohen_alzheimer_s_is_not_normal_aging_and_we_can_cure_it/transcript?language=en

~ Pam ♡

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