Penn Memory Center

07/21/2025

“He wasn’t a burden to me. But I shouldn’t have had to fight so hard for someone I loved. That was the burden.”

When Pete, who had Down syndrome, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, his sister Mary became his fiercest advocate.

She navigated seizures, fought for compassionate care, and surrounded him with music, art, and joy, all while holding onto their unbreakable sibling bond.

By Meghan McCarthy Editor’s Note: This article is part of the Disability and Dementia Series, an ongoing project highlighting the experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs). Mary Sparkes-Merriman was born on Sep...

07/18/2025

How can diet support brain health as we age?
Join Dr. Kyra O’Brien, assistant professor of Neurology and medical director of the Penn Medicine GUIDE Program, for a free Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania webinar exploring how nutrition can influence brain aging, dementia risk, and care.
🧠 What you’ll learn:
Brain-healthy dietary changes
How dementia impacts appetite and nutrition
Tips for overcoming eating & drinking challenges
📅 Wednesday, August 13
🕚 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
📍Register for free: tinyurl.com/aycrbhk9

07/17/2025

In the latest episode of The Age of Aging, Penn Memory Center Director of Social Work Alison Lynn helps open up a quiet but common part of the caregiving experience: the transformation of intimacy after a dementia diagnosis.

Drawing from her years working with families, Alison names what’s so often left unsaid and gives caregivers permission to speak honestly about what they’re feeling.

🎧 Listen to the newest episode: bit.ly/3IlJ1Hb

07/16/2025

“She went home to live with her family for another 10 years after it looked like she wasn’t going to live for another day.”

When medications failed, Dr. Brent Forester turned to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for one of his Alzheimer’s patients experiencing severe aggression.

What happened next changed everything and led to a new clinical study on the potential of ECT to improve quality of life for people with dementia.

By Meghan McCarthy Brent Forester, MD, Dr. Frances S. Arkin chair and professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine, first considered electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment for the behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) when all other options had failed. His patie...

07/15/2025

The Anti-Amyloid Therapy Monitoring (ATM) study is now recruiting participants at Penn Memory Center.

If you’ve been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease and are prescribed lecanemab or donanemab, you may be eligible.

Participation may include:

- Blood draws
- Optional smartphone memory games
- MRI scans and cognitive testing (for some)
- Compensation: $50–$200

The Anti-Amyloid Therapy Monitoring (ATM) study aims to identify measures to help monitor patients’ responses to anti-amyloid therapy. The goal is to develop measures that identify who these therapies work best for and who might be at a higher risk of experiencing side effects.

07/14/2025

In the latest Age of Aging episode, caregiver and author Lisa Marshall shares the deeply personal story of loving—and letting go of—physical intimacy with her husband, Peter, after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

🎧 This is a conversation caregivers rarely have out loud but one many will recognize. Listen now → bit.ly/3IlJ1Hb
📘 Want to read more? Explore Lisa’s memoir Oh Hello Alzheimer's: A Caregiver’s Journey of Love → bit.ly/4kDMMFC

07/11/2025

Stay connected with Penn Memory Center!
Whether you're looking for research updates, caregiver tips, or event announcements, we're just a follow away.
📍Find us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Bluesky!

07/10/2025

Registration is now OPEN for the 2025 Seminar by the Shore Dementia Conference, presented by Contact Cape Atlantic and Bratton Law Group — happening September 11 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Whether you're a caregiver, healthcare professional, or community member, this one-day event brings education, resources, and expert voices together to support those impacted by dementia.

📍 Over 250 attendees expected
🗣️ Dynamic speakers + exhibitors

Register today Registration is open for the 22025 Seminar by the Shore Anchored in Hope: Navigating Dementia Together, is on September 11, 2025, at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Proudly presented by Contact Cape Atlantic and Bratton Law Group.

07/09/2025

💬 “I felt like his wife again—not his caregiver.”

In our most vulnerable episode yet, caregiver and author Lisa Marshall opens up about love, grief, and the moment she chose to say goodbye to physical intimacy—with tenderness and intention.

This is a conversation so many caregivers have—but almost no one talks about.

Listen now: bit.ly/3IlJ1Hb

"Nobody talks about it... but we should."What happens to s*x, love, and intimacy after a dementia diagnosis?In this episode of The Age of Aging, caregiver an...

07/08/2025

If you’ve followed Penn Memory Center stories—the research spotlights, the caregiver tributes, the essays that stayed with you—then you already know the voice behind them.

This is Meghan McCarthy.

For three and a half years, Meghan was more than just our staff writer—she was our storyteller. She translated science into meaning and captured moments of joy, loss, and hope.

Now, she’s headed to medical school. But before she goes, she’s written a final piece: her love letter to PMC.

By Meghan McCarthy When I applied for a communications internship at the Penn Memory Center (PMC), I didn’t expect to be chosen. I was a full-time premedical student at Villanova University juggling chemistry lectures and four-hour labs. My availability was limited, and my writing experience was, ...

07/07/2025

In the latest episode of The Age of Aging, Penn Memory Center physician and researcher Dr. Kyra O’Brien breaks down how new tools like anti-amyloid therapies and blood biomarker tests are reshaping Alzheimer’s care.

She also shares how the new national GUIDE program could finally provide caregivers the support they’ve long needed.

“With the GUIDE program, we’re finally building a system that recognizes the role of caregivers and pays for the support they deserve.”

🎧 Listen now: bit.ly/408tb9d

07/03/2025

After years of compassionate clinical care, research, and mentorship at the Penn Memory Center, Dr. Jeffrey Maneval is heading to MaineHealth to lead efforts in expanding dementia care and research across rural Maine.

His work at PMC left a lasting impact on patients, families, and future dementia specialists.

Jeffrey Maneval, MD, is departing the Penn Memory Center (PMC) after a tenure defined by compassionate clinical excellence and a commitment to the next generation of dementia specialists. Dr. Maneval is the new director of cognitive and behavioral neurology at MaineHealth in Portland. In this new ro...