ADACC Network

10/03/2025

🚨 Exciting News! 🚨
The ADACC Network is partnering with the GEAR Network 2.0 for the upcoming Annual Conference happening April 9–10, 2026 in Indianapolis, IN!

This conference will focus on dementia care and detection in Emergency Department and Primary Care settings. Join us for this important opportunity to explore the latest advancements, connect with experts and peers, and collaborate on innovative care strategies.

📬 Want updates?
Email us at adaccnetworkahwfb@advocatehealth.org to be added to our distribution list!

08/22/2025

The ADACC Network has four working groups in which members collaborate to advance ADRD research, with a focus on blood-based biomarkers for detecting Alzheimer’s disease.🧠 Visit our website to learn more: https://www.adaccnetwork.net/general-5.

🩺 Comorbidities & Biomarkers
📅 1st Mondays @ 10 AM EST
🔍 Exploring how chronic conditions and medications impact biomarker interpretation.

📈 Biomarkers for Risk & Prognosis
📅 1st Wednesdays @ 10 AM EST
🔍 Refining dementia risk prediction through biomarker analysis.

⚖️ Ethical Considerations
📅 3rd Thursdays @ 1 PM EST
🔍 Promoting responsible use of direct-to-consumer biomarker tests.

🌍 Understudied Populations
📅 1st Wednesdays @ 9 AM EST
🔍 Expanding biomarker access for diverse, real-world populations.

📬 Interested in joining one of our working groups? Email us at: ADACC_NetworkAHWFB@wfusm.edu.

08/04/2025

A member of the ADACC Network, Dr. Michelle Mielke, collaborated with colleagues on an insightful study that explored how Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact neuroimaging, plasma biomarkers, and cognition in older adults. Analyzing data from 214 participants aged 55 and older, the study found that financial hardship was linked to lower cognitive scores, while some ACEs, such as parental violence were associated with biomarkers suggesting preserved white matter integrity. These findings challenge the assumption that ACEs uniformly accelerate cognitive decline. More research is needed to understand the long-term implications and mechanisms behind these associations.

📑Read more here:

INTRODUCTION Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) disrupt brain development and increase vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). We explored how ACEs impact neuroimaging, ...

07/23/2025

A few members of the ADACC Network, Jeff Williamson, Jessica Palakshappa, and Nicholas Pajewski, and their colleagues evaluated the Epic End of Life Care Index (EOL-CI) for its ability to predict 1-year mortality in adults aged 65 and older. It found that the EOL-CI had good overall discrimination (AUC = 0.82), with consistent performance across s*x and race, and better accuracy in older adults with more healthcare interactions. However, local calibration and the inclusion of additional data like hospitalizations and frailty were necessary to improve its predictive accuracy. These refinements could enhance the tool’s usefulness in identifying patients who may benefit from palliative care planning.

📘Read more here:

AbstractObjective. To examine the discrimination, calibration, and algorithmic fairness of the Epic End of Life Care Index (EOL-CI).Materials and Methods.

07/07/2025

A member of the ADACC Network, Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, collaborated with colleagues to survey Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) on their practices for disclosing individual research results. The findings indicate a significant increase in disclosure since 2019, particularly for cognitively unimpaired participants, driven by motivations like thanking participants and aiding healthcare decisions. This research will inform the development of a standardized framework for sharing these vital results.

Read their published paper here:

The Consortium for Clarity in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Through Imaging (CLARiTI) Return of Results Core aims to develop tools and a framework for disclosing individual results at Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs). An ...

06/16/2025

Our two 2025 ADACC Pilot Awardees are Drs. Benjamin Brett and Katheryn Cousins!

Dr. Benjamin Brett is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. His pilot project will leverage already collected data from an ongoing study called NFL-LONG, a study that consists of older former professional football players and non-exposed controls. The project will involve multimodal neuroimaging data (MRI and PET) and a set of blood-based biomarkers to examine the influence of head injury history and other chronic comorbidities on the relationship between neuroimaging and blood biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Dr. Katheryn Cousins is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Her pilot project will utilize the infrastructure of an ongoing cohort, LivCog, which investigates longitudinal cognitive and clinical outcomes among end-stage liver disease patients, who are on the waitlist for liver transplantation (LT) or have received LT. Her proposal will expand LivCog to test blood biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in people with end-stage liver disease and other medical morbidities.

The ADACC Network looks forward to supporting these new pilot awardees and is excited to see what they discover!

06/02/2025

Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, observed in June, aims to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias. It is a time to support individuals and families affected by these conditions, promote brain health, encourage research, and advocate for policies that enhance care and treatment.

In line with these goals, a recently published paper—first authored by Dr. Nicole Fowler and co-authored by Dr. Michelle Mielke, both members of the ADACC Network, along with other collaborators—highlights the critical importance of prioritizing early detection of cognitive impairment in primary care to improve outcomes for older adults.
You can read the full paper here:

04/30/2025

Dr. Anne Murray, a member of the ADACC Network, collaborated with others to conduct a secondary data analysis using data from the ASPREE, ALSOP, and ASPREE-XT studies to explore whether social determinants of health could be a risk factor contributing to dementia.

Read more here:

INTRODUCTION Social determinants of health (SDH) are recognized as contributing factors to cognitive disorders, but their collective influence on dementia risk remains unclear. METHODS A gender-di...

04/16/2025

In a first-of-its-kind national survey, Drs. Soeren Mattke and Ying Liu, members of the ADACC Network, and their colleagues examined the first 924 patients in the United States to receive amyloid-targeting treatment for Alzheimer’s disease outside of clinical trials, between 2021 and 2023. The study highlights key characteristics of this early patient group.

📑 Read more:

04/09/2025

A member of the ADACC Network, Dr. Nicole Fowler, collaborated with colleagues to conduct a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey study—the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems (NSHOS II) for Physician Practice Survey—in 2022–2023. The survey identifies how prepared primary care clinics are to care for patients with ADRD. One of their findings was that “most practices have processes to screen for ADRD and refer patients for ADRD diagnostic testing, although one-third to one-quarter, respectively, do not.”

📑Read more about it:

INTRODUCTION It is unknown how prepared primary care practices are to deliver recommended dementia care. METHODS A nationally representative survey of US primary care practices focused on care del...

04/01/2025

Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, a member of the ADACC Network, worked alongside colleagues on population-based cohort study to answer, “Is socioeconomic status (SES) across the lifespan associated with cognitive decline and brain characteristics?” The study found that, “Higher SES, mainly in adulthood, was associated with better cognitive function, less cognitive decline, and better brain characteristics, including white matter hyperintensities and total brain volume.”

📑 Read more:

This cohort study examines associations of socioeconomic status across the lifespan with cognitive decline and brain characteristics in Black and White individuals in Chicago, Illinois.

03/19/2025

Jalayne Arias, a member of the ADACC Network, collaborated on a qualitative study that used semi-structured interviews with legal professionals. The study explored their experiences and professional insights on the legal, policy, ethical, and logistical challenges of providing adequate care to justice-involved individuals living with dementia.

📑 Read more here:

Crime, Incarceration, and Dementia: An Aging Criminal System - Volume 49 Issue 2-3