Families in the familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) community face a lot of similar challenges, but accurate information specific to this rare genetic situation can be hard to find. That’s why at Youngtimers, education is a key part of our mission.
In this live interview, Youngtimers volunteer Susan Hiatt interviews professor and author Dr. Bonnie Hennig-Trestman about talking to children about familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). Drawing on decades of experience studying families with Huntington’s Disease, Dr. Hennig-Trestman shares age-appropriate strategies, communication tips, and emotional support techniques to help families foster trust.
Pathogenicity, penetrance, and de novo are scientific terms that come up often when reading about genetic mutations. What do they mean?
Estate planning attorney Kurt Walberg walks families through essential estate planning steps that can bring peace of mind when navigating life with familial Alzheimer's disease FAD. From medical powers of attorney to wills and trusts, this talk covers the tools you need to ensure your wishes are honored — even in the face of uncertainty.
Genes contain the code or instructions necessary for the body's development and function. Humans have around 20,000 genes spread across their 23 pairs of chromosomes.
During this conversation, Dr. Tanzi teaches us about the role a person’s lifestyle can play in Alzheimer’s disease. He shares the lifestyle modifications he recommends for sporadic Alzheimer's disease, which might apply to familial Alzheimer’s disease.
During the fall of 2023, Dr. Cynthia Wilcox joined us for a 3-part Workshop Series on the topic of Mental Health. The experiential workshops focused on skills for the FAD journey, including how to process overwhelming thoughts and emotions, strategies and skills for caring for our own physical and emotional wellbeing, and learning how to make room for beauty and joy in addition to sorrow.
There are a few seemingly miraculous people who have an FAD mutation who have not developed the disease, decades after their anticipated age of symptom onset. Learn more about these individuals, and what they have taught us about the disease.
Autosomal dominant inheritance is like a genetic coin toss: inheriting just one mutated copy of a gene from one parent is enough to cause the genetic outcome. Learn more about how FAD genetics work.
A genome is the complete set of genetic instructions fundamental to the development and function of an organism. It encompasses all the genes across the 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans, acting as a detailed instruction manual for making and maintaining an individual. Chromosomes serve as chapters in this manual, with genes as the step-by-step directions for various biological processes.
“Genetic variant” and “genetic mutation” typically mean the same thing. The term “variant” is the more up-to-date and accurate version of the label. But here at Youngtimers, we choose to call them mutations. In this article, we’ll explain why.
Chromosomes serve as storage centers for our genetic information. They house DNA, the molecule that carries genetic instructions. Chromosomes consist of long, threadlike strands that are tightly coiled.
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe the symptoms associated with brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and other conditions. Alzheimer’s disease is a specific brain disease that causes dementia.
Supporting those impacted by familial Alzheimer’s disease with community, education and advocacy
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San Rafael, CA, 94915
