An annual two-day educational gathering about Alzheimer's disease in honor of African American History Month was held on February 16-17, 2018.

The Solomon Carter Fuller Memory Screening event, which is supported by the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) and the Alzheimer's & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin, included continuing education for health care professionals, a community lecture, confidential memory screenings, and educational workshops for Alzheimer’s disease patient caregivers.

Carey Gleason, PhD, associate professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology and minority recruitment co-leader, ADRC, explained that the risk of Alzheimer's disease is doubled for African Americans compared to whites, and yet, "African Americans are underrepresented in research, so our discoveries, our treatments, our understanding of the disease is not fully capturing the African-American story," she said.

Solomon Carter Fuller weekend occurs every February. More information is available through the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Resources:

• "African Americans at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease," NBC 15, February 1, 2018
• "Raising Awareness Of Alzheimer's Risk, Especially Among African-Americans, In Wisconsin," Wisconsin Public Radio, February 1, 2018

Photo caption: In this file photo from 2015, attendees of the Solomon Carter Fuller listen to the community lecture and discussion. Credit: Clint Thayer/Department of Medicine