THE UNIVERSITY JAIL KANSAN
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2000
NEWS
3A
ALZHEIMER'S (CONTINUED FROM TA)
PRE-CLINICAL ALZHEIMER'S
Johnson, who released his findings this fall with three of his former colleagues at Washington University in St. Louis, said his findings were part of a study that has lasted longer than 25 years and that he has worked on for a decade. He said he and his colleagues found evidence of "pre-clinical Alzheimer's" in visual tests. Patients who will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's within the next couple of years, he found, consistently have difficulty with tasks such as copying complex shapes and processing new codes.
"I hope this paper is a wake-up call," Johnson said. "There is such a thing as pre-clinical Alzheimer's disease. There are subtle changes that can happen before the more serious changes, and they're across the board."
Johnson said he made his discoveries by looking backward through the experiment at the performances of 444 volunteers on tests. There was
a subtle but significant difference in performance, he said, between those who would later develop Alzheimer's and those who wouldn't.
Johnson said he thought the most important step in continuing Alzheimer's research would be to identify and treat these patients to try to delay the onset of the full disease. Most patients have declined too much mentally by the
time they are diagnosed to be able to handle cognitive exercises that help prevent the illness. He said he thought these exercises, however, might be useful for treating people with early "pre-clinical Alzheimer's."
zheimer's."
That's what drives me to do what I do — to figure out how to delay the disease."
A GROWING PROBLEM
Dementia, the category of illness which includes Alzheimer's disease, can take on various forms, Johnson said. But he said Alzheimer's, the most common type, accounts for 80 percent of all dementia cases.
"That's what drives me to do what I do—to figure out how to delay the disease."
"We'll hopefully see something like that in the near future," Johnson said. "I hope that my research is clinically relevant.
DAVID JOHNSON Assistant professor
Memory Care residence in Lawrence, said her guests struggle with different kinds of dementia but said Alzheimer's was the most frequent.
"It is the elephant in the room as far as age-related memory disorders," Johnson said. "It is by far and away the most important to society to be able to diagnose and treat because of its prevalence in the population."
Kitty Shea, director of the Harbor House
Johnson, who has committed his
professional career to working at the forefront of research on the disease, said his first experience with the illness came when he was 10 years old.
His grandmother, Florence Johnson, would treat him every Tuesday to a grandmother-grandson dinner in Washington D.C., Johnson said. But in the subsequent six years, he watched his grandma develop Alzheimer's disease. She became unable to take him through the city and eventually didn't even remember where she was.
"That was a very different shrewd and sharp woman who lost everything cognitively," Johnson said of Florence, who died at age 92 when he was 16. "It's hard to see someone you care about suffer."
Johnson said he hoped more people, both who have and haven't lost love ones to the disease, would take up its research. He said part of why he believed research has come so slowly with the disease was that fewer and fewer people were
Olathe senior Brad Rolph stands with his grandfather, Ed Rolph. Ed mental capabilities have decreased because of his Alzheimer's.
Contributed photo
studying the field.
"In the United States the older adult population is booming and America is growing older and we have not done our homework," Johnson said. "We know very little, relatively speaking, compared to pediatrics or substance abuse."
Rolph said even though there was no cure to Alzheimer's and his grandpa, Ed, was still declining, he tried to stay positive and focus on
what he still had.
"I still cherish all the moments that I have with him," Rolph said. "It's no different. The last couple years that he had Alzheimer's hasn't affected my perspective of him. I still think he's a great guy."
Follow Ray Segebrecht at twitter.com/rsegebrecht.
Edited by Betsy Cutcliff
LIBRARY (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
"Sometimes finding a table or a place to plug in my computer is impossible," Speirs said. "You hate to be that person standing in the middle of Anschutz, desperately searching for a place to sit, but it always felt like a little victory when you saw someone packing on their stuff."
Smith said making Anschutz a "one-stop-shop" by placing technical help, the writing center, tutoring. KU Info and places to meet with an adviser, is something that would greatly benefit students.
"It's not always obvious to us older folks what vn students
Surveys online and in front of Wescoe Hall have allowed students the opportunity to voice their opinion on what changes should be made in order to better serve their academic goals.
"It's not always obvious to us older folks what you students need."
KENT MILLER
Associate dean
Library operations
Church-Duran said the quality of a library directly correlates with graduation rates, which shows the important role libraries have in student success.
But Kent Miller, associate dean for operations and administration, said acting in the interest of students wasn't always easy.
need," Miller said. "We're trying to encourage a constant flow of input in order to meet these needs."
"We are constantly evolving, trying to meet and anticipate what will help students most," Smith said.
He said Anschutz
would be filled with the resources needed by students, including more comfortable furniture and locations designated for quiet studying.
Adding more power supplies, fixing the leaky roof and making space to accommodate individual and group study sessions are some of the other changes being made.
Church-Duran said that an outside firm will be chosen to create the prototype of Anschutz's transformation, but that students will be consulted to actually create the space, including those from the architecture and design programs.
"The goal is to have the prototype in place by next fall, but we need the input first," Miller said.
The improvements will be made through the use of state funds, alumni donations, KU Endowment and the KU Parents' Campaign, fund for libraries to upgrade facilities as well as purchase new computers and books.
The University is comprised of seven libraries: Anschutz, Watson, Gorton Music and Dance, Spahr Engineering, Murphy Art and Architecture, Spencer Research and Regents Center at the Edwards Campus.
Follow Abigail Bolin at twitter.com/abbey_rhode.
Edited by Jacob Muselmann
ART (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
The assignment was for Dooley's advanced typography class. Typography is the study of letter form and is one of the most important tools a graphic designer has, Dooley said.
Students were assigned to pick a cause and dig for a specific problem the cause advocates for. Dooley said he encouraged students to pick a topic they were interested in and supported. Each student then produced two posters, one with just type and another with type and image.
Dooley said students felt challenged to make the messages compelling and to the point in order to grab the attention of the audience.
"There needed to be an emotional appeal through design and illustration," Dooley said. "Once it gets attention, then the artist provides more information and something the viewer can act on."
The project took about five weeks to complete. Carly Hoover, Wichita senior, said the first few weeks consisted of extensive
research. The students also had to write papers about the Graphic Imperative exhibition and their own advocacy posters.
Hoover chose to do her posters for the Mangrove Action Project, which is an environmental advocacy group. She first learned about the Mangrove Action Project while studying abroad in Belize. She said a mangrove is a tree in Belize, but the forests are being destroyed to make room for tourist attractions. The mangroves of Belize are home to various species of birds, amphibians, and mammals. They also provide food to fish. By destroying the mangroves, the beaches of Belize are also being destroyed because the mangroves break up wave energy and strengthen the soil.
"I saw it first hand and thought it would work well for the project." Hoover said.
The ten posters chosen to be displayed were selected from 68 posters contributed by students in the class. Each student in the class was asked to pick their two
@KANSAN.COM
To see the rest of the posters, check out kansan.com.
favorite posters, then staff from the Spencer selected the final ones to be displayed.
Bill Woodard, director of communications for the Spencer, said staff members who helped with the selection process included senior curator Stephen Goddard, exhibition designer Richard Klocke and graphic designer Tristan Telander.
Hoover said she liked seeing how the student posters compared to the posters in the exhibit.
The student posters will be on display until Nov. 29.
Edited by Meagan Morriss
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