Aging

Washington University's Center for Aging provides a focal point for research and programs related to aging. Designed to promote innovations in education, research, practice and community outreach, the Center supports cross-disciplinary collaboration on projects that help older adults remain healthy, empowered, active, contributing, and independent for as long as possible. The Center brings together researchers from across campus and has formed important partnerships with community organization, including OASIS and the Jewish Federation. The Center is directed by John Morris, Professor of Neurology and Director of the University's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Faculty Experts:

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David Carr Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology Carr Carr's interests are in caring for older adults in outpatient and long-term care settings. His current projects include research on the safety of older drivers, and evaluating the efficacy of units dedicated to oncology acute care and cardiology acute care for the elderly. Carr is the clinical director ... Expertise: geriatrics, nutritional science, memory, aging Media assistance: (314) 286-0109 / reckessg@wustl.edu

John Morris Director and Principal Investigator, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of Neurology John C. Morris, M.D., is the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Professor of Pathology and Immunology and of Physical Therapy, and the Director of the Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Center for Aging, the Memory and Aging Project, and the Memory Diagnostic ... Expertise: Alzheimer's disease, dementia, memory, aging, mild cognitive impairment Media assistance: (314) 286-0122 / purdym@wustl.edu

Edward Lawlor Dean and the William E. Gordon Professor Lawlor Download Edward Lawlor is a nationally-recognized expert in healthcare policy, particularly in the areas of medical indigence, health-care reform and administration, and policy for the aged and poor. His groundbreaking work in Medicare policy is recognized for its originality and insightful analysis. Lawlor's ... Expertise: health care policy, medical indigence, health care reform, health care administration, policy for the aged, policy for poor, Medicare Direct contact: (314) 935-6693 / elawlor@wustl.edu

Nancy Morrow-Howell Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work Nancy Morrow-Howell Download Nancy Morrow-Howell studies many issues of concern to the elderly and their families, including adequacy of care for the dependent elderly, community care plans for the elderly, and use of mental health services. She is studying the health and mental health services needed and used by older adults ... Expertise: elder care, gerontology, productive aging, depression Direct contact: (314) 935-6762 / morrow-howell@wustl.edu

Brian Carpenter Associate Professor of Psychology in Arts & Sciences Brian Carpenter Download Carpenter's research focuses on the clinical psychology of aging, with an emphasis on family relationships in late life. Recent work explores the ways family members work together to make decisions regarding older adults. Other studies have examined whether adult children really know what their older ... Expertise: Alzheimer's disease, attachment bonds, clinical psychology of aging, death and dying, dementia, depression, doctor-patient communication, … Direct contact: (314) 935-8212 / bcarpenter@wustl.edu

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News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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New link Family's inherited condition links prion diseases, Alzheimer's Dec. 8, 2009 -- A laboratory connection between Alzheimer's disease and brain-wasting diseases such as the human form of mad cow disease has moved into the clinic for what is believed to be the first time, manifesting itself in the brains of patients with a rare inherited disorder, new research shows.

China's rapidly aging population -- part of a worldwide trend The global demographic shift is a significant opportunity as long as it is in tandem with a policy and cultural shift, say productive aging experts Oct. 14, 2009 -- China's population of adults over 65 tops 100 million. This number is steadily growing, putting China at the forefront of a global demographic shift that includes the United States and other developed nations. "While a common tendency is to focus on the burdens an aging population will place on a country's economic and social welfare, an aging society represents an opportunity, not just a crisis," says Nancy Morrow-Howell, Ph.D., productive aging expert and professor at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. "Expanding opportunities for productive engagement, including paid employment, formal volunteering, and mutual aid, may reduce social costs by reducing health care expenses and need for post-retirement income supports. (Video available)

More benefits of sleep Sleep loss linked to increase in Alzheimer's plaques Sept. 24, 2009 -- Chronic sleep deprivation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease makes Alzheimer's brain plaques appear earlier and more often, researchers at the School of Medicine report online this week in Science Express.

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Related News Clips:

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Show More Aging Clips

Sleep linked to Parkinson's dementia United Press International and 1 others Aug. 3, 2009 -- WUSTL neurologist and study author James Galvin says more than 74 percent of Parkinson's patients have trouble sleeping, and up to 80 percent of patients age 65 and older who have Parkinson's disease for seven years will develop dementia.

David Holtzman: Attacking Alzheimer's With a New Test for Amyloid Beta U.S. News & World Report online July 1, 2009 -- WUSTL neuroscientist David Holtzman and colleagues have devised a test that shows whether an experimental medication has a chance of working in Alzheimer's patients.

Early Alzheimer's, think less efficiently United Press International and 2 others May 5, 2009 -- Alzheimer's patients sift the important from less important less efficiently early on, according to a study conducted by WUSTL researchers.

Hypoglycemia linked to dementia Science News Web edition April 14, 2009 -- A single episode of low blood sugar severe enough to require prompt medical attention increases a person's risk of developing dementia in old age, a study in people with diabetes suggests. "This is a worrisome association," says WUSTL endocrinologist Philip Cryer. But he cautions that an association doesn't prove that one factor causes the other.

Antidepressant Eases Anxiety in Older Adults The Washington Post and 4 others Jan. 21, 2009 -- In the largest study of SSRIs in older people with anxiety disorders, a team of psychiatric researchers found the drug escitalopram improved anxiety symptoms and quality of life. The study was conducted by WUSTL associate professor of psychiatry Dr. Eric J. Lenze while at the University of Pittsburgh. His team studied 177 people over the age of 60.

Liver transplants from elderly donors are safe Reuters Health and 6 others Dec. 30, 2008 -- Advanced donor age, per se, does not adversely affect the transplant recipient or the survival of the organ after liver transplantation, according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. WUSTL surgery professor William Chapman and colleagues found there was no significant difference in the number of second transplants performed or signs that another transplant was going to be needed between patients who received organs from younger and older donors.

Never Say Die Newsweek and 1 others Dec. 8, 2008 -- Anne Underwood writes on the biology of aging and anti-aging research being done by scientists, including WUSTL nutritional sciences professor Luigi Fontana, who is tracking the progress of 45 members of the Calorie Restriction Society.

Olfactory Hack Tricks Worms Into Living Longer Wired.com and 11 others Oct. 28, 2008 -- WUSTL developmental biologist Kerry Kornfeld comments on new research that suggests the possibility that roundworms who were deprived of their sense of smell lived extra-long.

Differences Between People and Animals on Calorie Restriction ScienceDaily.com and 14 others Sept. 25, 2008 -- Calorie restriction, a diet that is low in calories and high in nutrition, may not be as effective at extending life in people as it is in rodents, according to WUSTL scientists led by medicine professor Luigi Fontana.

Unhealthy Meals Dull Older Diabetics' Memory U.S. News & World Report and 5 others June 27, 2008 -- Older adults with type 2 diabetes are apt to have memory problems after eating a meal loaded with fat, but a new study has found the damage can be undone if they take antioxidant vitamins along with the unhealthy food. More study is definitely needed, said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at WUSTL.

Celebrex, Naproxen Won't Prevent Mental Decline U.S. News & World Report and 9 others May 13, 2008 -- Contrary to prior studies, a new trial shows that daily use of two popular pain-relieving drugs, Celebrex and naproxen, does not prevent cognitive decline in people with a family history of Alzheimer's disease. WUSTL neurology professor John Morris, who is director of WUSTL's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and a member of the medical and scientific advisory council for the Alzheimer's Association, comments.

Study Details New Molecular Approach to Preventing Alzheimer's The Washington Post and 7 others April 25, 2008 -- German researchers are reporting a new approach to the possible prevention of the molecular "debris" that's associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. WUSTL neurology professor James Galvin called the German research "a novel idea."

Longevity quest moves slowly from lab to life MSNBC.com and 2 others April 23, 2008 -- Human studies plus laboratory work with yeast, worms, flies and rodents are propelling scientists closer to understanding what causes aging, how to delay it -- and how to translate such progress from the lab to real life. One of the studies mentioned was the first calorie restriction clinical trials conducted by WUSTL and LSU.

Researchers zero in on Alzheimer's plaque origin Agence France Presse and 13 others April 10, 2008 -- WUSTL researchers have found that a key ingredient for the formation of Alzheimer's plaques is produced by a brain cell activity. WUSTL neurology professor and the study's first author John Cirrito comments.

McCain works to answer age and health questions Boston Globe and 5 others March 27, 2008 -- David Carr, clinical director of WUSTL's division of geriatrics and nutritional science, said the fact that McCain has gone five years without a melanoma recurrence is good news.

Staying in shape 'hard for women' BBC News (UK) and 1 others March 26, 2008 -- Differences in the way male and female bodies metabolise food means older women do not use protein as effectively to maintain muscle, a new study by University of Nottingham and WUSTL researchers found. The study was published in the journal PLOS One.

The Cataracts Are Gone -- and So Is the Need for Glasses U.S. News & World Report Dec. 17, 2007 -- For the millions of baby boomers who will eventually need cataract surgery, here's some cheering news: New types of implantable lenses promise to restore your youthful vision. Unlike the standard single-power lenses doctors have been implanting for 30 years, the newer multifocal intraocular lenses and accommodating lenses allow patients to see near, far, and in between--and even to shed their glasses. WUSTL ophthalmology professor Jay Pepose talks about one of the options.

Researchers Pinpoint Link Between Caloric Restriction and Longevity CBC News (Canada) and 7 others Sept. 21, 2007 -- Harvard researchers report in the Sept. 21 issue of Cell that they have uncovered a molecular clue that seems to explain why cutting calories might lengthen your life. It turns out that mitochondria guard against cell death, and two specific genes within the mitochondria actually carry out that task. Mitochondria are compartments within a cell that are dedicated to energy production, and their loss is thought to be a major cause of aging. WUSTL molecular biology and pharmacology professor Shin-ichiro Imai comments on the Harvard study.

Humor Hampered By Aging Brain? CBSNews.com and 1 others Aug. 6, 2007 -- Age-related brain changes may make it harder for older adults to understand humor, a new study shows. The study comes from WUSTL psychology graduate student Wingyun Mak and psychology professor Brian Carpenter.

Joke comprehension may decrease with age, study at St. Louis university suggests International Herald Tribune (France) and 206 others July 11, 2007 -- It's no laughing matter: a new study suggests older adults have a harder time getting jokes as they age. The research indicates that because older adults may have greater difficulty with cognitive flexibility, abstract reasoning and short-term memory, they also have greater difficulty with tests of humor comprehension. The research conducted by WUSTL graduate student Wingyun Mak and WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter. Findings were published earlier this month in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

News Features:

University-wide Center for Aging established
[St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 22, 2002] — To meet the needs of the increasing population of older Americans, Washington University has established a new, University-wide Center for Aging. This collaborative effort will apply the University's resources to help older adults achieve a more satisfying quality of life. "The center's focus is on productive aging," says John C. Morris, M.D., director of the center and the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Professor of Neurology in the School of Medicine. "Our goal is to enable older adults to remain engaged and live happier, healthier and longer lives."

Productive aging is in; notion of frailty, dependence is out
[St. Louis, Mo., April 2002] — April is Older Americans Month, and a specialist in gerontological social work at Washington University in St. Louis says that the common perception of old age — frailty and dependence — is out, and productive aging is in. "For years, our perspective on old age has been dominated by the three Ds — Depression, Dementia and Dependency," says Nancy Morrow-Howell, Ph.D., a professor in the university's George Warren Brown School of Social Work.