I spend much of my day reading science – updates on clinical studies, current journals, and deep dives into the growing scientific literature on the many facets of neurodegenerative disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and, specifically, early-stage Alzheimer’s. I also read spy novels and work crosswords throughout the day as if my life depended on it. In a way, it does.

The Holy Grail of Alzheimer’s research is the search for a treatment that can halt the underlying disease process. A drug, a procedure, some sophisticated treatment regimen that, in medicine, we call a disease-modifying intervention. While nothing has proved reliably effective in clinical trials so far, a lot has been learned about what goes on in the brain during the disease process. The role of cognitive reserve and resiliency is something of a wild card – it’s not fully understood – but it is emerging as a promising factor in the brain’s capacity to forestall the effects of Alzheimer’s for a longer period without significant symptoms.