“UNFORGETTABLE IN EVERY WAY”: Weaving Together Voices of Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease affects about 5.2 million Americans. It is a disease that, unlike most other leading causes of death, is on the rise. As the population ages, the number of people with the disease could double, even triple, by mid-century. While it seems that people know of the disease, it has not shared the same high-profile status as other widespread diseases such as breast cancer and AIDS. One explanation for this lack of broad awareness might stem from the gap between the science of the disease and the people who deal with it daily, who may understand the basic science, but between scientific literature and the popular science in the media, rarely find the narrative of the disease told in a way that’s both detailed and accessible. At the same time, stories of these people are infrequently explored in the midst of science for scientists, so the gap is further widened. Here, juxtaposing the voices of scientists and laypeople, I aim to bridge that gap with an accessible review of the historical and contemporary progress in Alzheimer’s research, as well as a presentation of stories of families dealing with the disease. It would seem that, in light of the circumstances surrounding the disease, such a partnership between scientists and laypeople is most fitting.