News

For patients living with memory disorders, life requires “adjusting to the new normal,” sometimes even on a daily basis. Social worker Jennifer Sosensky, MSW, LCSW, helps patients at Duke find the resources and strategies to help patients and their families make these adjustments. In her “Spotlight” interview, Sosensky talks to us about why she became a social worker, her 15 years at Duke, and the resources available to patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. 

Members of the Duke Department of Neurology contributed to nine studies in peer-reviewed journals published in December 2019. In the fields of neurodegeneration and neuromuscular disease, our faculty found potential new avenues for therapies for spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) and myasthenia gravis. Other studies by our faculty and housestaff answered important questions about how reductions in blood pressure affect outcomes for thrombectomy, outcomes for deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson’s, and other areas.

Women bear most of the burden of Alzheimer’s disease, not only making up most of the patients with the condition but also doing most of the demanding work of caring for Alzheimer’s patients.