The year 2025 was full of breakthroughs, debates, and big questions in Alzheimer’s research. One event that shaped many of these conversations? The Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) Conference. It may not have been on everyone’s radar, but its impact was undeniable.

In this special episode, Penn Memory Center Co-Directors Dr. Jason Karlawish and Dr. David Wolk share what stood out at CTAD, what’s changing in the field, and what to watch next.

Inside this episode:

• Anti-amyloid therapies update: Where things stand with lecanemab and donanemab, and what the next generation of these drugs could look like

• GLP-1 disappointment: Why Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide trials for Alzheimer’s disease came up short

• Lifestyle interventions: The latest findings from the POINTER Study and what they mean for brain health

Resources available on the episode webpage linked below

• Visit CTAD’s website

• More information on anti-amyloid therapies

• Novo Nordisk’s announcement of negative results “EVOKE” and “EVOKE+” trials

• More information on the POINTER Study

Special thanks this episode to Jason Karlawish, MD and David Wolk, MD.

The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production hosted by Editorial Director Terrence Casey and Producer Jake Johnson, in partnership with the Penn FTD Center, the Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Contributors include Nicolette Calcavecchia, Dalia Elsaid, Jason Karlawish, Emily Largent, and Meaghan Sharp.

The Age of Aging is made possible by generous support from the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and our sponsors, the TIAA Institute and Rothkoff Law Group. The TIAA Institute is a think tank committed to building knowledge that advances lifelong financial security and well-being while considering the intersections of health and wealth. Their cutting-edge research provides actionable financial and longevity insights that help individuals and employers navigate the complex journey of aging.

Caring for an aging loved one isn’t easy — but you don’t have to do it alone. At Rothkoff Law Group, we guide families across New Jersey and Pennsylvania through every stage of your aging journey. Our team of elder care attorneys, geriatric care coordinators, and public benefits specialists advocate for your loved one’s well-being and your peace of mind. Rothkoff Law Group — your partner in advocacy and senior care planning, every step of the way. Visit RothkoffLaw.com.

Art that tries to teach you things “stinks,” says playwright and actor Jake Broder.

“And yet there is a profound need for education, for awareness, for reducing stigma, for supporting the community and for medical education,” he said. A few years ago, while writing his latest play about the two individuals with frontotemporal dementia, he wrestled with how he could do both.

In the season 4 finale of the Age of Aging, we tell the story of UnRavelled, a play about perseverance through neurodegeneration, burgeoning creativity late in life and an artistic relationship across time. Producer Jake Johnson shares his first-hand experience of the play’s premiere and how it combined theater with community outreach and education.

What’s inside:

• A historical perspective on composer Maurice Ravel’s brain condition and his work, “Bolero.”

• An explanation from Dr. Bruce Miller on the relationship between frontotemporal degeneration and creativity.

• Jake Broder’s insight into the inspiration and creation of the play as well as the associated Brain Health Festival.
• The perspective of the show’s director and cast on creating the play and its core themes.

Resources available on the episode webpage linked below

• Listen to Maurice Ravell’s Bolero

• Learn more about Dr. Bruce Miller

• Listen to Unraveling Bolero (Radiolab)

• Learn more about Jake Broder

• More information on For Their Thoughts Foundation

• Visit the official website of UnRavelled

• Subscribe to the Age of Aging Newsletter

Special thanks this episode to Dr. Bruce Miller, Jake Broder, Betsy Hall, Lucy Davenport, James Bonas, Leo Marks, Tracy Leigh, and the entire UnRavelled team.

The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production hosted by Editorial Director Terrence Casey and Producer Jake Johnson, in partnership with the Penn FTD Center, the Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Contributors include Nicolette Calcavecchia, Dalia Elsaid, Jason Karlawish, Emily Largent, and Meaghan Sharp.

The Age of Aging is made possible by generous support from the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and our sponsors, the TIAA Institute and Rothkoff Law Group. The TIAA Institute is a think tank committed to building knowledge that advances lifelong financial security and well-being while considering the intersections of health and wealth. Their cutting-edge research provides actionable financial and longevity insights that help individuals and employers navigate the complex journey of aging.

Caring for an aging loved one isn’t easy — but you don’t have to do it alone. At Rothkoff Law Group, we guide families across New Jersey and Pennsylvania through every stage of your aging journey. Our team of elder care attorneys, geriatric care coordinators, and public benefits specialists advocate for your loved one’s well-being and your peace of mind. Rothkoff Law Group — your partner in advocacy and senior care planning, every step of the way. Visit RothkoffLaw.com.

If you asked most caregivers, they would probably say there’s nothing funny about caring for someone with dementia. The stress, grief, and frustration can feel overwhelming. But what if the principles of improv comedy — being present, saying “yes,” and working together — could make caregiving easier and more joyful?

In this episode of the Age of Aging, we explore the surprising connection between improv and dementia care. You’ll hear how techniques from the stage are helping caregivers reduce stress, improve communication, and find moments of joy.

What’s inside:

• A peek inside the Penn Memory Center’s Cognitive Comedy class, where caregivers and people living with dementia learn improv basics.

• Dr. Anne Basting on why asking questions and staying present matters in tough caregiving moments.

• Improv teacher and elder care educator Karen Stobbe shares her personal story of using improv to care for her mother with Alzheimer’s.

• Researchers Dr. Candace Kemp, Dr. Jennifer Craft Morgan, and Amanda Lee Williams discuss the science behind improv’s benefits for caregivers.

• Leah Lawler, creator of Cognitive Comedy, explains why teaching improv to older adults is her passion.

Whether you’re a caregiver, a healthcare professional, or simply curious about creative approaches to aging, this episode offers practical insights and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about care.

Resources available on the episode webpage linked below

• Check out the Penn Memory Center’s Cognitive Comedy class

• Learn more about improv (UChicago News)

• Explore Timeslips’ website

• Learn more about Anne Basting

• Check out Karen Stobbe’s “In the Moment”

• Listen to Karen and Mondy’s story in This American Life

• Read Dr. Kemp and Dr. Morgan’s study on improv and dementia care (The Gerontologist)

• Watch more of Leah Lawler talking about Cognitive Comedy

• A list of improv games/exercises (improvencylcopedia.org)

Special thanks this episode to Jean Haskell and her Cognitive Comedy participants, Barry and Ray, as well as Anne Basting, PhD, Karen Stobbe, Candace Kemp, PhD, Jennifer Craft Morgan, PhD, and Amanda Lee Williams.

T Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production hosted by Editorial Director Terrence Casey and Producer Jake Johnson, in partnership with the Penn FTD Center, the Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Contributors include Nicolette Calcavecchia, Dalia Elsaid, Jason Karlawish, Emily Largent, and Meaghan Sharp.

The Age of Aging is made possible by generous support from the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and our sponsors, the TIAA Institute and Rothkoff Law Group. The TIAA Institute is a think tank committed to building knowledge that advances lifelong financial security and well-being while considering the intersections of health and wealth. Their cutting-edge research provides actionable financial and longevity insights that help individuals and employers navigate the complex journey of aging.

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