Chair: President Danny

 

Anthem: Frank Allison

 

Toast to Queen Canada and Rotary President Danny

 

Attendance: 15 (11 in-person and 4 online), including guests Dorothy Evans and Joan Masson.

 

 

President Danny announced:

P.P. Gordon announced that there will be no luncheon meeting next week, replaced by a Pub Night next Wednesday. An invite will be sent out, and Gordon pleaded that we please respond one way or the other.

 

Arthur read a thank you letter from Agincourt Community Services regarding the wheelchair donated to them, which has been placed with a deserving senior.

 

Basil introduced the program, which consisted of a video presentation that he attended at the Toronto East Rotary Club by Dr. Sharon Cohen, Head MD at Toronto Memory Program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basil and Dorothy were impressed with this program on memory impairment and an update on Alzheimer’s research and treatment. He shared that, as with Dorothy's condition, memory impairment is something that should be talked about and understood, not ignored, or treated with shame. Basil then turned over the meeting to Dr. Cohen's presentation.

 

Dr. Cohen provided a clear, understandable, and enlightening presentation, explaining that Alzheimer’s, cognitive impairment, dementia, and all similar conditions are no longer considered rare events with 55 million people worldwide now suffering from their effects. It is also not the type of disease that only attacks people over 65 since 8% of cases are now in individuals in their 40's and 50's.

 

The challenges of cognitive impairment diseases are not just with research and treatment. There is also a stigma attached to this type of mental illness, coupled with lack of awareness and understanding of the condition. The condition is also very often confused with the normal aging process.

 

Studies on Alzheimer’s have determined that it is a progressive 30-year disease and that the last 10 years usually involve the dementia stage. The cause has been determined to be the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain that cause the brain to shrink. Two such abnormal proteins that are now being targeted in recent treatments are Amyloid and Tau.

 

Dr. Cohen went on to explain that early diagnosis can result in better outcomes and explained that there are several scans that can be used. She suggested that those in their 50's or later should have such scans performed so as to form a baseline against which future changes can be measured. One of the newest scans that is still in final the development stages is a retinal scan that is non-intrusive and does not rely on injected dyes. The eyes are the front part of the brain and can serve as a window to perform such scans. Genetic testing can also be helpful, especially if there is a family history of types of cognitive impairment.

 

Dr. Cohen next moved from diagnosis to treatment, explaining that lots of drugs are in the development stage to treat cognitive diseases. Some attack the build-up of Amyloid proteins in the brain, while others attack the Tau proteins. There are also drugs that reduce brain inflammation and deal with other symptoms of the disease. The F.D.A. has recently approved Aducanumab, which successfully eliminates Amyloid proteins from the brain. Hopefully, it will soon be approved for use in Canada. So, there is a new era of treatment possibilities for this long-misunderstood disease. Drugs are even being developed with a view to prevention.

           

As President Danny ended the video presentation, there was a great deal of interest expressed by those present who were impressed by the valuable information that Dr. Cohen imparted in this excellent presentation.

 

 

 

 

S.A.A. David Seemungal levied fines and asked for Happy Bucks but being only virtual he soon lost control of the proceedings as the rowdy group tried to avoid his virtual reach.

 

Despite the insurrection, David was able to collect several happy bucks, including:

 

- Gerd was happy with several projects that he had signed off on recently totaling about 2 billion dollars. David tried to assess a percentage fine, but Gerd claimed that he had no money with him. It seems that the more money some people handle, the less they carry!

 

- Joan Masson contributed $5.00 virtually for her success in Wordle yesterday, but our virtual S.A.A. had trouble collecting Joan's virtual dollars.

 

- President Danny tossed in the $5.00 that he was planning to contribute for an orderly meeting before Al Meredith and others misbehaved.

 

- Arthur told a joke about a young man on the beach who was having no luck with the beach babes. He noticed an older man having great success with the women and asked him his secret. The man advised him to put a potato in his swim trunks. He did so the next day, but the women avoided him more than ever until he was told by his mentor that he was supposed to put the potato in the front!

 

On that note, President Danny terminated the meeting.