Alzheimer's research 'swab party' to be held at WaterFire

Sept. 15--PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Encouraged by the popularity of the many free, so-called "swab parties" staged since late 2017, Butler Hospital is sponsoring a genetic-testing and informational event at the Sept. 29 WaterFire.

Butler will partner with the Washington, D.C.-based Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to accelerating the development of treatments for the disease.

WaterFire participants will be able to provide a DNA sample, obtained by a simple cheek swab, that will be entered into the national GeneMatch program. GeneMatch pairs volunteers with opportunities to participate in research into Alzheimer's, a global public-health crisis. Nearly 6 million Americans today live with the disease, which destroys memory as it progresses to inevitable death.

"We need to engage the public in a major way and encourage them to participate in research to help move the field forward," said Dr. Stephen Salloway, head of Butler's Memory and Aging Program and the Martin M. Zucker Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University.

"GeneMatch could be a game-changer for Alzheimer's research. We're excited to be partnering with WaterFire Providence to offer the chance to swab as many Rhode Islanders as possible and spread the message of hope about research. Our goal is to find a breakthrough treatment by 2025, and the smallest state in the union is poised to be a trailblazer in Alzheimer's disease research."

Information collected during swabbing events is kept confidential, according to Butler. "The test only collects information about copies of the APOE gene, which are risk indicators for AD, and not any other DNA information," the hospital said in a media release. "GeneMatch does not disclose genetic information to participants."

No one is under obligation to sign up for a study if she or he is selected. To participate in GeneMatch, a person must be 55 to 75 years old, live in the U.S. and have no diagnosis of cognitive impairment. Participants should not eat anything and drink only water for one hour prior to swabbing.

The WaterFire swabbing is one of several upcoming Alzheimer's-related events.

-- On Sunday, The Alzheimer's Association is sponsoring a Walk to End Alzheimer's at Fort Adams in Newport. Walks also will be held at Misquamicut Beach in Westerly on Sept. 23 and Roger Williams Park in Providence on Sept. 30. To learn more or register, visit alz.org/ri/walk

-- On Sept. 20, journalist and author Greg O'Brien will discuss Alzheimer's and sign copies of his book, "On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer's," at the Ray Hall Conference Center on Butler's Providence campus, 345 Blackstone Blvd. O'Brien was diagnosed nine years ago with early-onset Alzheimer's.

The event is being co-sponsored by the Rhode Island Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, the Rhode Island Mood and Memory Research Institute, the University of Rhode Island Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, and the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center.

The 5:45 p.m. discussion is free but with limited seating, registration is required. Call (401) 455-6402 or visit butler.org/GetPsyched.

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