To mark Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the Alzheimer Society of Toronto and the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance (TDRA) invite you to a virtual panel focused on new disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for Alzheimer’s disease in Canada, including recently approved treatments such as lecanemab.

Summary:

Most current treatments for Alzheimer’s disease help manage symptoms but do not slow the disease itself. Disease-modifying therapies are different. They aim to slow the disease by targeting changes in the brain, such as the buildup of amyloid.

These treatments bring new hope, but they also raise important questions. Who may be eligible? What tests are needed? How will people access these treatments in Canada? What benefits and risks should families understand?

During this panel, experts and people with lived experience will discuss:

– What disease-modifying therapies are and how they work

– Who these treatments may be for and how eligibility is decided

– What testing and monitoring are needed

– How access and funding may work across Canada

– What slowing disease progression may look like in daily life

This event will be presented in plain language and will include time for audience questions.

Presented in partnership with the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance and the Alzheimer Society of Toronto.

 

About the Presenters

Dr. Carmela Tartaglia

Dr. Carmela Tartaglia is a Cognitive Neurologist who cares for people with neurodegenerative diseases. She is Co-Director and Medical Lead of the Toronto Western Hospital Memory Clinic and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

She is also the Executive Director of the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance (TDRA). Dr. Tartaglia has helped lead projects such as the Toronto Cognitive Assessment (TorCA) and research using brain imaging and biomarkers to support earlier and more accurate diagnosis. Her work focuses on improving access to timely and targeted care for people living with cognitive disorders.

Chad Mitchell

Chad Mitchell is a health policy expert and Senior Associate at Global Public Affairs. He has more than 20 years of experience working in Canada’s health system on drug policy, health technology review, and health system planning.

He has held senior leadership roles with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). Chad works with governments and health organizations to support fair access to new treatments across Canada.

Cara Sullivan

Cara is a retired high school English teacher and a member of TDRA’s Lived Experience Advisory Partners Council. She became engaged in Alzheimer’s research in 2016 after supporting a family member as part of a caregiving team, with support from the Alzheimer Society of Toronto and the Alzheimer Society of Grey-Bruce. Cara has participated in several clinical trials with the Toronto Memory Program and CAMH and has a strong interest in risk reduction and brain health. She is currently the study partner for a family member who recently completed two years in the AHEAD Alzheimer’s prevention study at Sunnybrook Hospital.

Paul Lea

Paul is a member of TDRA’s Lived Experience Advisory Partners (LEAP) Council. He experienced a major stroke in 2008 and was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2009. After connecting with the Alzheimer Society of Toronto in 2015, Paul became an active advocate and spokesperson, raising awareness about stigma, prevention, and the need for better supports for people living with dementia. He continues to challenge himself cognitively and has developed effective strategies to adapt to the changes associated with vascular dementia.

 

Join us at the Toronto Public Library – Barbara Frum Branch for our Living Safely in the Community education session.

This presentation will discuss the difference between changes that come with typical aging and when something is not typical, reversible causes for these changes, and a general understanding of dementia. It also will cover the different types of dementia, progression, and knowledge of dementia symptoms and their impact on the person living with dementia.

Event Details:
Date: Monday, January 26
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Room B, Barbara Frum Library
20 Covington Rd., Toronto, ON, M6A 3C1

 

Additional Information:

• All sessions are drop-in. No registration required.
• If you identify as a person with a disability or as a person who is Deaf and require an accessibility accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Accessibility Services by email at accessibleservices@tpl.ca, or by voicemail at 416-393-7099, to make a request.
• Please contact us at least three weeks in advance.

Join us at the Toronto Public Library – Barbara Frum Branch for our Brain Health education session.

This presentation will discuss the difference between changes that come with typical aging and when something is not typical, reversible causes for these changes, and a general understanding of dementia. It also will cover the different types of dementia, progression, and knowledge of dementia symptoms and their impact on the person living with dementia.

Event Details:
Date: Monday, January 19
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Room B, Barbara Frum Library
20 Covington Rd., Toronto, ON, M6A 3C1

 

Additional Information:

• All sessions are drop-in. No registration required.
• If you identify as a person with a disability or as a person who is Deaf and require an accessibility accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Accessibility Services by email at accessibleservices@tpl.ca, or by voicemail at 416-393-7099, to make a request.
• Please contact us at least three weeks in advance.

Join us at the Toronto Public Library – Barbara Frum Branch for our Dementia Overview education session.

This presentation will discuss the difference between changes that come with typical aging and when something is not typical, reversible causes for these changes, and a general understanding of dementia. It also will cover the different types of dementia, progression, and knowledge of dementia symptoms and their impact on the person living with dementia.

Event Details:
Date: Monday, January 12
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Room B, Barbara Frum Library
20 Covington Rd., Toronto, ON, M6A 3C1

 

Additional Information:

• All sessions are drop-in. No registration required.
• If you identify as a person with a disability or as a person who is Deaf and require an accessibility accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Accessibility Services by email at accessibleservices@tpl.ca, or by voicemail at 416-393-7099, to make a request.
• Please contact us at least three weeks in advance.

Join us this January for Feel the Spark, an Alzheimer Awareness Month event featuring Rick Levine, a talented musician and person living with dementia.

Hosted at Safari Bar and Grill, this uplifting evening celebrates creativity, community, and what remains possible after a dementia diagnosis.

Enjoy a live performance by Rick, learn about his artistic journey, and take part in an interactive karaoke segment where everyone is invited to sing and share in the joy of music.

Whether you come to listen, learn, or lift your voice, Feel the Spark is an invitation to reimagine life with dementia — with creativity, courage, and community at the centre.

Evening starts at 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Description:

Join us for an update on new Alzheimer’s treatments and how they may impact everyday life for individuals and families affected by the disease. We’ll cover what’s new, what’s promising, and what these developments mean for care today and in the future.

Presented in partnership with the University Health Network Krembil Memory Clinic and the Alzheimer Society of Toronto.

 

About the Presenter

Dr. Tartaglia is a cognitive neurologist at the UHN Memory Clinic where she sees patients with neurodegenerative diseases and those with concussions who have persisting symptoms. She is a scientist and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. She holds the Marion and Gerald Soloway Chair in Brain Injury and Concussion Research. She uses a multi-modal approach that combines imaging and biofluid biomarkers to better diagnose and understand the pathological substrates that cause cognitive, behavioral and motoric dysfunction. The goal of her research program is to develop biomarkers for early detection of disease to bring precision medicine and targeted, early treatments to her patients.

 

This session is geared towards care partners and will explore the following:

• An overview of dementia
• The connection between music and dementia
• The benefits of personalized music for people living with dementia
• An overview of the Alzheimer’s Society Music Project to help individuals with dementia reconnect with the soundtrack of their lives.

 

 

Summary:

This webinar will explore how nature-based virtual reality (VR) and other technology-based approaches are being used as non-pharmacological interventions to support people living with Alzheimer’s disease who experience behavioural and psychological symptoms, such as depression or agitation. Attendees will learn how immersive, nature-inspired experiences can improve mood, reduce stress, and enhance quality of life for people living with dementia and their care partners.

The session will then introduce a new study at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), led by Dr. Harmehr Sekhon, that is investigating whether an at-home, nature-based VR program can help manage depression in Alzheimer’s disease. The study also explores how these tools may help people maintain independence and age in place longer.

This webinar is presented in plain language and will include time for audience questions.

For more information on the study, visit: https://tdra.utoronto.ca/study/vrn-ad

Presented in partnership with the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance and the Alzheimer Society of Toronto.

 

About the Presenter

Dr. Harmehr Sekhon is an Assistant Professor at McGill University and an Associate Scientist at St. Mary’s Research Centre. She completed her Ph.D. in geriatrics at McGill and postdoctoral training in Geriatric Psychiatry at McLean Hospital, McGill University, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She is the Director of the GeriTech Innovation Research Lab, which includes a team of eight members working on novel technology-based interventions to support healthy aging across the care continuum.

Her research focuses on developing and testing innovative digital health technologies—such as virtual reality, telehealth, and robotics—to improve diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life for older adults living with dementia and other mental health challenges. To date, she has published 50 scientific papers and holds an H-index of 20.

Join us at the Toronto Public Library – Don Mills Branch for our Understanding Behaviours of Dementia education session.

This session is designed to help participants better understand why people living with dementia express changes in their behaviour.
Tips for those supporting the individual experiencing them will be explored.

 

Registration is appreciated. Please call the branch at 416-395-5710 to register

To learn more, click here

 

Summary:

This webinar will introduce what deep brain stimulation (DBS) is, how it works, and how it has been used in different parts of the brain. It will cover the methods used and what research has shown so far.

The webinar will also explore a study at the University Health Network in Toronto that is looking for participants. The study is testing DBS as a possible treatment for mild Alzheimer’s disease and is examining whether sending gentle electrical signals to a specific part of the brain can help improve memory, thinking, and sleep.

This webinar is free to attend and is presented in plain language. You will have the opportunity have questions.

For more information on the study, visit: https://tdra.utoronto.ca/study/pilot-study-investigating-deep-brain-stimulation-new-approach-treating-mild-alzheimers

This webinar is presented in partnership with the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance

 

About the Presenter

Dr. Taufik Valiante is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto and a neurosurgeon at Toronto Western Hospital, where he leads the Surgical Epilepsy Program. He is also Director of CRANIA (the Centre for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application), Co-Director of the Max Planck–University of Toronto Centre for Neural Science and Technology, and a Senior Scientist at both the Krembil Research Institute and The KITE Research Institute.

Dr. Valiante’s research focuses on understanding how the brain works and developing new devices to treat brain conditions such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. His work combines medicine, engineering, and neuroscience to create innovative tools that can record and change brain activity. These advances could one day improve treatment for a wide range of brain disorders.