Ep 105: Chipping Away at the Crisis (Part 2) - Navigating Alzheimer’s from Diagnosis to Care with Dr. Jason Karlawish

BrainStorm wants to hear from you! Send us a text.Host Meryl Comer continues her conversation with Dr. Jason Karlawish, professor of medicine, medical ethics, and neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, about the evolving landscape of Alzheimer's disease. Drawing on his book The Problem with Alzheimer's, Dr. Karlawish explores the promise of early detection, the ethical complexities of disclosing uncertain diagnoses, and why he remains skeptical that an outright cure is on the near horizon — famously comparing it to planning retirement with a lottery ticket. The conversation moves into the deeply human side of the disease, touching on caregiving as a form of "mind support," the role families play in both enabling and delaying diagnosis, and the exciting potential of smartphones and smart home technologies to transform care. Dr. Karlawish shares a candid reflection on what gives him hope and what keeps him up at night. This episode is a thoughtful, unflinching look at a disease that is best understood as a "complex tragedy."Support the show