UCTV Prime YouTube Series Highlights Hope in UCLA Alzheimer's Research

LA JOLLA, Calif., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As Baby Boomers become senior citizens, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are on track to reach epidemic proportions, with a new diagnosis every 68 seconds and an annual cost of $1.2 trillion projected by 2050, not to mention the psychological toll on family members caring for their loved ones. UCTV Prime's YouTube original series "Heartache and Hope: America's Alzheimer's Epidemic" reveals what it's like for patients and families living with this devastating disease and how UCLA researchers are leading the charge to slow its progress and, eventually, find a cure. The three-part series is available for viewing on the UCTV Prime YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/uctvprime) and website (http://www.uctv.tv/prime).

With 50% of primary caregivers for Alzheimer's patients at risk of severe clinical depression, UCLA is working with local organizations and community leaders to establish caregiver support groups and connect caregivers to community resource centers. "Heartache and Hope" profiles several, including one established by Patti Davis, daughter of President Ronald Reagan, and another by television personality Leeza Gibbons, who lost her mother to the disease. Both women are featured in the series.

Researchers at UCLA and beyond are moving fast to understand Alzheimer's disease and develop effective treatments. "Heartache and Hope" includes interviews with top UCLA researchers and their patients involved in the latest clinical trials, some of which demonstrate promising results.

UCTV Prime Presents:
"Heartache and Hope: America's Alzheimer's Epidemic"
http://www.youtube.com/uctvprime or http://www.uctv.tv/prime

"Alzheimer's Long and Costly Goodbye" – Episode 1
The first episode offers an overview of the looming Alzheimer's epidemic and the fear and grief experienced by patients and their loved ones.

"Alzheimer's Diagnosis and Clinical Trials" – Episode 2
The projections for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are alarming, but not all the news is bad. The second installment assesses the progress UCLA researchers have made in understanding the disease and highlights some promising clinical trials and diagnosis techniques that could slow its progression, possibly the first step towards prevention and cure.

"Alzheimer's Patient and Caregiver Support" – Episode 3 
Alzheimer's affects everyone differently, but all patients and their families experience some form of grief and fear, not to mention the stress. The final installment offers up new models for healthcare and caregiver support that emphasize early diagnosis and support networks for everyone touched by the disease.

UCTV Prime is the first university-run channel to be included among YouTube's production partnerships with recognizable brands like The Wall Street Journal, Deepak Chopra and TED. With documentary mini-series, interviews, commentaries and video shorts each week, UCTV Prime draws on the tremendous knowledge resources of the University of California's ten campuses, five medical schools, three national labs and other affiliated institutions.

UCTV is available worldwide via live stream, video archives and podcasting at www.uctv.tv, on YouTube at www.youtube.com/uctv and www.youtube.com/uctvprime, on iTunesU in the Beyond Campus section, and on cable in select cities throughout California. For a complete list of UCTV's outlets, visit www.uctv.tv/wheretowatch.

SOURCE UCTV Prime