Latest news with #Alzheimers
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Hardest time in my life': Guy Sebastian's former manager Titus Day made accounting ‘mistakes' after his mother became ill
Guy Sebastian's former manager 'made mistakes' in accounting towards the end of the pair's tumultuous relationship because his mother had become ill, the period marking the 'hardest time in (his) life'. Titus Emanuel Day is standing trial for allegedly embezzling $640,000 of Mr Sebastian's royalties and performance fees, including the alleged failure to remit $187,000 to Mr Sebastian for performance fees as a support act for Swift on her 2013 Red tour of Australia and other corporate gigs and performances. Mr Day has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of embezzlement as a clerk or servant and one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception. He has denied doing anything fraudulent or dishonest. Mr Day took the stand to give evidence-in-chief on Friday, telling the court how issues had begun to 'creep in' to his management company, 6 Degrees, as a result of pressure sparked by his mother's declining health around 2016. He told the court his mother was diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer's dementia around 2015. By the time she came to live with he and his family in 2016 she was so ill she was in a 'zombie state', prompting his wife, Courtney, to effectively step aside from her work at the company to care for his mother. The court was told his wife played a 'critical' role at 6 Degrees, with her duties ranging across creative work such as video clips, music production, songwriting production and dealing with record labels: when she left, Mr Day had to 'pick up all the slack' and delegate work to other staff. Another high level employee also had to step aside to care for Mr Day's mother at one point. 'Personally this was probably the hardest time in my life,' Mr Day told the court. He said all of his clients 'suffered' as a result, and that he'd made some accounting 'mistakes' during this period and could no longer be with clients on tours. 'Because my attention was taken away, but also spread thin, it affected all my clients - all my clients suffered,' Mr Day told the court. 'My accounting slipped, I wasn't able to send statements or invoices…I made mistakes in transactions and banking descriptions.' He spoke of one example where he accidentally paid Mr Sebastian money from another of his clients, Nigerian-Australian singer Timomatic, and then paid Timomatic money from Mr Sebastian. '(I) made a lot of mistakes on banking descriptions…a lot of issues started to creep into the company because of the pressure,' Mr Day said. Mr Day's barrister, Thomas Woods, earlier told the court that there would be 'no dispute' that on some occasions his client should have transferred money onto Mr Sebastian 'but did not'. 'For many of the charges, the real question is not going to be whether my client failed to transfer the money to Sebastian but whether his failure to do that was criminal,' Mr Woods said. The former manager's evidence-in-chief regarding the 'mistakes' mentioned on Friday is expected to continue next week. Mr Day has denied doing anything fraudulent or dishonest. In terms of business growth, Mr Day told the court 2016 was the company's busiest and most successful time, having taken on a range of clients across music, sports and media. He said it was an 'extremely busy' time and he was personally receiving more than 300 emails per day, acknowledging he had 'a lot less' time to devote to Mr Sebastian as opposed to the early years of their agreement. The 'really big shift' in the pair's relationship Mr Sebastian moved over to Mr Day's management company 6 Degrees three years after winning Australian Idol, having worked with him previously at Mr Day's former agency, 22 Management. No formal agreement was signed, but the court was told their agreement was based on Mr Sebastian's former arrangement with 22 Management. The Battle Scars singer, who was once so close with Mr Day he considered them to be a 'a family of sorts', earlier claimed he'd sent several emails to Mr Day around 2016 over concerns with their relationship, telling the court there was a 'really big shift' between them around that time. In particular Mr Sebastian claimed documents, statements and invoices 'were not being sent anymore'. 'That side of it and then some cultural issues that were happening as well and just a general shift in the service I was being provided,' Mr Sebastian previously told the court. 'I understand (6 Degrees) were getting busier as a company and that the list of clients had grown … that was starting to have some real ramifications on my business and personally as well. 'I was trying really hard to remedy these issues.' Mr Sebastian told Mr Day that he was leaving his management in 2017, the court was previously told. Mr Sebastian launched Federal Court proceedings against Mr Day the following year. He in turn filed a counterclaim.
Medical News Today
5 hours ago
- Health
- Medical News Today
Is Alzheimer's disease a type of prion disease?
Researchers do not consider Alzheimer's disease a type of prion disease. However, Alzheimer's shares some features with prion diseases. The table below outlines some key similarities and differences at a glance: Prion diseases are rare, transmissible neurodegenerative disorders, which means they involve the progressive death of cells in the central nervous system, including the brain. The most common prion disease in humans is sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). Prion diseases have the following three features: They occur due to the buildup of misfolded proteins called prions. They are transmissible. They cause fatal neurodegenerative changes. Alzheimer's disease does not qualify as a prion disease because it does not meet the transmissible criteria. Various factors can contribute to a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease, including: Since prion diseases and Alzheimer's disease both involve progressive neurodegeneration, they may share symptoms, including: memory loss changes in movement changes in mood forgetting to eat or sleep Prion diseases can be asymptomatic for years . However, when symptoms occur, progression is typically quick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests it can be months or years until a prion disease causes death after symptoms appear. In contrast, Alzheimer's disease progression can vary significantly from person to person. In many cases, symptoms progress slowly over several years. People may initially mistake mild symptoms for natural changes due to aging. There is no cure for prion diseases or Alzheimer's disease. However, healthcare professionals may be able to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease with medications such as: Unlike Alzheimer's disease, there are no treatments for the symptoms of prion disease. People should speak with a healthcare professional if they are concerned about Alzheimer's disease or if they have a diagnosis and experience changes in symptoms.
Medical News Today
5 hours ago
- Health
- Medical News Today
Genetic tests for Alzheimer's disease: Types and more
Although genetic testing for genes associated with Alzheimer's disease is available, healthcare professionals do not routinely use these tests when diagnosing this condition. Genetic tests to identify genes associated with Alzheimer's cannot guarantee whether a person will develop the condition. Instead, they may reveal that a person has an increased risk of Alzheimer's. According to the United Kingdom's Alzheimer's Society, genetic testing may be suitable when it seems likely that the condition is due to a single-gene change. For example, if there is a clear family history of the condition. However, various factors can contribute to Alzheimer's disease. A negative test result for associated genes does not guarantee that a person will not develop Alzheimer's disease. A 2023 article highlights the following types of genetic tests for Alzheimer's disease: Predictive and pharmacogenetic tests are only available in research or clinical settings. However, susceptibility tests may be available directly to consumers. People typically buy these tests and carry them out without medical supervision. Some people may find direct-to-consumer tests quicker and more convenient than carrying out the tests in a clinical setting. Although some people may feel peace of mind with a home test, the results also risk causing distress. Additionally, working with a healthcare professional can help a person better understand the results of their test. They can also provide information about lowering the risk of the disease and what treatment options are available if the person starts showing symptoms. Anyone interested in genetic testing for Alzheimer's disease can speak with a healthcare professional for more information, whether they want to know more about the types available or want help understanding the results of a home test.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's charities identify new ways to reuse current drugs
Scientists are to examine whether drugs that are already in use could be repurposed to treat the symptoms of both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's in a new collaboration which aims to discover novel treatments at pace. Experts say that by repurposing drugs, they can 'increase the shots on target' at tackling the diseases. This method of drug development could also reduce the time patients are left waiting for new treatments by up to 10 years, they added. It comes after the NHS spending watchdog rejected the use of new Alzheimer's drugs lecanemab and donanemab for widespread use in the health service. The drugs were approved for use in the UK last year by the UK's medicines regulator but the NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), said they could not be used in the NHS because the benefits are 'too small' to justify the cost. Now charities Cure Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Research UK have joined forces to find current drugs that may tackle some of the common biology behind both diseases. After presentations to the International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT), which was set up by Cure Parkinson's over a decade ago, experts from both fields will select the most promising drugs for both Parkinson's and dementia, so they can be moved quickly into clinical trials. Weight loss jabs are already being investigated for their effectiveness in treating symptoms of both diseases and experts hope to uncover more drugs that can have multiple uses. Semaglutide, the active ingredient for weight loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, is being examined in clinical trials to see whether it can help patients with Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's. Trial results for the Alzheimer's trial are expected to be published later this year. Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, told the PA news agency that the iLCT project had already been 'hugely successful' with people who have Parkinson's, adding: 'Around 30% of disease modifying therapies that are in clinical trials for Parkinson's disease came through this process. 'What we wanted to do is to build on their knowledge and experience and expertise in order to be able to bring a process similar to that to Alzheimer's disease.' Dr Scales said that there are some 'common grounds' between Parkinson's and Alzheimer's – both are neurodegenerative diseases and have some 'common biological processes' – such as inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction and 'protein misfolding' – which could be targets for repurposed drugs. 'Getting multiple drugs that are targeting the disease is really important to us,' she said. 'Testing different types of drugs and getting as many shots on target is important.' She said: 'Repurposed drugs have already been demonstrated to be safe for use in humans development of new drugs for different diseases is a long process. 'What essentially bringing repurposed drugs does, is help to accelerate the drug development pipeline – it could save between five and 10 years within that process, compared to taking a new drug through clinical trials for the very first time.' Helen Matthews, chief executive of Cure Parkinson's, said the iLCT was originally set up to identify drugs that can potentially 'slow down, stop or reverse Parkinson's'. She added: 'It was through this programme that we realised that there were so many drugs that were also being looked at in the dementia field and there were commonalities there in terms of the drugs looking to reduce inflammation, or whatever it might be, there were specific pathways that those drugs were working on that could be beneficial for both disease areas. 'So given that we were already doing the (work) every year, it made sense to join forces in this way, just to add efficiencies. 'Because if you're looking at the same drugs, we'll only do that digging once, you know, only do that compilation of the dossiers once, so that you can actually take the learning for both diseases and then actually look and see which might be beneficial.' She said that the 'sharing of knowledge and digging' could also be shared with other disease areas, such as MS. And on lecanemab and donanemab, Dr Scales added: '(These) were the first disease-targeting therapies that have been licensed in the UK, but obviously are not available on the NHS at the moment. 'They showed for the very first time that we were able to alter the course of the disease. 'And what we're looking forward to now is what the next generation of treatments can bring us and how we can target different parts of the disease.' Dr Lucy Devendra, head of research at Alzheimer's Society, said: 'Repurposing medicines which are already known to be safe can help us find new treatments for the diseases that cause dementia much quicker. 'Although it is still early days, it's encouraging to see a renewed focus on this type of research and development.'
CBS News
16 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
Sisters face Alzheimer's legacy with love, caution and different choices
When Alzheimer's disease runs in your family, it raises a difficult but unavoidable question: Will it happen to me? CBS News Miami anchor Lauren Pastrana has asked that question herself. Her grandmother and great-grandmother both battled the disease. So did other relatives. Now, Pastrana is exploring what her own future—and that of her loved ones—might look like, and how science is helping answer that question. Sisters, same family history, different paths Pastrana sat down with her mother, Magda Fernandez and her aunt, Martha Brown—sisters who both watched their own mother, Gladys, suffer from Alzheimer's. "She always thought that she was going to suffer from this. Always," Magda said. "She was fearful of that—that it would happen to her because it happened to our grandma. It happened to my grandma's sister. But yet my grandma had two sisters." One of those sisters lived a long, healthy life without ever developing the disease. Martha and Magda share the same family history, but they've made very different choices when it comes to testing. Martha, a meticulous record-keeper, chose to take a newly FDA-approved blood test that's 92% accurate in detecting early signs of Alzheimer's. "I had it done, and sure enough, the TAU were elevated, much higher than what they're supposed to be, and my amyloid is also much higher than what the levels are supposed to be," Martha said. She followed up with a PET scan and waited several tense days for results. "Negative scan consistent with sparse to no amyloid neuritic plaques," she read from the report, smiling. "Oh! I have a good brain!" To test or not to test? Doctors say timing matters Magda has chosen not to get tested—at least not yet. "If I would start feeling something that would definitely be indicative of 'this is not going well,' yes, I will go and do the appropriate things," she said. "But right now, to go and have tests that tell me 'Oh, you might, you might not.' No, I'm not there." Dr. Peter Gliebus of Baptist Health supports that cautious approach, especially for those who aren't showing symptoms. "For somebody who is asymptomatic… I actually don't recommend getting any biomarker studies—the blood works that are available—unless this is for very specific research," Dr. Gliebus said. He noted that while testing may bring clarity, there are currently no treatments proven to stop or reverse Alzheimer's in people who are still symptom-free. That could change in the future. Carrying their mother's spirit forward For now, both sisters are focusing on enjoying life, staying mentally active, and cherishing memories—just like their mother did. "One of the things that I hold in my heart, that I get from her, is to save all those memories," Martha said. "I have become that keeper." "My mom had such a positive attitude and would always say, 'There's always a tomorrow,'" Magda added. Although they've opted out of genetic testing—which can indicate increased risk but not a definitive diagnosis—the sisters say they already know what really matters: honoring the past while living fully in the present.
