[Upbeat music plays in the background]
0:00
[A collage of overlapping pieces of paper with “You're only as old as you feel, or so it's said.” “Alzheimer’s Association, 2021” and “Advertiser Content from Lilly.”]
Narrator: You're only as old as you feel, or so it's said.
0:03
[Collage of overlapping pieces of paper with a picture of an alarm clock with arms pointing from 85 to 65. “American Psychological Association, 2021”]
Narrator: Well, studies show adults think of themselves as younger than they really are, up to 20% younger [clock ticking] and it shows.
0:09
[A scrapbook opens to blank pages with “New Chapter” showing images of couples enjoying life appearing one by one on the pages of the book. “National Library Medicine, 2006”]
Narrator: Older Americans are coming back from retirement and writing new chapters of their lives as they age thanks in part to being able to live longer, healthier lives.
0:18
[“American adults aged 75 and older live longer.” over an outline image of the United States, with a stethoscope and upward arrows. “Alzheimer’s Association, 2022”]
Narrator: Compared to their peers in other countries, American adults aged 75 and older, live longer.
0:23
[A stethoscope over an outline image of the United States, with arrows moving in an upward motion.]
Narrator: The United States also has higher rates of comprehensive screenings and testing at routine checkups.
0:28
[A vintage anatomical illustration of a woman, zooms in on the woman’s head and brain.]
Narrator: These checkups cover our bodies, but there could still be a blind spot right inside our heads, our cognitive health.
0:34
[A vintage anatomical illustration of a brain with “Filling in the blind spots on cognitive health”]
Narrator: So when it comes to filling out the picture of your cognitive health, what do you need to know?
0:39
[A vintage anatomical illustration of a brain with the Lilly logo and “The Explainer Studio” with upbeat music in the background]
0:43
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews, Neurologist & Alzheimer’s disease expert with “Dr. Brandy
Matthews, Neurologist & Alzheimer’s disease expert, Eli Lilly and Company” with gentle music in background]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: There are some changes in memory and thinking that happen with normal aging, but these changes are relatively subtle.
0:50
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews looking at a computer monitor desk at her Lilly office.]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: Whereas in mild cognitive impairment, the deficits are more noticeable, more frequent, and expand across other areas of recall, particularly the recent memories.
1:05
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews talking]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: So things that have happened within the past day or within the past week may become more difficult to recall.
01:12
[Scrapbook style illustration with “12-18%” and “of Americans over age 60 are living with mild cognitive impairment or MCI.” “Alzheimer’s Association, 2022”]
Narrator: It's estimated that 12 to 18% of Americans over age 60 are living with mild cognitive impairment or MCI.
1:19
[Scrapbook style illustration with “14 million people”]
Narrator: That's up to almost 14 million people.
1:22
[Outline of a brain with “MCI” “Dementia” and “Alzheimer's”]
Narrator: MCI can stand alone or be a precursor to more serious forms of dementia, and even Alzheimer's disease.
1:28
[Images of middle-aged women and men with “4/5 Americans are unfamiliar with what mild cognitive impairment even is” and “Yale Medicine, 2022”]
Narrator: Yet nearly four out of five Americans surveyed were unfamiliar with what mild cognitive impairment even is.
1:35
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews talking]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: It is different from mild dementia in that it doesn't have a huge impact on day-to-day functioning.
1:42
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews talking]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: So it's important to monitor your brain health.
1:47
[Video of a woman preparing paints and a canvas on an easel in an art studio]
Narrator: While there's no single cause or outcome of MCI, other potential causes could include drug-to-drug interactions, depression, neurological disorders, or vascular disease.
1:57
[Video of a woman painting bright colors on a canvas on an easel in an art studio]
Narrator: Because the differences from normal aging are slight at first, memory and thinking issues can be easily dismissed as a normal part of aging, but these can progress over time.
2:06
[Video of a woman, Rebecca Chopp, painting bright colors on a canvas on an easel in an art studio]
Narrator: Rebecca Chopp, an author and former university president, shares how she talked with her doctor.
2:11
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting with “Rebecca Chopp Alzheimer’s Advocate and Former University President.” “Rebecca Chopp was compensated for her time by Lilly.”]
Rebecca Chopp: You know, I really didn't see a lot of changes.
2:16
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting]
Rebecca Chopp: So when I went to my annual physical, I told my primary care physician, an amazing person, who realized something has changed in this woman's body.
2:26
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting]
Rebecca Chopp: And she did a series of tests, asked me if she could give me a cognition test.
2:34
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting]
Rebecca Chopp: I thought, [exhales] I'll pass that, and I didn't.
2:38
[Multiple illustrations of a head with brains shown in different colors]
Narrator: Just like any other regular health assessment, getting a checkup from the neck up could help detect whether cognitive changes are normal or the sign of something else.
2:47
[Multiple illustrations of a head with brains fill screen with “knowledge is power”]
Narrator: Because when it comes to cognitive health, knowledge is power.
2:50
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews talking]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: As far as the benefits of a timely and accurate diagnosis, there may be many for a patient.
2:56
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews talking. Video of a runner in a park on the edge of a city.
Video of a healthy vegetable platter with dip. Video of a group of older people jogging. Video of a large family and friends dinner gathering.]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: There are non-medication interventions that include lifestyle changes, aerobic exercise, dietary changes, social and cognitive engagement can all benefit brain health.
3:10
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews talking]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: Likewise, there may be medication interventions, and patients also then may have the opportunity to engage in planning, having conversations that are important with their family.
3:22
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting]
Rebecca Chopp: Every person is different, but the more timely your diagnosis, the more timely you get a really accurate diagnosis, you have choice.
3:33
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting]
Rebecca Chopp: You have choice to really enjoy life, to spend time with your family.
3:39
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting]
Rebecca Chopp: So I think it's a very empowering knowledge.
3:43
[Abstract illustration of a woman in a doctor’s office talking with a doctor, who is taking notes. Images of medical devices appear. A prescription pad on a clipboard appears with sample prescription notes.]
Narrator: Along with other routine health assessments, you can bring up memory and thinking issues with your doctor who may recommend written or verbal tests, blood tests, physical and neurological exams, or additional tests, including brain imaging tests.
3:57
[Video of brain scans and amyloid plaque.]
Narrator: Certain PET scans, blood or cerebral spinal fluid tests look for evidence of amyloid plaque, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.
4:05
[Illustrations of a brains with possible amyloid plaques. “Amyloid Beta Protein” and “Many experts believe one of the first pathophysiological changes of Alzheimer’s disease in the abnormal accumulation of amyloid beta in the form of amyloid plaques in the brain – a sticky protein that clumps together to form plaques.”]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: In the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, there is accumulation of a sticky protein that's called amyloid beta protein into clumps that are referred to as plaques.
4:17
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews talking, with an animation of brain activity. “Models are not to scale. Amyloid plaques and tau model are for illustration purposes only.”]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: This happens in the brain, but outside of the brain cells, and then initiates a series of events or cascade of other abnormalities.
4:27
[Animation of brain activity and video of brain scan inflammation. “Models are not to scale. Amyloid plaques and tau model are for illustration purposes only.” ]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: So a different sticky protein, tau, accumulates in what are called tangles within the brain cells or the neurons, and there's an associated activation of the brain's immune system that creates some inflammation.
4:43
[Video of Dr. Brandy Matthews talking.]
Dr. Brandy Matthews: And all of this activity makes it difficult for the brain cells or neurons to talk to one another.
4:50
[Video of Rebecca Chopp painting bright colors on a canvas on an easel in an art studio]
Narrator: But if Rebecca's story shows us anything, it's that timely detection, accurate diagnosis, and early action can be life-changing.
4:57
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting]
Rebecca Chopp: You know, I think the timely diagnosis for me meant that I could keep writing the story, but I could write a different story to do things that I had never imagined doing or that I had always wanted to do.
5:10
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting]
Rebecca Chopp: I always wanted to spend more time with my husband. I never imagined painting, and I took up painting.
5:15
[Rebecca Chopp seated in a home setting]
Rebecca Chopp: So it allowed me to have like whole new chapters in my life.
5:22
[Illustration of a brain shown in various blue colors transitioning to a scrapbook showing images of people enjoying life with “your story.”]
Narrator: Instead of ignoring the cognitive health blind spot, knowing what you can do to understand changes in memory and thinking can empower you with more choices and help you keep writing your own story.
5:32
[A vintage anatomical illustration of a brain with Lilly logo, “The Explainer Studio” and “PP-AD-US-0581 12 2023 © Lilly USA, LLCC 2023. All rights reserved. All product company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.” with gentle music in background]