On the Ropes, BBC Radio 4’s programme about people in difficult situations, interviews author Terry Pratchett about his recent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
In the first half of the interview, Pratchett talks about his early years as a writer and how he came to write the Discworld series and other novels.
In the latter half, he talks through the realisation that he had Alzheimer’s, from being tested for his initial relatively minor stroke, to being more comprehensively assessed for his ongoing cognitive difficulties.
He gives a fascinating first-person account of how he experiences the difficulties and the effects of the medication on his mind.
After his diagnosis, Pratchett was surprised at how little Alzheimer’s disease research was going on and donated half a million points pounds to scientific research.
Pratchett fans have set up Match It For Pratchett, a drive to match the Discworld author’s donation and boost degenerative brain research.
Link to On the Ropes interview with Terry Pratchett.
Link to Match It For Pratchett.
Mind Hacks 
Like Pratchett, Andy Grove in his battle with Parkinsons is extremely frustrated with peer review and the state of current research and was forced to take matters into his own hands. I have heard people who are influential on Wall Street say that they will never follow any biotech who is testing an ALS treatment because they have read books by prominent MD’s who do not believe the direction of current research WILL EVER find a cure or a treatment for ALS. I’m sure this is
old by now but the accumulation of plaques is
seen in healthy ppl as well as in ppl with ALS. ALS, IMHO,is systemic and not confined to the brain for crying out loud.