Researchers now believe that they have found a promising new treatment for Alzheimer's disease, and it comes in the form of a helmet that shoots infrared rays into your head. It sound a little crude, but these researchers say that this treatment has worked on mice to help restore memory and stimulate brain cell growth, and they will now begin testing on humans.
If you ask me, this new Alzheimer's helmet looks a little bit like something out of science fiction movie, but if it works than who cares what it looks like. There's still a lot of testing to be done, says the inventor of this device Dr. Gordon Dougal from Durham University, before the Alzheimer's helmet is actually used to treat the disease - but early testing is very promising.
Click here to read the whole story
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Dear Abby is right about this and dementia
Nursing-home care may be best for parent with dementia
AP DataFeatures
Midland Reporter-Telegram
01/19/2008
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendlyDEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been going round and round about nursing homes.
My father's illness and memory loss have brought us face-to-face with the issue. This dilemma is not for those families who can afford to pay for someone to care for a patient in his or her own home. Nor does it apply to those who can afford an assisted-living facility.
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When is it the "best-case scenario" for someone's continued care to be provided by a nursing home? Or should the parent be allowed to remain at home despite the consequences? Is it more compassionate to prolong his or her life in an environment that he or she would never have chosen or agreed to, or is it irresponsible to honor his or her wishes to live alone, with limited assistance, even though it may lead to an early death?
My father's care is far too complex and time-consuming for me or any other family member to take on in our own homes.
Your advice would be welcomed in making this complicated and emotional decision. -- DISTRESSED DAUGHTER IN ILLINOIS
Read what Dear Abby had to say
AP DataFeatures
Midland Reporter-Telegram
01/19/2008
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendlyDEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been going round and round about nursing homes.
My father's illness and memory loss have brought us face-to-face with the issue. This dilemma is not for those families who can afford to pay for someone to care for a patient in his or her own home. Nor does it apply to those who can afford an assisted-living facility.
Advertisement
When is it the "best-case scenario" for someone's continued care to be provided by a nursing home? Or should the parent be allowed to remain at home despite the consequences? Is it more compassionate to prolong his or her life in an environment that he or she would never have chosen or agreed to, or is it irresponsible to honor his or her wishes to live alone, with limited assistance, even though it may lead to an early death?
My father's care is far too complex and time-consuming for me or any other family member to take on in our own homes.
Your advice would be welcomed in making this complicated and emotional decision. -- DISTRESSED DAUGHTER IN ILLINOIS
Read what Dear Abby had to say
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Visit this blog
Here is another place to learn about dementia and voice your comments and opinions.
What do you think of it?
What do you think of it?
Monday, January 7, 2008
Removal of Ovaries Found to Promote Dementia
(NewsTarget) Women who undergo removal of one or both of their ovaries before menopause have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in the online version of the journal Neurology.
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic analyzed the data from approximately 3,000 women, half of whom had undergone a procedure to remove one or both of their ovaries between 1950 and 1987, the other half of whom had never had any ovaries removed. They interviewed either the women or an acquaintance, asking questions about the mental functions that are impaired in Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. They found that women who'd had ovaries removed had a 50 percent higher chance of suffering mental decline.
Lead researcher Walter Rocca said that the study's results do not apply to women who have ovaries removed as part of cancer treatment, because no women in that category were included in the participant pool
Click here for the whole story
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic analyzed the data from approximately 3,000 women, half of whom had undergone a procedure to remove one or both of their ovaries between 1950 and 1987, the other half of whom had never had any ovaries removed. They interviewed either the women or an acquaintance, asking questions about the mental functions that are impaired in Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. They found that women who'd had ovaries removed had a 50 percent higher chance of suffering mental decline.
Lead researcher Walter Rocca said that the study's results do not apply to women who have ovaries removed as part of cancer treatment, because no women in that category were included in the participant pool
Click here for the whole story
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Drug Found to Create New Connections in Brain
Morgantown, WV (PRNewswire-USNewswire) - Scientists at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI) have discovered that a cancer drug - Bryostatin - enhances the formation of new connections in rat brains during memory storage. This drug could potentially increase normal memory capacity in humans as well as repair and restore memory lost from Alzheimer's disease, stroke and head trauma.
In an article published in the December 4 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), BRNI Scientific Director Daniel Alkon, M.D., and Jarin Hongpaisan, Ph.D., describe how the cancer drug Bryostatin stimulates the production of connections between neurons in the same structural way that memory storage does naturally. Bryostatin essentially rewires the brain.
"There have been no effective drugs to promote brain repair," Dr. Alkon said. "Bryostatin and other BRNI drugs in this class could introduce a whole new era for brain repair. At the same time, we are now closer to understanding what controls the growth of synaptic connections in the adult brain."
The BRNI research shows that a healthy brain normally undergoes some "rewiring" when it stores memories. Bryostatin enhances this rewiring in normal healthy brains and also creates new connections in brains that have been ravaged by Alzheimer's disease, stroke or head trauma.
Click here for thw whole story
In an article published in the December 4 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), BRNI Scientific Director Daniel Alkon, M.D., and Jarin Hongpaisan, Ph.D., describe how the cancer drug Bryostatin stimulates the production of connections between neurons in the same structural way that memory storage does naturally. Bryostatin essentially rewires the brain.
"There have been no effective drugs to promote brain repair," Dr. Alkon said. "Bryostatin and other BRNI drugs in this class could introduce a whole new era for brain repair. At the same time, we are now closer to understanding what controls the growth of synaptic connections in the adult brain."
The BRNI research shows that a healthy brain normally undergoes some "rewiring" when it stores memories. Bryostatin enhances this rewiring in normal healthy brains and also creates new connections in brains that have been ravaged by Alzheimer's disease, stroke or head trauma.
Click here for thw whole story
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
New Year's Resolutions & Alzheimer's Prevention
New Year's Resolutions & Alzheimer's Prevention
Common New Year’s Resolutions Not Only Important for your Waistline, But for your Mind Too
Attention: Assignment Editor, Food/Beverage Editor, Health/Medical Editor, Lifestyle Editor, News Editor
TORONTO/ONTARIO/MEDIA RELEASE--(Marketwire - Jan. 1, 2008) - New Year's resolutions for healthy eating and increased activity are now more important than ever, say Alzheimer's experts. Your mind needs it too.
Research has shown that a good diet, in particular the Mediterranean diet high in monounsaturated "healthy" fats, and regular physical activity, are also important to keep Alzheimer's at bay.
Mental activities such as crossword puzzles are also helpful to prevent onset of dementias such as Alzheimer's disease.
"In addition to these lifestyle changes, there is really exciting research in the pipelines to be hopeful about in the future," says Dr. Nathan Herrmann, geriatric researcher and psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. "We're involved in new and exciting trials that are investigating not only new medications to stop or slow down the accumulation of amyloid, but also new immunotherapy approaches through vaccines to help prevent or slow down the progression of the disease."
Amyloid is a sticky toxic protein that gradually deposits between nerve cells in the brain in Alzheimer's disease, damaging and killing cells. "It is important to stop this abnormal buildup," says Dr. Herrmann, also a Professor at University of Toronto. "It's possible these new approaches will become available within the next five to ten years."
January is Alzheimer's awareness month. An estimated 420,000 Canadians over 65 years have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Alzheimer's is a progressive degenerative disease for which there is no preventive medicine or cure. It is characterized by a decline in mental abilities and changes in personality and behaviour. Usually there is a loss of functioning that eventually impedes the ability to carry out everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease is under-diagnosed and under-treated in Canada and worldwide.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's include: progressive loss of memory, difficulty with concentration, decrease in problem-solving skills and judgment, confusion and delusions, altered perception, impaired recognition, impaired skilled motor function, disorientation, impaired language skills and personality changes.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is transforming health care through the dedication of its more than 10,000 staff, physicians and volunteers who provide compassionate and innovative patient focused care. An internationally recognized leader in academic research and education and an affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada's premier health sciences centres. Sunnybrook specializes in caring for newborns, adults and the elderly, treating and preventing cancer, disorders of the brain, mind and nervous system, cardiovascular disease, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries.
-30-
*Please note: Dr. Herrmann can be made available for interviews on Wednesday, January 2nd.
/For further information: www.sunnybrook.ca/
Common New Year’s Resolutions Not Only Important for your Waistline, But for your Mind Too
Attention: Assignment Editor, Food/Beverage Editor, Health/Medical Editor, Lifestyle Editor, News Editor
TORONTO/ONTARIO/MEDIA RELEASE--(Marketwire - Jan. 1, 2008) - New Year's resolutions for healthy eating and increased activity are now more important than ever, say Alzheimer's experts. Your mind needs it too.
Research has shown that a good diet, in particular the Mediterranean diet high in monounsaturated "healthy" fats, and regular physical activity, are also important to keep Alzheimer's at bay.
Mental activities such as crossword puzzles are also helpful to prevent onset of dementias such as Alzheimer's disease.
"In addition to these lifestyle changes, there is really exciting research in the pipelines to be hopeful about in the future," says Dr. Nathan Herrmann, geriatric researcher and psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. "We're involved in new and exciting trials that are investigating not only new medications to stop or slow down the accumulation of amyloid, but also new immunotherapy approaches through vaccines to help prevent or slow down the progression of the disease."
Amyloid is a sticky toxic protein that gradually deposits between nerve cells in the brain in Alzheimer's disease, damaging and killing cells. "It is important to stop this abnormal buildup," says Dr. Herrmann, also a Professor at University of Toronto. "It's possible these new approaches will become available within the next five to ten years."
January is Alzheimer's awareness month. An estimated 420,000 Canadians over 65 years have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Alzheimer's is a progressive degenerative disease for which there is no preventive medicine or cure. It is characterized by a decline in mental abilities and changes in personality and behaviour. Usually there is a loss of functioning that eventually impedes the ability to carry out everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease is under-diagnosed and under-treated in Canada and worldwide.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's include: progressive loss of memory, difficulty with concentration, decrease in problem-solving skills and judgment, confusion and delusions, altered perception, impaired recognition, impaired skilled motor function, disorientation, impaired language skills and personality changes.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is transforming health care through the dedication of its more than 10,000 staff, physicians and volunteers who provide compassionate and innovative patient focused care. An internationally recognized leader in academic research and education and an affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada's premier health sciences centres. Sunnybrook specializes in caring for newborns, adults and the elderly, treating and preventing cancer, disorders of the brain, mind and nervous system, cardiovascular disease, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries.
-30-
*Please note: Dr. Herrmann can be made available for interviews on Wednesday, January 2nd.
/For further information: www.sunnybrook.ca/
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