Friday, October 31, 2008

Print Email Bookmark: Novel Therapeutic Compounds For Neurodegenerative Conditions

ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2008) — Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), disrupt the quality of life for patients, put a tremendous burden on family caregivers, and cost society billions of dollars annually.

The most consistent risk factor for developing neurodegenerative disease is aging. Because of the dramatic increase in life expectancy, the incidence of individuals afflicted with the aging-associated disorders is on the rise representing a major health problem. A commonality shared among this diverse set of disorders is the progressive and relentless loss of certain populations of neurons.

Current medications for......read the whole story

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Depression among seniors can lead to dementia

Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Janet Gibson
Health-care professionals should never stop trying to achieve a full recovery for seniors suffering from depression, according to a noted psychiatrist.

Dr. Monica Scalco, medical director of the Mood Clinic for Seniors at Whitby Mental Health Centre, told those attending a North Bay conference put on by the North East Mental Health Centre Oct. 23 that depression is common among seniors.

Almost one in five people will experience it in their lifetime, she said, adding, "It's treatable."

Therefore, it makes sense for doctors to screen their elderly patients for depression, which has historically been underdiagnosed and undertreated.

However, detecting it is often tricky, she warned, because seniors often discount their feelings and are hesitant to say they're sad. Instead, they say,
"I have such a wonderful family."

Full recovery should be the goal of treatment because of the......read the whole story

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

New Lifestyle Habits to Delay Alzheimer's Disease

FitcomHealth.com
Proactive Steps you can start doing today for better mental health and preventing Alzheimer's Disease
By Phyllis Staff, Ph.D.

Argh! Where are my glasses? I put them down…to do what? And when?

As the daughter of an Alzheimer's patient, this inability to keep up with everyday items, like my glasses and car keys, drives me absolutely nuts! Absent-mindedness has always plagued me. Now, it keeps me anxious and guessing. Is this an early sign of Alzheimer's disease? Could I end up like my father, crippled with this disease? I decided to stop worrying about it and act!

I searched the latest literature to see what techniques (no prescriptions, thank you!) could prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Here are some of the things I found.......read more

Monday, October 27, 2008

Epilepsy drug could help cure Alzheimer's

Calgery Herald
Chad Skelton, Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, October 27, 2008
Researchers at the University of B.C. have discovered that a drug commonly used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder significantly reduces brain plaque in mice with Alzheimer's disease.

The discovery, if replicated in humans, could lead to major new treatments for the debilitating brain-wasting disease. "If this works . . . it's going to benefit every patient with Alzheimer's disease," said UBC psychiatry professor Weihong Song, who led the study.

Song and his colleagues took mice genetically modified to exhibit Alzheimer's-like symptoms and then treated them with valproic acid (VPA), a compound usually used as a mood stabilizer or anti-convulsant

They found the drug.....read the whole story

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Visual arts: 'Alzheimer's from the inside out'

U. exhibit of a series of self-portraits sheds light on painter's descent into dementia.
By Brian Maffly
The Salt Lake Tribune

With an Alzheimer's diagnosis, the late American painter William Utermohlen, then 62, became his own chief subject. And with bittersweet irony, he created an oeuvre for which he will be best remembered, even as his artistic talent failed him.
Some of Utermohlen's late self-portraits will hang at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts next month, offering patrons a view into his gradual, frustrating decline into dementia, culminating with an inability to organize facial features into a cohesive vision of self.
The 17-painting exhibit is part of a two-month effort to bridge neuroscience and the arts in a way that promotes public understanding of a.....read the whole story

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Alzheimer's Association Grant Furthers Successful Research at UMass Lowell

MarketWatch
'SmartPill' Uses Vitamin Formulation to Improve Brain Health, Memory
Researchers at UMass Lowell have demonstrated success in improving the memory and brain function of patients with Alzheimer's disease, findings that will be published in the December/January issue of the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Called the "SmartPill," the vitamin-based formulation has been shown to improve memory and recall speed in normal adults and Alzheimer's patients, without side effects. On Monday, Oct. 20, the Alzheimer's Association presented a grant, awarded competitively at the national level, to support additional clinical trials to test whether the formulation can delay the onset of the disease.
James Wessler, president and CEO of the Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, presented a check for $240,000 for three years to UMass Lowell Prof. Thomas Shea, the lead researcher on the "SmartPill." A licensing agreement to bring the pill to the market under the name MemoryXL to be sold without a prescription is in negotiations.
"This formulation is the first, non-prescription, low-cost intervention for Alzheimer's disease," says Shea, a professor in UMass Lowell's Biological Sciences Department. "One can start this at the first indication of memory problems, or even before for general brain health, instead of waiting for the severe deterioration of advancing Alzheimer's."
Shea, representatives of the Alzheimer's Association's Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter and UMass Lowell, including Chancellor Marty Meehan, were among those who attended.....read the whole article

Friday, October 24, 2008

New imaging procedure sure to help in Alzheimer's and other dementia diagnosis

WASHINGTON -- Imaging agents currently in development that could detect the abnormal amyloid plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias could help doctors diagnose these conditions, a Food and Drug Administration panel of medical experts said Thursday.

Such agents, which would be used in combination with positron-emission tomography scans, are designed to essentially "light up" areas of the brain that contain amyloid on imaging scans, but so far none are FDA approved. Beta-amyloid is a protein contained in clumps or plaques seen in the brains of people who have died of Alzheimer's complications.

While it is not entirely clear what role amyloid plays in Alzheimer's disease, most researchers believe it is... read this story
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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Black church, researchers join up to fend off cognitive decline

By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
Hopeful that there will be more effective treatments for Alzheimer's within his lifetime and that of his community, Brown spoke two years ago with Welsh-Bohmer about taking his church's relationship with the Duke researchers to a higher level. They began holding an annual health fair together, where blood pressure screenings, memory tests and other health data are gathered. Brown also decided to ramp up his health-related ministries, assigning leaders to each program. Most are seniors.

Among them, William McCoy, 58, a retired marine and teacher, and James Wyatt, 58, run the agricultural program — the orchard, garden and aquaculture. Gwendolyn Shorter, 70, a retired schoolteacher whose husband had Alzheimer's, heads up the fitness and walking ministry. Brown's oldest son, Vick, leads the music program.......read the whole article
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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Amyloid- vaccination for Alzheimer's dementia

Bioportfolio from
The Lancet
Clive Holmes and colleagues1 report that the amyloid- vaccine AN1792 showed evidence of plaque removal in patients with Alzheimer's dementia, but......what. Click here

Monday, October 20, 2008

The Sun's Role In Alzheimer's Disease Prevention And Control

InventorSpot
The sun is a natural and effective source of Vitamin D that we need to protect our bones, protect us from auto-immune diseases, help prevent Alzheimers disease,and protect us from certain kinds of cancers. Deficiencies in vitamin D are highly-linked to these diseases. Now, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have found that Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to Parkinson's Disease.

Fifty-five percent of the Parkinson's patients studied were found to have a vitamin D insufficiently, a higher percentage even than the other group studied, patients with Alzheimer's,41 percent. Vitamin D insufficiently was found in 36 percent of healthy elderly members of the study.

Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease are tremors, stiffness, and slow muscle movement. Parkinson's affects nerve cells in the brain that use the chemical messenger dopamine to.......read the whole article

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Are you an Alzheimer's advocate yet?

Alzheimer advocates made great strides in getting cosponsors for the Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act (S. 2102, H.R. 154). The bill lists 103 US House cosponsors and 23 US Senate cosponsors!

This bill would phase out the two-year waiting period for Medicare coverage for persons under age 65 diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease who may have lost a job and employer-based health insurance.

Unfortunately, the bill will not pass this year. We will ramp up our efforts again in early 2009 to ensure the bill is reintroduced and our race for cosponsors will resume.

We need your help

Click here to become an Alzheimer's advocate

Click here to read more

Friday, October 17, 2008

Web surfing could keep dementia at bay

MSNBC
By Andrea Thompson
Senior Writer
For middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet could be a boost to the brain, a new study suggests.

In recent years, several studies have showed a link between pursuing activities that keep the mind engaged, such as crossword puzzles and memory games, and a lowered risk of cognitive decline later in life.

As the brain ages, a number of structural and functional changes occur, including atrophy, reductions in cell activity, and increases in deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles (both associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias ), all of which can affect...read the whole story

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Thank you readers for making Alzheimer’s Disease: Early Detection Matters #1!

Because of the support of readers of this blog and other concerned individuals, the Alzheimer's Association has earned first place in the American Express Members Project.

The Alzheimer's Asociation will get 1.5 million dollars to begin an education campaign highlighting the importance of early detection among physicians and the general public. This is a positive step toward helping those who go undiagnosed for many years, losing valuable time that could be spent planning for the future and starting treatment.
read the whole story

Know the early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Click here for more info

Click here to become an Alzheimer's advocate

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Moderate drinking could increase dementia risks: study

Smaller brain increases risk of dementia
CTV.ca News Staff
It's possible to drink your way to a smaller brain, according to new study that links alcohol consumption with lower total brain volume.

In a study of nearly 1,900 adults, researchers found that those who consumed more than 14 alcoholic beverages per week had brains that were about 1 per cent smaller compared to brains of never drinkers.....read the whole story

Monday, October 13, 2008

Get 2 1/2 hours of exercise per week, U.S. says

Follow these guidelines or risk developing Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia later in life
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Adults should aim to get in 2 1/2 hours of exercise a week and children should run and play for at least an hour a day, according to new exercise guidelines issued by the U.S. government on Tuesday.

The guidelines, meant to be akin to the "Food Pyramid" nutritional advice, are based on studies that show clear health benefits from regular, moderate exercise.

"More than 59 percent of adults don't get enough physical activity and a quarter of adults aren't active.....read the whole article

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Grape Seed Extract Thwarts Alzheimer’s

Srop Aging Now
Healthier Longer Life Through Knowledge and Nutrition
By Gale Maleskey, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian
Grape seed extract is showing potential as a way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related memory loss. A study by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City, found that the extract prevented the build-up of amyloid plaques, large protein molecules that interfere with brain function. Amyloid plaques are considered a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, but the truth is, they’re found in most older brains. People with Alzheimer’s just have more of them.

Grape seed extract is loaded with polyphenols, especially one group called....read the whole article

Friday, October 10, 2008

The DNA diet and dementia

Red Orbit
Posted on: Thursday, 9 October 2008, 03:00 CDT

By Parslow, Virginia

The development of personalised diets tailored to our genes will help us to both maintain health and relieve disease. Current dietary guidelines provide a "one-size fits all" approach that ignores the genetic differences between individuals. However, studies of the interaction of genes and diet are now coming of age as a result of the sequencing of the human, mouse and rat genomes, improved understanding of the mechanisms that underlie chronic inflammation, and new understandings of the ways in which macronutrients and micronutrients interact with our genetic make-up.

Macronutrients and micronutrients influence the metabolic programming of cells and help control homeostasis. But equally important is how any one person's body will use and respond to nutrients, which is driven at least in part by their genetic make- up.

Prof Bruce Ames of the University of California, Berkeley, says that micronutrient deficiencies are widespread and may be a major preventable cause of the diseases of ageing. Ames" theory states diat the degenerative diseases that accompany ageing, such as immune dysfunction, cancer, cognitive decline....read the whole story

Abdominal obesity raises dementia risk years later

American Medical Network
Having an “apple-shaped,” rather than a “pear-shaped” body at middle-age appears to increase the later-life risk of dementia, California researchers report.

Moreover, the link between abdominal obesity and increased dementia risk appears to be independent of overall body weight and the presence of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, report Dr. Rachel A. Whitmer, from Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, in Oakland, and colleagues.

These findings, published in the medical journal Neurology, add to increasing evidence of the dangers of...read the whole story

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Could Loss of Brain Volume be Tied to Dementia?

US NEWS and WORLD REPORT
Health
Posted October 6, 2008

(HealthDay News) -- Occasionally forget an appointment or a friend's name? Then you may have a loss of brain volume, a new study suggests.

Researchers scanned the brains of almost 500 people reporting such momentary forgetfulness and found that the size of their hippocampus -- an area of the brain important for memory and one of the first areas damaged by Alzheimer's disease -- was a few fractions of a millimeter smaller than people without such lapses.

The study was expected to be published in the Oct. 7 issue of Neurology.

"These occasional, subjective memory complaints could be the earliest sign of problems with memory and thinking skills, and we were able to discover that these subjective memory complaints were linked to smaller brain volumes," study author Dr. Frank-Erik de Leeuw, a neurologist and clinical epidemiologist with Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, in the Netherlands, said in an American Academy of Neurology news release.

Most of the study participants reported having occasional memory or thinking problems. These subjective memory problems, which don't show up on regular tests of memory and thinking skills, are not considered signs of early dementia.

"To further strengthen the possible connection between the subjective memory complaints, size of.....read the whole story

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Medical-marijuana aand dementia

Editorial
DelcoTimes.com
And California's right to allow someone to dispense marijuana to patients suffering from AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and related dementias anorexia, cancer, Crohn's Disease, epilepsy or any other disease proved to have pain and nausea alleviated by the herb, was made clear recently, too.
Charles Lynch was found guilty in a federal court Aug. 5 of five counts of distributing drugs. Lynch, 46, owned and operated a medical-marijuana dispensary
click here to read the whole editorial

Monday, October 6, 2008

Trusted Information of Acupuncture Ayurveda Yoga Stress, Alzheimer's, Depression Diabetes by Rvita.com

Have you ever thought of alternative therapy for Alzheimer's and related dementias?

Rvita.com provides information on ACUPUNCTURE, AYURVEDA, YOGA and other alternative therapies in the treatment of CHRONIC DISEASES such as STRESS, OBESITY, ALZHEIMER'S, DEMENTIA, DEPRESSION, and DIABETES.

Many people suffering from chronic conditions are concerned about the potential side effects of medications. Rvita.com provides information on alternative and natural treatments which do not carry the risks of pharmaceutical medications. Many people find that many chronic diseases can be effectively treated using alternative therapies without harmful effects. Treatments many include.......Radd the whole article

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Fighting for life: Dementia and the elderly

Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 10/4/2008 4:05:00 AM
Could a person suffering dementia be put to death? It could happen if a British ethics adviser has her way.

Baroness Helen Mary Warnock, a medical ethics expert and a British government advisor, has been very influential in England. Ken Connor, president of the Center for a Just Society in America, says her beliefs concerning people suffering from dementia have been expressed quite clearly.

"In an interview with the Church of Scotland's Life and Work magazine, [she] advocated in effect that the demented have a duty to die, that they are a waste to their family members and to the resources of the state," Connor explains.

Connor asserts that Warnock believes people ought to have an advance directive permitting someone else to kill them if......read the whole article

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Vasectomy may lead to dementia, says study

Spero News
Men who have had vasectomies are significantly more likely to develop dementia caused by brain deterioration; researcher says this may be caused by a breach of the blood/testis barrier that produces immune reaction.

click here to read the whole article and a comment

WebMD
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD
-- Ties to Rare Form of Dementia Seen in Early Research Must Be Confirmed
Having a vasectomy may increase a man’s risk of developing a rare form of dementia, early research suggests, although more study is needed to confirm the finding.

Researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern University found that men with a neurological condition known as primary progressive aphasia, or PPA, were more likely to have had the sterilization surgery than men without the disorder.

PPA is a rare condition characterized by a steady loss of language skills.
read what ws written at WebMD

Friday, October 3, 2008

New Predictors May Signal Dementia Risk in Early Parkinson's

Medscape Medical News
Allison Gantley
(Salt Lake City, Utah) — Early bulbar and autonomic dysfunction may predict the onset of dementia in early Parkinson's disease, report investigators. Presenting here at the American Neurological Association 133rd Annual Meeting, researchers unveiled 2 possible new predictors and outlined the incidence of dementia in early Parkinson's disease. Their findings are based on the well-known Deprenyl and Tocopherol Antioxidative Therapy for Parkinson's Disease (DATATOP), a long-term study of 800 patients with early untreated Parkinson's.

"There should be increased awareness that....sign up for Medscape.Earn CEUs. Read the whole article

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Helping dementia victims overcome fears of bathing

dailybreeze.com
By Helen Dennis
Article Launched: 10/01/2008 09:28:11 PM PDT

Several tips recommended by the Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Society of Canada may remove some of the fears and barriers to bathing:

Bathing should be a regular routine, done at the same time of day and using the same steps.

Prepare the bath ahead of time, laying out the soap, washcloth, shampoo and towels, and have the water in the tub.

Make the bath warm and inviting; provide adequate lighting.

Respect the need for modesty. Allow the person to bathe in underwear, a swimsuit or wrapped in a towel.

Use large beach towels or bath blankets that completely wrap around the person to ensure privacy and warmth.

Try using a hand-held showerhead and make sure the spray is not too strong.

Lay a towel or colored tape on the tub to distinguish the edge.

Consider sponge-bathing if the individual resists a bath or shower.

Stay calm and move step by step in the......
click here for a comment and the story

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Ahead of the Bell: Pfizer New Alzheimer's Drug?

Forbes
NEW YORK - Drug maker Pfizer Inc. is reportedly planning to stop developing drugs for heart disease, obesity and bone health to focus on more profitable fields such as treatments for cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

New York-based Pfizer (nyse: PFE - news - people )'s products include the cholesterol drug Lipitor, the world's top-selling pharmaceutical product with quarterly sales of $3 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported that Pfizer will complete development of late stage drug candidates for those diseases.....read the whole story
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