Having a calm and happy person with dementia

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Why are therapeutic fiblets important?
It is difficult to reason with a person that has dementia
Those with dementia have poor short term memory
Folks with dementia can hallucinate and imagine things that are not really there.
Por all these reasons and more, therapeutic fiblets are a useful tool in keeping those with dementia calm.

Lets say a person with dementia says that he/she wants to see his/her mother.
You know his/her mother has been dead for twenty years
If you tell him/her this, it is as if he/she is hearing this information for the first time. The news will be devastating. The person will become upset and agitated.

What you should do instead, Keep following this blog for the answer



The book Adorable Photographs is an extremely useful tool.

People Die From Alzheimer's Disease

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Alzheimer’s disease is a mind robbing disease that has no cure. Everyone diagnosed with the disease dies from it eventually. Even though the treatments for Alzheimer’s disease improve every year, the number of people who die from the disease increases. Research for a cure continues with some amazing discoveries.. The Alzheimer’s Association predicts that 10 million baby boomers will get Alzheimer’s disease. All will die eventually if a cure is not found. The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s is rising in dollars and the toll it takes on caregivers.

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It robs people of their memory, thinking skills, and eventually the ability of being able to take care of themselves Death is always the outcome.. Often unwanted behaviors accompany the disease.
.The Numbers

According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer’s disease is one of top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. Of people over 65, it is number five.
In 2004 approximately 63,000 people died from Alzheimer’s disease. In 2005, 72,000 people died of this disease. In 2006 almost 73.000 died from Alzheimer’s disease.
These numbers are probably low because many people die of complication of Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes it is not recorded as the cause of death because of this. As you age your chances of dying from Alzheimer’s disease increases. The death rate of people over 85 who die of it increases every year. In fact 23 percent more people over 85 die from Alzheimer’s disease now than did in 2000. As baby boomers age death from Alzheimer’s disease will increase.All these statistics are reported in the 2008 Alzheimer’s disease Facts and Figures, a statistical abstract of U.S. data on Alzheimer’s disease published by the Alzheimer’s Association
.Treatment

Alzheimer’s disease is a much more complicated disease than first thought. The treatment now only slows down the progression of the disease. Although the treatments are improving, eventually, they do not work and people die from the disease.
Doing these things also helps slow down how fast persons die from Alzheimer’s disease. Engaging in mental and physical exercise, as well as eating right, socializing and eliminating poor health practices reduce your chances of dying from Alzheimer’s disease.
.Research

Research for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease is improving because of new technologies and increased funding. In early 2009 neuroscientists Frank LaFerla and Mathew Blurton-Jones started studying a stem cell treatment. Renewed effort on a vaccine continues at Southampton University. Hormone replacement therapy seems to have some promise as well. Research on diagnostic testing, so Alzheimer’s can be detected earlier, is occurring. The earlier the disease is found, the better the treatment options are. Genetic testing has also improved. All this research gives hope to those who have the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and to their families.
.Cost

People with Alzheimer’s disease have problems that require frequent visits to the doctor’s office or hospitalization. Many people with Alzheimer’s disease are on Medicare or Medicaid. Many are at a nursing home or another long-term care facility. These people eventually need end-of-life care. All these things are expensive and drain our healthcare system. Costs will only increase.
Also business incurs high indirect costs due to lost productivity, high absenteeism, and replacement costs for employees who care for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Many caregivers reduce the hours they work, take extended time off, or quit work entirely because of the demands of caregiving. Caregiving for someone with Alzheimer’s disease is mentally and physically draining so caregivers often get sick themselves.

Communication Guidelines for Visiting Dementia Patients

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The Family Caregiver

Goals:
Learn and share new approaches, gain confidence, encouragement and motivation for
being effective and compassionate in visits to individuals with dementia.
Turn a difficult conversation into a discovery conversation.
Build strong care giver-care receiver partnerships.
Respond compassionately to patients who are confused, forgetful, unable to speak,
angry, or argumentative.
To find blessings that come from connecting with dementia patients.
To know Jesus Christ and to grow in His image: Love.
Communications Tools: The Do’s
􀁸 Center yourself with a prayer before entering the building. Focus on the purpose of
your visit. Put on a name tag.
􀁸 Approach from the front, make eye contact, and say your name. Give a little
description of yourself that the dementia patient might relate to.
􀁸 Get close enough to have eye contact in order to get and keep the patient’s
attention.
􀁸 Speak slowly, calmly, and use a friendly facial expression.
􀁸 Allow the patient to be in control of the visit to the extent of their desires and
capabilities. Remember, you are the guest, they are the host/hostess.
􀁸 It is your responsibility to ensure a safe environment for the visit.
􀁸 Use a lot of repetition.
􀁸 Use short, simple, and familiar words.
􀁸 If possible, with the patient’s (and roommate’s, if applicable) permission, reduce or
remove distractions (TV or radio on), or move to a quieter location. Try to avoid
complete isolation with patient.
􀁸 When the patient replies, show that you are listening (by nodding, a few short
phrases such as “yes, that’s nice”, or echo back a few words or phrases) and trying
to understand what is being said.
􀁸 Be with the person in their own reality (validation principles)
􀁸 Be aware that the person may want to point or gesture, if at a loss for words.
􀁸 Sometimes just sitting quietly with the individual is okay.
􀁸 Take time and look for a response to your voice. A hearing disability may make it
even harder for the patient to communicate.
􀁸 Ask one question at a time, and allow time for a reply.
􀁸 If the person seems stuck for a word, you can offer a guess, but act like you have all
the time in the world.
􀁸 Make positive suggestions rather than negative ones.
􀁸 Identify others by name, rather than using pronouns (she, he, etc.)
􀁸 Make suggestions if the person has trouble choosing.
􀁸 Empathize; have patience and understanding.
􀁸 If you aren’t quite sure you understood what was said, repeat it back and ask if
you’ve got it right. This does not work in all circumstances.
􀁸 Try to understand the person’s feelings and emotions, which may be hidden behind
the words. You can ask whether the person is feeling angry or frustrated about a
particular situation.
􀁸 Give plenty of encouragement and reassurance.
􀁸 Nonverbal communications, such as shaking hands, touching, or hugging, are
learned behaviors that the dementia individual often easily responds to. Be sensitive
to possible rejection by the patient to these attempts at non-verbal communication.
􀁸 Bring something to share that the individual might relate to: a photo, sing a song
(bring a songbook), a “memory jogger” (stuffed animal, favorite hat, etc.), a small
keepsake, a Bible passage.
Communication Tools: The Don’ts
􀁸 Don’t talk about the patient to others in the room as if the patient wasn’t there.
􀁸 Don’t confront or correct, if it can be avoided.
􀁸 Don’t treat the person as a child, but as an adult. Don’t speak down to the patient.
􀁸 Don’t interrupt, argue, or criticize. Remember, you will never win an argument with
an Alzheimer’s person.
􀁸 Don’t be compelled to fill the quiet spaces in the conversation with talk. Sometimes
being present with the patient is all that is needed.
To take care of others, you must take care of yourself
􀁸 Be gentle with yourself. You did not create all of the problems you face daily.
􀁸 You are not a fixer. You cannot change the patient/families, but you can change your
reaction to them.
􀁸 Time-out. Find a quiet place to use when you need it.
􀁸 Support each other. Pat other team members on the back for success. Let them
return the favor. Share your successes and your failures with other team members.
Let others know if you have found a strategy that works.
􀁸 “Debrief” or review your visit with a pastor or team leader, if you encounter a
situation which causes you unusual distress or anguish.

Smart Eating— How Diet May Help Preserve the Brain

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By Sharon Palmer, RD
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 11 No. 7 P. 24

Open your mind to the emerging field of research that suggests diet may have a powerful impact on brain health and function.

My Aunt Prussia, with her cat-eyed glasses, bright red lipstick, and neat black updo, used to cook up the meanest batch of scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast in her country kitchen in Yakima, Wash. Over breakfast, she spun tales of her childhood growing up in the South, with her young nieces and nephews lined up to listen.

But then she started forgetting her stories, even though her body was as strong as ever. She paid her bills twice, lost her favorite jewelry, and couldn’t find her home in her own neighborhood. Aunt Prussia eventually ended up in a long-term care facility, along with hundreds of other patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), where she would not even recognize her friends and family who came to visit.

Most families have been touched by a similar story of the devastating effects of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. Watching the essence of a loved one’s life slip away, day by day, is a heart-wrenching experience—and it’s a costly one, too. The economic impact of a projected 8 million people with AD in the United States by 2030 will be roughly $500 billion.

A neurodegenerative disease is a disorder caused by the deterioration of neurons. Changes in these cells cause them to function abnormally, eventually bringing about their death. The neurodegenerative diseases AD, Parkinson’s disease (PD), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and multiple sclerosis occur due to neuronal degeneration in the central nervous system. Current treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have proven inadequate thus far.

AD is the most common cause of dementia among older people. Scientists have much to learn about the cause of AD, an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly attacks memory and thinking skills, eventually leading to the affected individual’s inability to perform simple activities of everyday life. AD is marked by changes in the brain that include neurofibrillary tangles in the entorhinal cortex, amyloid plaques, and the loss of connections between neurons in the brain. These lead to widespread damage in the brain tissue.

However, there is new hope on the horizon for neurodegenerative diseases in the form of lifestyle modification. David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, a board-certified neurologist, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition, author of The Better Brain Book, and the director of the Perlmutter Health Center in Naples, Fla., is an internationally recognized expert in the field of nutrition and neurological disorders. Perlmutter, who presented at the Fifth Annual Nutrition and Health Conference: State of the Science and Clinical Applications in April 2008, believes that AD is preventable. He reports that in recent years, there has been growing scientific support for the roles of both inflammation and free radical activity in brain functional decline across the spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases. Though the cause of neurodegeneration appears to be multifactorial, lifestyle choices may play a big role in reducing inflammation and free radical-induced neuronal damage as part of preventive medicine in brain health.

Perlmutter puts his theories into practice at the Perlmutter Health Center, where complementary health approaches, including nutritional therapy, are combined to create an integrated treatment plan designed for the individual. While Perlmutter treats a number of chronic diseases at the center, his skills are particularly valuable for patients who visit the center with neurological problems such as headaches, epilepsy, stroke, PD, dementia (including AD), myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, dystonia, other movement disorders, and neuropathy.

This Is the Brain on Inflammation
Slow, smoldering inflammation in the brain appears to play a big part in neurodegenerative diseases. Inflammation is characteristic of all neurodegenerative conditions and paves the way for free radical activation, explains Perlmutter. Recent findings indicate that the activation of microglia (tissue macrophages in the central nervous system) in response to injury, illness, aging, or other causes begins a cascade of events that can be characterized as an inflammatory process, according to a 2006 article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This cascade is mediated at first by the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1, which is overexpressed by the activated microglia. Through various pathways, interleukin-1 causes neuronal death, which activates more microglia, which in turn releases more interleukin-1. Over time, this ongoing inflammation in the brain destroys enough neurons to cause the clinical signs of AD.

According to an article published in a 2005 issue of The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, inflammatory components related to AD neuroinflammation include not only microglia but also astrocytes (star-shaped glial cells of the central nervous system), the classic and alternate pathways of the complement system, the pentraxin acute-phase proteins, neuronal-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, and cytokines and chemokines. Both the microglia and astrocytes have been shown to generate beta-amyloid protein, one of the main pathologic features of AD.

Excess tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is also involved in the development of AD. Not only does it have pro-inflammatory functions, but TNF-alpha has also been recognized recently as a gliotransmitter that regulates synaptic function in neural networks and mediates the disruption in synaptic memory mechanisms caused by beta-amyloid. Scientists tested the perispinal administration of etanercept, a biologic antagonist of TNF-alpha, in a patient with late-onset AD and found rapid cognitive improvement beginning within minutes. The case report was published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation in 2008. “This is very exciting news,” says Perlmutter. “It’s been described as suddenly waking up from Alzheimer’s disease.”

The neuroinflammation connection may be glimpsed through studies linking anti-inflammatory drug use and lower AD risk. Perlmutter points to a 1997 study published in Neurology that examined the effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on AD risk. “The patients who took NSAIDs for two or more years had a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Perlmutter. Indeed, the researchers concluded that the evidence suggests that one stage of the pathophysiology leading to AD is characterized by an inflammatory process. Other studies have also concluded that NSAIDs appear to protect against AD, as well as PD. Additional research is necessary before recommendations can be made for people to take NSAIDs to keep neurodegenerative disease at bay.

Oxidative Stress on the Mind
The impact of oxidative stress on the brain is another crucial area catching researchers’ attention. Scientists have noticed that patients with AD tend to have lower antioxidant status. And now studies have shown oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, DNA, and RNA in multiple brain regions in late-stage AD, according to researchers from the University of Kentucky in a 2007 Archives of Neurology study. Recent autopsy findings on study patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment demonstrate that oxidative damage may be an early event in the pathogenesis of AD. The researchers suggest that better antioxidants and agents used in combination to upregulate defense mechanisms against oxidation will be required to neutralize the oxidative component of the pathogenesis of AD.

Perlmutter sums it up: Neurodegenerative diseases represent the downstream effects of excessive free radical activity, supporting antioxidant approaches to brain protection and functional enhancement.

Protecting the Brain Through Diet
How can people practice...more soon

How to Obtain Power of Attorney for an Alzheimer's Patient

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eHow

Alzheimer's disease is a progressively debilitating disorder of the brain. Because of the destruction of brain cells as the disease progresses, memory, thinking ability, judgment and communication skills are lost. A patient with Alzheimer's disease needs to execute a durable power of attorney, a legal document. The patient with Alzheimer's disease legally authorizes another person, who is called the agent, to take actions for him. A financial power of attorney lets your agent make decisions having to do with your money and property. A health care power of attorney lets your agent make choices about your health care needs. A power of attorney manages your affairs when you can no longer do so. It costs less and provides more privacy than a guardianship.

Step 1Act as early in the disease process as possible so that the patient with Alzheimer's disease still has the capacity to understand the meaning of the documents. He loses his right to appoint a power of attorney when he is deemed incompetent. In a study published in the Age and Aging Journal in 2007, volume 37 pages 527-531, a MMSE (mini-mental status exam) score should be at least 18 out of 30 to be considered competent to execute a power of attorney. This may not be the only tool used to determine mental competency.

Step 2Execute a durable power of attorney because when the patient with Alzheimer's disease loses mental capacity, the durable power of attorney remains intact. Without a durable power of attorney, family members must to go to court to have a guardian or conservator appointed over the assets. This is costly and time consuming. Each state has specific requirements for making a power of attorney durable.

Step 3Consult an Elder Law attorney. He will be able to aid you and counsel you in the matter of executing a power of attorney. He can draw up the legal documents for you.

Step 4Choose an alternate agent. This is a good idea in case the first choice is unavailable.

Step 5Determine which power of attorney the patient with Alzheimer's disease needs. Most likely he will need both. Let the patient who has Alzheimer's disease decide who he wants to handle his financial affairs. Allow him to choose which person will be in charge of medical decisions.

Step 6Have the patient with Alzheimer's disease review and sign each power of attorney. Have the agents sign as well.

Step 7Invoke the....read all of How to Obtain Power of Attorney for an Alzheimer's Patient

Alzheimer's Diets

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eHow



A healthy Alzheimer's diet supports good blood flow to the brain, is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and has the right balance of nutrients. In order for a person with Alzheimer's disease to function well, he must adhere to a balanced diet, whether it be a traditional diet or the Mediterranean diet.

Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disease that slowly progresses over time. It cannot be reversed. The main problem in Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of abnormal proteins called plaques and tangles. As they increase, memory and thinking skills decrease. Many times, problem behaviors like crying for no apparent reason, wandering or agitation, occur. Eventually, carrying out simple tasks like getting dressed, making a bed or getting a drink are impossible.

Traditional Diet
Persons with Alzheimer's disease should eat foods rich in nutrients. Their meals must be well-balanced and include food from the four major food groups (healthy grains, fruits and vegetables, proteins, and dairy products). The diet should include variety, balance and moderation.
Even healthy older adults encounter changes in the way they eat as they get older: Sometimes food does taste or not smell the same as it used to. As people age, difficulties in chewing, swallowing and digesting food may occur. These problems may be more evident in people with Alzheimer's disease. Problems controlling appetite also may occur. People with Alzheimer's disease may overeat or not eat at all. They may only want to eat certain foods.
Vitamin or nutritional supplements may be needed if a person with Alzheimer's disease does not eat a healthy diet. However, consult a doctor before taking any supplements as they may interact with prescription drugs.

Mediterranean Diet
A Mediterranean diet may benefitread all of Alzheimer's Diets

Progress being made in early detection of Alzheimer’s disease

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Nashua Telegraph

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s can start assaulting brain cells many years before any outward signs of the damage are displayed.

That makes it difficult for doctors trying to come up with early diagnosis and possible interventions for millions of Americans.

Until recently, assorted memory and mental-processing tests were about the only tools doctors had to determine the onset of dementia, and it’s often hard to distinguish whether the problem is caused by the tangles and plaque buildup of Alzheimer’s, a stroke or some other medical condition, or even an adverse drug reaction.

Scientists have worked with some general measurements of brain-volume loss as a marker for disease, but without much precision. Over the last several years, though, researchers have begun to make strides using various brain-imaging tools to look at structures inside the skull.

Working through data compiled by numerous participants in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, scientists have made enough comparisons between images from scans and autopsies to start to understand what changes in the size or even energy consumption of different parts of the brain might mean.

One team at the University of California, San Diego, recently reported a fairly quick way to identify Alzheimer’s progression using magnetic resonance imaging.

The researchers found that changes in the brain’s memory regions, particularly a part of the temporal lobe called the entorhinal cortex, offer sensitive measures of early stages of the disease.

“The technique is extremely powerful, because it allows a researcher to examine exactly how much brain-volume loss has occurred in each region of the brain, including the cortical regions, where we know the bad proteins of Alzheimer’s disease build up,” said Dr. James Brewer, a neurologist and co-author of a study reporting the findings last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

The scientists say the imaging markers not only track brain atrophy, “but distinguish the early states of Alzheimer’s disease from changes related to normal aging,’’ said Anders Dale, the professor of neuroscience and radiology who led the project.

Another group, at Washington University in St. Louis, moved detection ahead still further in mid-December with studies that show people with measurable levels of a protein associated with Alzheimer’s are at greater risk of developing the disease and for losing brain volume later on.

One project, done from 2004-08, tracked 159 volunteers ages 51-88 with no sign of cognitive impairment using scans that can detect the protein beta-amyloid in the brain, as well as MRIs to measure brain volume and standard memory and thinking tests.

Over time, 23 of the subjects developed mild cognitive impairment and nine were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. All had relatively high levels of the protein compared with subjects who remained cognitively normal, but so, too, did some who didn’t become impaired.

Another study, of 135 volunteers ages 65-88, found that levels of the protein matched atrophy of brain regions associated with memory, and declining scores in thinking and memory tests over many years. The findings were published in the Archives of Neurology.

“These studies confirm the value of detecting and measuring amyloid load in the brains of living people as soon as possible,’’ said Dr. John Morris, who led one of the studies and heads the university’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Meanwhile, neurologists at Penn State’s Hershey College of Medicine compared videos of walking movements of a small group of volunteers to those of a group diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and found that the extent to which one arm swings versus the other while walking could represent a very early sign of the disease. The asymmetry in arm movement was much more noticeable in the subjects with Parkinson’s.

“Our data suggests this could be a very useful tool for early detection,’’ said Xuemei Huang, lead author of the report published in the journal Gait and Posture.

Such early diagnosis could be useful if widespread efforts to find drugs that can halt the death of dopamine-producing brain cells early in the course of Parkinson’s start to pay off, she said

Alzheimer's Drug Doesn't Appear To Slow Cognitive Decline

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David Goodhue - AHN Reporter
Boston, MA (AHN) - A promising drug designed to treat Alzheimer's disease was shown not to slow the cognitive decline in people in the late stages of the brain disease, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.


Dr. Robert C. Green of the Boston University Schools of Medicine, said the drug, tarenflurbil, initially showed promising results in slowing the production of a peptide amino acid that is likely the cause of plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

But he said in a statement that in phase-3 of a recent trial, the drug did not offer better outcomes on a measure of cognitive decline compared to patients receiving a placebo.

Green also said that participants taking tarenflurbil experienced dizziness, upper respiratory tract infections and anemia more than people taking the placebo

Leptin might prevent Alzheimer’s disease

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TOPNEWS
NEWS YOU CAN USE

Sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease now have a new hope linked to overeating horomone.

Scientists have found that chances of developing the disease is dramatically reduced due to high levels of leptin, produced naturally by the body’s fat cells.

According to the findings published in Jama, the Journal of the American Medical Association, leptin is believed to control appetite.

The team after concluding results believes that, a leptin-based drug could one day help keeping the disease at bay. Leptin also benefits brain function and memory apart from keeping the appetite in check. It’s important in weight control as it sends a feeling full signal to the brain that helps avoid overeating.

Based on a study of over 12 years it was found that people with the highest leptin levels were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with the lowest levels of leptin.

Study leader Dr Sudha Seshadri however warned people of not administering leptin themselves. “The findings don’t mean people should run out and get their leptin levels checked or start taking leptin,” she said.

Facts narrate that about 5.3 million Americans are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and 11 to 16 million Americans would possibly be affected by 2050.

Dr Wolfgang Lieb, from Boston University, who led the latest study, said, "These findings can be trusted as recent experimental data indicate that leptin improves memory function in animals.”

“The new research is interesting, but further study is needed,” says Jed Levine, executive vice president and director of programs and services at the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

How to Care for Families of Alzheimer's Disease Patients

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eHow

Instructions
Step 1Get Google news alerts, and other information on the Internet about the latest developments in Alzheimer's disease care and treatment.

Step 2Read books about other Alzheimer's disease caregivers' advice and experiences.

Step 3Attend workshops and conferences about Alzheimer's disease. Many have an adult day care option.

Step 4Consider taking Alzheimer's caregiver skills training. Caring for an Alzheimer's disease patient at home requires special expertise that may be new to you and other family caregivers. Training programs teach skills in how to handle loved ones with Alzheimer's disease. These skills minimize frustration, because you learn what to expect and how to deal with difficult behaviors and mood swings.

Step 5Join a support group. Support groups are safe places where family members and caregivers talk about their feelings, get moral and emotional support, find out useful information, and speak with people who can relate to their stress.

Step 6Participate in individual and family counseling, A study reported in the August 2006 issue of "Neurology" said that effective programs of counseling and participation in support groups could yield considerable benefits for caregivers, patients with Alzheimer disease, and society.

Step 7Send your loved one with Alzheimer's disease to an adult day care program. They provide you with some time to yourself and give the family member with Alzheimer's disease a great place to have fun while keeping his mind and body active.

Step 8Consider......read all of How to Care for Families of Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Dementia Interest- A Christmas Gift For You

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Brian Willie

Until midnight this Friday, December 18th, you can pick up my best
selling
training program "Ultimate Alzheimer's Care Rescue Program for 50%

Bonus 1: "Mind Stimulating Activities For Your Love One." Audio
Interview with Susan Berg, Certified Dementia Specialist,
Activities Director of a Major Nursing Home Dementia Unit and A
uthor of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful,
Mind-Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged,
Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals, a book for those with
dementia and an excellent resource for caregivers and healthcare
professionals.

*Bonus 2: "Secrets of Finding The Top Nursing Homes And Assited
Living Facilities." Audio Interview with Pat Dismukes, Founder of
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*Bonus 3: Special bonus report, "Top Tips For Caregivers" by Denise
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Good Diet, Better Brain

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December Tip
Nature's Pantry

Doctors in a Mediterranean diet
study followed about 1,400 men and
women, aged at least 65, for five years
and found that those who ate the most
fish, monounsaturated fatty acids,
vitamin B12, folic acid, and antioxidants
vitamin E, carotenoids and flavonoids
had better mental test scores, and slower
mental decline. In a related diet and
exercise study, researchers followed
about 1,900 elders for five years and
found that as diet improved and exercise
increased, individually, chances of
Alzheimer’s disease decreased, and
when participants combined good diet
and exercise, chances for AD were 60
percent lower.

Reference: Journal of the American Medical
Association; 2009, Vol. 302, No. 6, 638-48

Strategies to Protect New Brain Cells Against Alzheimer's Disease

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ScienceDaily — Stimulating the growth of new neurons to replace those lost in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an intriguing therapeutic possibility. But will the factors that cause AD allow the new neurons to thrive and function normally? Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) have discovered that two main causes of AD amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides and apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) impair the growth of new neurons born in adult brains.

What is more, they have identified drug treatments that can normalize the development of these cells even in the presence of Aβ or apoE4. The findings are described in two separate papers published in the current issue of Cell Stem Cell.

Although it had long been assumed that neurons cannot be renewed, it is now well established that new neurons are generated throughout the lives of mammals. One brain region in which new neurons are born in adults, the hippocampus, is involved in learning and memory and affected severely by Alzheimer's disease.

GIND investigator Li Gan, PhD, and her collaborators studied the development of neurons born in the hippocampus of adult mice genetically engineered to produce high levels of human Aβ in the brain. Surprisingly, Aβ initially accelerated the development of newborn neurons but then profoundly impaired their maturation at later stages of development.

"Interestingly," Dr. Gan said, "we were able to....read all of Strategies to Protect New Brain Cells Against Alzheimer's Disease

Physical brain changes may contribute to apathy among dementia patients, research finds

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Please join me in the Alzheimer's Disease Community on Medpedia

McKnight's Long Term Care Newsletter

Certain changes in the brain's white matter may influence levels of apathy in dementia patients, according to a new study.

Apathy is a common psychological problem for people with dementia and is often associated with decreased quality of life and increased rates of institutionalization, according to researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Roughly 82% of dementia patients who exhibit particular changes to the white matter (they appear as blurred patches on CT and MRI images) were also categorized as apathetic. Comparatively, 58% of all the dementia patients, regardless of brain changes, were apathetic.

Researchers hope to discover which brain pathways these brain changes affect, and thus be able to develop treatments to reduce apathy. The report appears in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Brahmi herb shows promise in treating Alzheimer's

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Headlines India

Sydney: Researchers are coming by evidence that herbs like brahmi, associated with the ayurveda system of medicine, can help ward off Alzheimer's disease and preserve one's mental faculties.

Although what exactly causes Alzheimer's is not known, sufferers experience inflammation of the brain, deposits of beta amyloid, traces of heavy metals and signs of oxidative stress.

Brahmi, a semi-aquatic plant, acts on all of these, said Con Stough, director of the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) involved in trials underway at Swinburne University of Technology Brain Sciences Institute (BSI).

"It has an anti-inflammatory effect, is an antioxidant and collates and removes heavy metals and beta amyloid," he said.

Two trials with a brahmi extract called CDRI08, conducted over 90 days, have shown improvements in working memory, particularly spatial memory accuracy.

Pine bark, lemon balm, American ginseng, rosemary and brahmi, are some of the herbs showing promise in fending off Alzheimer's dementia, causing memory loss, depression and anxiety.

A 50-day trial of a particular .....read all of Brahmi herb shows promise in treating Alzheimer's

Free Ultimate Alzheimers' Rescue Program

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Paying For Alzheimer's Care

If you did not get a copy of my Ultimate Alzheimer's Care Rescue Program
either because it sold out, you decided to wait, or maybe the price
was not right for you....I totally understand. But I've come up with a way that 50 people can get a
FRE*E evaluation copy of the $297 program.

You only need to meet a few conditions in order to receive your evaluation copy.

1. Be willing and able to go through the materials in the next two weeks.
2. Be willing to complete a short 5 minute survey following your completion of
my course.
3. Be willing to call a pre-recorded phone line and leave an audio testimonial
about your experience with the program (I will provide instructions on this later)
4. Be willing to let me use your audio testimonial along with your full name, state and
a picture of you that you send to me.

Thats it! Sounds like a fair deal doesn't it? A FRE*E copy of my sold out $297 program
just for going through the program and spending about 5-10 minutes of your time
to do a quick survey and leave an audio testimonial that I can use to help
other people learn more about the program!

I'm trying to get as much feedback as I can about the program and the testimonials
will also help other people decide whether the program is right for them.

The first 5o people who contact me will get their copy. You must contact me at:

alzproducttest@yahoo.com

Thanks
Brian Willie

Study Reveals Stronger Muscles Lead to Better Brain Function

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Natural News

A recent study published in the November 2009 issue of Archives of Neurology revealed that the greater muscle strength a person has, the more likely he or she is to maintain proper cognitive function over time. The study examined 970 men and women and found that those individuals who ranked in the top ten percent for muscle strength were 61 percent less likely to develop progressive cognitive degeneration when compared to those in the bottom ten percent.

Dr. Patricia Boyle, the author of the study, and her research colleagues from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago examined men and women between the ages of 54 and 100, testing their strength in nine different muscle categories. The study patients were followed for a period of four years in which their cognitive capabilities were examined along the way. The stronger patients were found to have maintained the best brain function.

The research team performed a similar study back in June that investigated the link between motor decline and participation in social activities. The report revealed a significant increase in cognitive degeneration among those who participated the least in social activities.

According to Aron S. Buchman, MD, from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center and department of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center, each point of decrease on the social activity scale used in the study was the equivalent of a person being five years older at the study's baseline. In other words, increased social activity plays an enormous role in prolonging functional motor skills and vice versa.

Among all the studies performed on the subject, researchers have clearly found that physical exercise, cognitive activity, and social participation all contribute to healthy brain function. Rather than rely on medication, Dr. Buchman recommends a multidisciplinary approach to help aging people retain strong mental health.

Improved brain function can also be achieved by ensuring the body receives the necessary nutrients for such a task. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA), sometimes referred to as the "universal antioxidant", is a necessary compound that converts energy from food and mitochondria for use throughout the body. Acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) works to transport fat through cell membranes into cell mitochondria where it produces cellular energy through oxidation. Together, these nutrients work wonders to promote a strong memory and a vibrant nervous system.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is another valuable nutrient that fortifies and protects the integrity of cell membranes by defending them against age-associated degeneration. It has been proven in published research to improve cognitive neural function and memory

How to Cope With Early Dementia

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eHow

It is normal to experience a wide range of emotions in response to a diagnosis of early-onset dementia, which causes problems in memory, judgment, language and behavior. Early-onset dementia begins before the age of 65. People use a number of coping strategies to deal with their dementia. Keep these things in mind to best cope in ways that help you and your family.

For the Person and the Family
Step 1Get an accurate diagnosis. This means getting a thorough physical and mental exam. Some early dementias may be caused by certain medications or treatable diseases. If you can correct these types of problems, you may be able to eliminate the dementia.

Step 2Join a support group. Whether you are a caregiver, a family member, or the person with early dementia, a support group helps you cope with this condition, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance.

Step 3Keep informed of the latest treatment options.

Step 4Rely on humor. Laughter is good for the person with earky dementia and his family and caregivers.

Step 5Keep the lines of communication open. As the dementia progresses, this responsibility falls more on the caregivers and family.

Step 6Consider keeping a journal. Both the person with dementia and family members should do this. Then share the information in the journals. This will be especially useful as the dementia progresses. Write entries together as the dementia gets worse.

Step 7Plan for the future. Get financial and legal matters in order.

For the Person With Early Dementia
Step 1Give up bad habits. Smoking, eating fatty foods or junk foods make dementia worse.

Step 2Continue seeing your doctor on a regular basis; he monitors your dementia and gives you useful information.

Step 3Take all your prescribed medications at the proper time. This becomes more difficult as the dementia progresses.

Step 4Tell your family or caregivers about any problems you are having.

Step 5Accept the assistance of your family or caregivers. They help you with your difficulties.

Step 6Eat a balanced diet. The Mediterranean Diet--rich in fish, olive oil, veggies--is delicious and may slow the progression of dementia, according to a Columbia University study published in the Archives of Neurology. Nikolaos Scarmeas, assistant professor of clinical neurology at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center, said the study showed that the Mediterranean diet is not only protective for cardiovascular risk factors like cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes--dementia patients who closely followed the diet lived an average of four years longer than those who did not--but is also an aid to brain function.

Step 7Exercise daily. Walking, working out at the gym, or exercising at home, all benefit your body and your mind. You'll sleep better, too.

Step 8Stimulate your brain. Try to do a variety of challenging mental activities. Crossword puzzles and other word games, strategy games like checkers, and reading all stimulate your brain. As the dementia gets worse, this becomes increasingly difficult. Do something for as long as you can.

Step 9Try prayer, meditation, and reading spiritual books to help you cope.

Step 10Do harder tasks at a time of day when you feel the most clarity.

For the Family
Step 1Take care of.......read all of How to Cope With Early Dementia

How to Protect the Mind From Dementia

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eHow

The number of people suffering from dementia is on the rise. The Alzheimer's Association reported that, as of July 2009, more than 5.3 million Americans were living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia. Dementia is a progressive mental decline that has many causes This condition affects thinking, memory, communication and behavior. Protect your mind from dementia by employing practices that are good for your health.

Step 1Get a physical exam from your doctor each year. If you notice any change in your thinking ability, have an exam as soon as possible.. Some kinds of dementia can be treated or reversed.

Step 2Avoid habits known to be bad for your health, such as smoking or drinking excessively.

Step 3Exercise your body at least one hour, three times a week. In a special report titled "Guarding Your Memory" published in May 2009 by Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Sam Wang said exercise is most important for protecting the brain and guarding memory.

Step 4Follow a healthy diet. According to a study published in the August 12, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, eating a Mediterranean-style diet and engaging in higher levels of exercise are independently associated with reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia.

Step 5Keep your brain active. For instance, do crossword puzzles, play board games, read a book or magazine, use the computer, solve brain-teasers, write a story or work on difficult math problems. Try different activities that are mentally challenging.

Step 6Engage in social activity. The January 20, 2009, issue of Neurology reported that people who go to parties and other social events are at a lower risk of developing dementia than those who regularly stay home

Step 7Take good care of your teeth and gums. Scientists from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York, found that gum disease also can influence brain function by causing inflammation. This study was published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Step 8Consider taking....read all of How to Protect the Mind From Dementia

Answers to Alzheimer's

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courier-journal.com

It's well known that many great entertainers — Johnny Depp, George Clooney and Lionel Hampton, for example — have Kentucky roots. Not so well known, we suspect, is that the University of Kentucky is today a hotbed of cutting-edge research on Alzheimer's disease, for which there currently is no cure.

About 5.3 million people in the United States suffer from the brain-destroying disease, and the numbers are expected to skyrocket as millions of baby boomers age into the most vulnerable group. Most people die within four to six years after diagnosis.
Dr. Ronald C. Peterson, a Mayo Clinic researcher and head of the Alzheimer's Association's medical and scientific advisory committee, puts the urgency of the work that's being done at UK into perspective: “We have to do something about this situation soon or, as the baby boomers age, Alzheimer's disease alone will bankrupt the health care system.” Alzheimer's disease currently impacts the system to the tune of $148 billion a year.
Meanwhile, Dr. William Markesbery, a neurologist and neuropathologist, who directs UK's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, is regarded as a leader in Alzheimer's research. His work, for example, disproved a once-popular theory about Alzheimer's cause, and he's amassed a large collection of donated brains for research that “is incredibly important,” said Tammy Johnston, of Lexington, whose parents both volunteered to donate their brains. It's another example of one generation contributing to the next.
Dr. Markesbery, 77, anticipates that we're five or maybe 10 years away from specialists being able to routinely detect changes in the brain that generate symptoms of the disease. Researchers' goals are eventually to prevent such symptoms from ever developing.
Whenever the time comes, it'll be a happy day. UK's work on Alzheimer's is just more proof that “Bucks for Brains,” which has been so instrumental in luring top scientists and medical researchers to Kentucky, continues, a decade later, to pay big dividends.
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Breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease (part 2)

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uab.edu

Administered through infusions
Patients in the trials undergo an infusion of bapineuzumab every 13 weeks in addition to several MRI scans and neuropsychological testing. More than 100 sites in the United States are participating in the randomized study funded by Elan, but UAB is the only participating site in Alabama. Numerous sites around the world are participating in an identical study funded by Wyeth. UAB is enrolling participants in both studies.

The studies are double-blind and placebo-controlled. Sixty percent of patients enrolled in the studies will receive the drug, and 40 percent will not. Participants will be given the opportunity to receive the study drug in an extension study after the 18-month study has been completed.

UAB is in the top 25 percent in the country for enrolling participants in the studies, and more are being sought. Potential participants can call the Office of Psychiatric Research at 934-2484 to be screened. Patients currently taking Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne or other Alzheimer’s drugs will continue to take their existing medications in addition to the trial medication.

Those who are eligible to participate in the study must be between ages 50 and 88, have a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease, and have a caregiver who is willing to be involved in the study.

“Something will come out in the not too distant future that I think will be pretty miraculous,” Kinney says. “If it weren’t promising, we wouldn’t be participating in the study.”

Breakthriugh in Alzheimer's disease

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uab.edu

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 5.3 million families in the United States each year and unleashes a path of emotional and financial heartache for patients and their families.

The disease carries an annual societal price tag of $148 billion, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. It destroys brain cells, which causes memory loss and problems with thinking, and the behavior of patients with the disease can deteriorate to the point that it affects work, lifelong hobbies and social function. Alzheimer’s gets progressively worse, and it is fatal.

But an experimental drug known as bapineuzumab could change all that.

UAB researchers are participating in national and international Phase III Alzheimer’s clinical trials in which they administer the drug to patients every 13 weeks for 18 months, and there is real hope that bapineuzumab will change the underlying pathology of the disease, ultimately eradicating it from the body.

“There has been much effort and money put into this research, and there is real hope for Alzheimer’s patients,” says Cleveland Kinney, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurobiology. “What’s so exciting about these new studies and this new drug in particular is the possibility of changing the pathology of the illness. I don’t know if we’ll ever cure it, but I think it will be managed by a cocktail of medicines and patients will be able to live a normal life.”

Bapineuzumab appears to undermine the grip the disease-causing proteins has on the brain, and that is the reason there is promise in the drug’s efficacy.

Current Alzheimer’s medications, including Aricept, Exelon and Razadyne — the three most popular cholinesterase inhibitors used to treat patients — act as managers of the disease. They maximize the remaining brain activity and slow the disease.

Bapineuzumab uses an antibody not commonly found in the patient’s blood to treat Alzheimer’s. It is designed to bind to a particular protein called beta amyloid protein, which accumulates in the brain and forms plaques related to the progression of the disease. It is hoped that bapineuzumab will attach to the beta amyloid protein in the brain and help the body remove it. Researchers also believe the drug will prevent the build up of beta amyloid protein.

“It’s particularly fascinating that as the study progresses and the plaques are dissolved, the brain shrinks because it’s getting rid of space-occupying lesions,” Kinney says. “But the patients theoretically do better over time, which means they are re-establishing connections in the brain they had lost because the plaques were there.

“If you get rid of the plaques the patients do better; the brain shrinks and the connections are re-made,” he says. “If that’s the case, that means the brain is far more plastic than anyone ever thought possible. That’s what we think is going to happen.”

The studies look at two different patient populations — those carrying what is known as apolipoprotein ε4 gene (APO ε4) alleles and those who do not. APOE contains the instructions needed to make a protein that helps carry cholesterol in the bloodstream and comes in several different forms. Three of those alleles occur more frequently than others. Dozens of studies have confirmed that the allele identified as APOE ε4 increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, but the way that happens is not yet understood.

Administered through infusions
Patients in the trials undergo....read the rest tomorrow