Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Learn what activities and gifts will make those with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia smile this holiday season. These activities and gifts ensure you and your loved one or client a delightful Christmas, this year
PRLog – Over 5.5 million people in the US now have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. We all benefit from sharing Christmas with someone we care about. The smells, the sounds, and the sights bring back happy memories. People with dementia should have this opportunity too. Following these tips will ensure you and your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia a pleasurable holiday season. Use these tips to help you choose a gift they will enjoy now and in days and months to come.
The gift of yourself is one of the best gifts you can give so do things together.
One thing you can do .....read all of Great Gifts For Those With Dementia
Showing posts with label dementia today. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dementia today. Show all posts
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Monday, November 14, 2011
Eye Surgery Improves Mood of Alzheimer's Patients(part 2)
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
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Eye Surgery Improves Mood of Alzheimer's Patients
Study Shows Alzheimer's Patients May Sleep Better, Be Less Depressed After Cataract Surgery (continued)
Benefits for Caregivers continued...
Thies points out that the study was small and there was no comparison group that did not get surgery to compare the results to.
Still, he tells WebMD, there are a lot of things that can contribute to a person's sensory deprivation. "If you can improve those things," he says, "you will improve their ability to perform."
AAO spokesman Jeffrey Whitman, MD, of the Key-Whitman Eye Center in Dallas, says, "I find this study to be a proof of what we may have already suspected -- that poor vision, in an already compromised patient, is a burden to both the patient and the patient's caretaker."
In an email, Whitman, who is the son of an Alzheimer's patient, told WebMD: "I have found that anything that can help mobility, the ability to feed oneself, or ambulate from room to room, is a great boon."
He adds that better vision leads to better nighttime behavior. A person with Alzheimer's often displays what's known as sun-downing behavior, in which forgetfulness and other symptoms worsen at dusk.
In addition, better vision can lead to less depression among people that uniformly become more depressed as the disease advances. "The continued evaluation and surgical management of cataracts should be pursued in these often forgotten patients," Whitman says.
These findings were presented at a medical conference. They should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter
Eye Surgery Improves Mood of Alzheimer's Patients
Study Shows Alzheimer's Patients May Sleep Better, Be Less Depressed After Cataract Surgery (continued)
Benefits for Caregivers continued...
Thies points out that the study was small and there was no comparison group that did not get surgery to compare the results to.
Still, he tells WebMD, there are a lot of things that can contribute to a person's sensory deprivation. "If you can improve those things," he says, "you will improve their ability to perform."
AAO spokesman Jeffrey Whitman, MD, of the Key-Whitman Eye Center in Dallas, says, "I find this study to be a proof of what we may have already suspected -- that poor vision, in an already compromised patient, is a burden to both the patient and the patient's caretaker."
In an email, Whitman, who is the son of an Alzheimer's patient, told WebMD: "I have found that anything that can help mobility, the ability to feed oneself, or ambulate from room to room, is a great boon."
He adds that better vision leads to better nighttime behavior. A person with Alzheimer's often displays what's known as sun-downing behavior, in which forgetfulness and other symptoms worsen at dusk.
In addition, better vision can lead to less depression among people that uniformly become more depressed as the disease advances. "The continued evaluation and surgical management of cataracts should be pursued in these often forgotten patients," Whitman says.
These findings were presented at a medical conference. They should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Eye Surgery Improves Mood of Alzheimer's Patients
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter
WebMD
Study Shows Alzheimer's Patients May Sleep Better, Be Less Depressed After Cataract Surgery
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
People with Alzheimer's disease should have regular eye tests to screen for vision problems.
That's the recommendation of researchers who found that people with mild Alzheimer's disease who have cataracts may benefit from vision-correcting surgery. The benefits include improved sight, better sleep, and less depressed mood.
Also, people with Alzheimer's often had better communication and interaction with others after the surgery.
According to Brigitte Girard, MD, a professor of ophthalmology at Tenon Hospital in Paris, treatment improved the patients' lives and also the lives of some caregivers.
Girard reported the researchers' findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) at the end of October.
Despite fears to the contrary, Girard says, surgery did not worsen patients' general condition or dementia.
William Thies, PhD, scientific director of the Alzheimer's Association, reviewed the findings for WebMD. He says that general medical care, including vision problems, are often overlooked in people with Alzheimer's.
"The assumption is made they won't benefit," Thies says. The assumption, he adds, is wrong. "The fact that they do benefit is very much the message from this study."
Improvements in Mood and Sleep
More than 1.5 million cataract surgeries are performed annually in the U.S. One in three Americans, most of them older people, will have the surgery at some point in their life.
The surgery is performed to remove the natural lens of the eye, which sometimes becomes clouded over time. A permanent artificial lens is then implanted to replace the natural lens.
The study involved 38 people with mild Alzheimer's disease who underwent cataract surgery. The average age was 86; nine were 90 or older. The majority (82%) were women.
Three months after surgery, all but one patient could see better. Three in four patients had improved or unchanged scores on tests of mood, memory, and their ability to wash, dress, and otherwise function independently. Sleep, in particular, improved, Girard says.
Six of the seven people with depression before surgery were less depressed afterward. The other person's depression was about the same as before.
As rated by the patients and their caregivers, social lives improved or were unchanged in two out of every three people studied.
Girard says "unchanged" scores were considered a mark of success. "As one neurologist told me," she says, "if people with Alzheimer's disease don't get worse over three months, it's a win."
The researchers did find that some people were more agitated after the surgery.
Benefits for Caregivers
The study also found that the surgery eased the burden for one in four caregivers. For another one in four, though, caring for their loved one was harder. The main reason cited was an increased level of agitation.
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter
WebMD
Study Shows Alzheimer's Patients May Sleep Better, Be Less Depressed After Cataract Surgery
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
People with Alzheimer's disease should have regular eye tests to screen for vision problems.
That's the recommendation of researchers who found that people with mild Alzheimer's disease who have cataracts may benefit from vision-correcting surgery. The benefits include improved sight, better sleep, and less depressed mood.
Also, people with Alzheimer's often had better communication and interaction with others after the surgery.
According to Brigitte Girard, MD, a professor of ophthalmology at Tenon Hospital in Paris, treatment improved the patients' lives and also the lives of some caregivers.
Girard reported the researchers' findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) at the end of October.
Despite fears to the contrary, Girard says, surgery did not worsen patients' general condition or dementia.
William Thies, PhD, scientific director of the Alzheimer's Association, reviewed the findings for WebMD. He says that general medical care, including vision problems, are often overlooked in people with Alzheimer's.
"The assumption is made they won't benefit," Thies says. The assumption, he adds, is wrong. "The fact that they do benefit is very much the message from this study."
Improvements in Mood and Sleep
More than 1.5 million cataract surgeries are performed annually in the U.S. One in three Americans, most of them older people, will have the surgery at some point in their life.
The surgery is performed to remove the natural lens of the eye, which sometimes becomes clouded over time. A permanent artificial lens is then implanted to replace the natural lens.
The study involved 38 people with mild Alzheimer's disease who underwent cataract surgery. The average age was 86; nine were 90 or older. The majority (82%) were women.
Three months after surgery, all but one patient could see better. Three in four patients had improved or unchanged scores on tests of mood, memory, and their ability to wash, dress, and otherwise function independently. Sleep, in particular, improved, Girard says.
Six of the seven people with depression before surgery were less depressed afterward. The other person's depression was about the same as before.
As rated by the patients and their caregivers, social lives improved or were unchanged in two out of every three people studied.
Girard says "unchanged" scores were considered a mark of success. "As one neurologist told me," she says, "if people with Alzheimer's disease don't get worse over three months, it's a win."
The researchers did find that some people were more agitated after the surgery.
Benefits for Caregivers
The study also found that the surgery eased the burden for one in four caregivers. For another one in four, though, caring for their loved one was harder. The main reason cited was an increased level of agitation.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Study offers clue to why nonhuman primates do not get Alzheimer's
SNM SmartBrief
U.S. researchers discovered that Pittsburgh Compound B, a radiolabeled compound often used in PET imaging for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, does not bind to beta amyloid proteins in the brains of nonhuman primates even if they had more of the protein than their human counterparts. This finding could help explain why.......read the whole brief
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
U.S. researchers discovered that Pittsburgh Compound B, a radiolabeled compound often used in PET imaging for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, does not bind to beta amyloid proteins in the brains of nonhuman primates even if they had more of the protein than their human counterparts. This finding could help explain why.......read the whole brief
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Protein-Folding Problem May Help Spur Alzheimer's
Forbes
Finding could lead to new target for disease therapy, researchers say
(HealthDay News) -- A dysfunction in protein folding contributes to nerve cell death in Alzheimer's disease, a finding that could help lead to new treatments, Dutch researchers report.
The presence of tangles of misfolded proteins is believed to contribute to Alzheimer's disease, the experts explained. A process known as the "unfolded protein response" typically protects cells from the toxic effects of accumulated misfolded proteins. But prolonged activation of the unfolded protein response -- such as that seen in Alzheimer's patients -- may result in cell death.
The researchers at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam believed that unfolded protein response contributed to brain damage through its effects on the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau, a major component of tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimer's.
The study revealed that markers of the unfolded protein response were expressed in areas of tau accumulation in Alzheimer's patients. The unfolded protein response-related proteins were expressed early, in pre-tangle neurons, but were absent in tangle neurons.
The findings suggest that......read the whole story
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For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Finding could lead to new target for disease therapy, researchers say
(HealthDay News) -- A dysfunction in protein folding contributes to nerve cell death in Alzheimer's disease, a finding that could help lead to new treatments, Dutch researchers report.
The presence of tangles of misfolded proteins is believed to contribute to Alzheimer's disease, the experts explained. A process known as the "unfolded protein response" typically protects cells from the toxic effects of accumulated misfolded proteins. But prolonged activation of the unfolded protein response -- such as that seen in Alzheimer's patients -- may result in cell death.
The researchers at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam believed that unfolded protein response contributed to brain damage through its effects on the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau, a major component of tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimer's.
The study revealed that markers of the unfolded protein response were expressed in areas of tau accumulation in Alzheimer's patients. The unfolded protein response-related proteins were expressed early, in pre-tangle neurons, but were absent in tangle neurons.
The findings suggest that......read the whole story
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Friday, April 3, 2009
Drug-Induced Dementia and Delirium Common in Seniors But Often Undetected, Public Citizen Says
Commondreams.org
Condition Is Usually Reversible, Can Be Caused by 136 Drugs Listed on WorstPills.org
WASHINGTON - April 1 - Older patients become more susceptible to drug-induced dementia and delirium as they age, but the symptoms are often overlooked by doctors who don't realize that the condition may be caused by drugs and reversed, Public Citizen writes in a Worst Pills, Best Pills News article released today on WorstPills.org, the organization's drug safety Web site.
Unlike most forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, which cannot be reversed, dementia caused by prescription drug use may be stopped by discontinuing the offending medication. The drug safety experts at Public Citizen have identified 136 commonly prescribed medications, especially certain antidepressants and pain medications, that can cause difficulty thinking.
Drug-induced dementia and delirium are commonly misattributed to underlying medical illness or merely to "old age." But by stopping or modifying the dosage of numerous, frequently prescribed drugs, most patients can be restored to a pre-drug state of mental clarity.
Older people are more susceptible to drug-induced delirium and dementia because the body's ability to rid itself of drugs decreases with age, often because of normal age-related decrease in kidney and liver function. Also, older patients are often prescribed multiple drugs at the same time, resulting in complicated interactions and enhanced side effects. Some research also suggests older patients' brains may be more sensitive to drugs' effects on the central nervous system.
"Sadly, doctors don't always recognize cognitive impairment as a side effect, so many patients needlessly suffer from this debilitating but reversible condition," said Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group and acting Public Citizen president. "After beginning new......read the whole story
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Condition Is Usually Reversible, Can Be Caused by 136 Drugs Listed on WorstPills.org
WASHINGTON - April 1 - Older patients become more susceptible to drug-induced dementia and delirium as they age, but the symptoms are often overlooked by doctors who don't realize that the condition may be caused by drugs and reversed, Public Citizen writes in a Worst Pills, Best Pills News article released today on WorstPills.org, the organization's drug safety Web site.
Unlike most forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, which cannot be reversed, dementia caused by prescription drug use may be stopped by discontinuing the offending medication. The drug safety experts at Public Citizen have identified 136 commonly prescribed medications, especially certain antidepressants and pain medications, that can cause difficulty thinking.
Drug-induced dementia and delirium are commonly misattributed to underlying medical illness or merely to "old age." But by stopping or modifying the dosage of numerous, frequently prescribed drugs, most patients can be restored to a pre-drug state of mental clarity.
Older people are more susceptible to drug-induced delirium and dementia because the body's ability to rid itself of drugs decreases with age, often because of normal age-related decrease in kidney and liver function. Also, older patients are often prescribed multiple drugs at the same time, resulting in complicated interactions and enhanced side effects. Some research also suggests older patients' brains may be more sensitive to drugs' effects on the central nervous system.
"Sadly, doctors don't always recognize cognitive impairment as a side effect, so many patients needlessly suffer from this debilitating but reversible condition," said Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group and acting Public Citizen president. "After beginning new......read the whole story
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Drugs cause confusion in elderly
By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
Commonly used medications could be a culprit in some older peoples' memory problems, a new report shows.
Elderly patients are often more susceptible to "drug-induced dementia and delirium," says Public Citizen, a consumer research and advocacy group, in an article posted Wednesday at worstpills.org. The report includes a list of 136 commonly prescribed drugs that are potentially dangerous to seniors' cognitive health
Sadly, doctors don't always recognize cognitive impairment as a side effect, so many patients needlessly suffer from this debilitating but reversible condition," says Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group.
The article says a host of factors can cause cognitive-related drug problems in the elderly, including....read the whole article
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Commonly used medications could be a culprit in some older peoples' memory problems, a new report shows.
Elderly patients are often more susceptible to "drug-induced dementia and delirium," says Public Citizen, a consumer research and advocacy group, in an article posted Wednesday at worstpills.org. The report includes a list of 136 commonly prescribed drugs that are potentially dangerous to seniors' cognitive health
Sadly, doctors don't always recognize cognitive impairment as a side effect, so many patients needlessly suffer from this debilitating but reversible condition," says Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group.
The article says a host of factors can cause cognitive-related drug problems in the elderly, including....read the whole article
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Eat Your Way to Clearer Thinking
Healthnotes:Newswire
By Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD
Healthnotes Newswire (March 12, 2009)—Anyone who’s cared for a loved one with dementia understands the agony of watching a clear mind slip away. But new research on this topic brings new hope: A healthy Mediterranean diet may not only prevent the beginning stages of dementia, known as mild cognitive impairment, but in people already experiencing mild cognitive impairment, it may also reduce the risk of developing full-blown dementia.
Fresh food, fish, & fat—three keys to staying sharp
Researchers assessed the eating habits of 1,875 men and women, 482 of whom were classified as having mild cognitive impairment at the start of the study. To determine how closely each person followed a typical Mediterranean eating pattern, researchers looked at eight food categories: dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans), cereals, fish, and fat.
Eating more dairy and meat was classified as not following a Mediterranean diet and bad for health. Eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, fish, and monounsaturated fat, particularly in olive oil, was classified as more closely following a Mediterranean diet and protective of good health.
Study participants were 77 years old, on average, and were classified into groups with low, medium, or high levels of adherence to a Mediterranean diet, depending on how much or how little of each of the eight food categories they typically ate.
After following the group for approximately four and a half years, the researchers found that people in the high Mediterranean diet group had 28% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment than people in the low Mediterranean diet group. Among those with mild cognitive impairment at the beginning of the study, those in the medium and high Mediterranean diet groups had 45% and 48% lower risk, respectively, of developing full-blown dementia or Alzheimer’s disease compared with those in the low Mediterranean diet group.
In summary, the less meat and dairy, and the more fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, fish, and olive oil a person ate, the less likely he or she was to develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Healthy choices for a healthy brain
Use the following diet tips to........read the whole story
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
By Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD
Healthnotes Newswire (March 12, 2009)—Anyone who’s cared for a loved one with dementia understands the agony of watching a clear mind slip away. But new research on this topic brings new hope: A healthy Mediterranean diet may not only prevent the beginning stages of dementia, known as mild cognitive impairment, but in people already experiencing mild cognitive impairment, it may also reduce the risk of developing full-blown dementia.
Fresh food, fish, & fat—three keys to staying sharp
Researchers assessed the eating habits of 1,875 men and women, 482 of whom were classified as having mild cognitive impairment at the start of the study. To determine how closely each person followed a typical Mediterranean eating pattern, researchers looked at eight food categories: dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans), cereals, fish, and fat.
Eating more dairy and meat was classified as not following a Mediterranean diet and bad for health. Eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, fish, and monounsaturated fat, particularly in olive oil, was classified as more closely following a Mediterranean diet and protective of good health.
Study participants were 77 years old, on average, and were classified into groups with low, medium, or high levels of adherence to a Mediterranean diet, depending on how much or how little of each of the eight food categories they typically ate.
After following the group for approximately four and a half years, the researchers found that people in the high Mediterranean diet group had 28% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment than people in the low Mediterranean diet group. Among those with mild cognitive impairment at the beginning of the study, those in the medium and high Mediterranean diet groups had 45% and 48% lower risk, respectively, of developing full-blown dementia or Alzheimer’s disease compared with those in the low Mediterranean diet group.
In summary, the less meat and dairy, and the more fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, fish, and olive oil a person ate, the less likely he or she was to develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Healthy choices for a healthy brain
Use the following diet tips to........read the whole story
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Saturday, March 28, 2009
20 tips to help ward off dementia
earlier.
By Linda Shrieves
The Orlando Sentin
Timing is everything, comedians say.
It's also important when it comes to taking care of your brain. Yet most of us start worrying about dementia after retirement — and that may be too little, too late.
Experts say that if you really want to ward off dementia, you need to start taking care of your bean in your 30s and 40s — or even earlier.
"More and more research is suggesting that lifestyle is very important to your brain's health," says Dr. Paul Nussbaum, a neuropsychologist and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "If you want to live a long, healthy life, then many of us need to start as early as we can."
So what can you do to beef up your brain — and possibly ward off dementia? Nussbaum, who recently gave a speech on the topic for the Winter Park (Fla.) Health Foundation, offers 20 tips that may help.
1. Join clubs or organizations that need volunteers. If you start volunteering now, you won't feel lost and unneeded after you retire.
2. Develop a hobby or two. Hobbies help you develop a robust brain because you're trying something new and complex.
3. Practice writing with your nondominant hand several minutes every day. This will exercise the opposite side of your brain and fire up those neurons.
4. Take dance lessons. In a study of nearly 500 people, dancing was the only regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The people who danced three or four times a week showed 76 percent less incidence of dementia than those who danced only once a week or not at all.
5. Need a hobby? Start gardening. Researchers in New Zealand found that, of 1,000 people, those who gardened regularly were less likely to suffer from.... read the whle story and a comment
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
By Linda Shrieves
The Orlando Sentin
Timing is everything, comedians say.
It's also important when it comes to taking care of your brain. Yet most of us start worrying about dementia after retirement — and that may be too little, too late.
Experts say that if you really want to ward off dementia, you need to start taking care of your bean in your 30s and 40s — or even earlier.
"More and more research is suggesting that lifestyle is very important to your brain's health," says Dr. Paul Nussbaum, a neuropsychologist and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "If you want to live a long, healthy life, then many of us need to start as early as we can."
So what can you do to beef up your brain — and possibly ward off dementia? Nussbaum, who recently gave a speech on the topic for the Winter Park (Fla.) Health Foundation, offers 20 tips that may help.
1. Join clubs or organizations that need volunteers. If you start volunteering now, you won't feel lost and unneeded after you retire.
2. Develop a hobby or two. Hobbies help you develop a robust brain because you're trying something new and complex.
3. Practice writing with your nondominant hand several minutes every day. This will exercise the opposite side of your brain and fire up those neurons.
4. Take dance lessons. In a study of nearly 500 people, dancing was the only regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The people who danced three or four times a week showed 76 percent less incidence of dementia than those who danced only once a week or not at all.
5. Need a hobby? Start gardening. Researchers in New Zealand found that, of 1,000 people, those who gardened regularly were less likely to suffer from.... read the whle story and a comment
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Alzheimer's on a relentless upward trajectory
USA Today
By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
The number of people who have Alzheimer's disease is creeping insidiously higher year after year, adding increasing pressure on the health care system, experts say.
A report out today, the 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, indicates that an estimated 5.1 million Americans over 65 now have Alzheimer's
Health care costs for them and for people who have other forms of dementia are more than three times higher than costs for older Americans who are not afflicted.
"We're really going to have to do a better job of dealing with Alzheimer's disease. We're going to have to find better treatments and preventions," says Bill Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association, which compiled the report. "But we're seeing the government reducing dollars for Alzheimer's disease. Clearly, that's an equation going in the wrong direction."
Because there is no.......read the whole article
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For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
The number of people who have Alzheimer's disease is creeping insidiously higher year after year, adding increasing pressure on the health care system, experts say.
A report out today, the 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, indicates that an estimated 5.1 million Americans over 65 now have Alzheimer's
Health care costs for them and for people who have other forms of dementia are more than three times higher than costs for older Americans who are not afflicted.
"We're really going to have to do a better job of dealing with Alzheimer's disease. We're going to have to find better treatments and preventions," says Bill Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association, which compiled the report. "But we're seeing the government reducing dollars for Alzheimer's disease. Clearly, that's an equation going in the wrong direction."
Because there is no.......read the whole article
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Boost Your Memory with Brain-Boosting Supplements
NaturalNews.com
by: James J. Gormley, citizen journalist
(NaturalNews) Where did I leave my keys? Who am I supposed to call again? What did I mean by that scribbled note, anyway? Everybody experiences these incidents of forgetfulness.
As we get older, these kinds of memory lapses can become routine, and are casually attributed to "advancing years" by many baby boomers, according to Dr. Heidi White, assistant professor of geriatric medicine at Duke University Medical Center.
Age isn`t the only factor in memory loss, however, says White. She notes that among possible causes for cognitive decline are medications (such as sedatives, which can dull the mind), depression (which affects concentration), and hearing or vision impairment.
Baby boomers and the battle for the mind
Keeping the brain healthy much longer is a goal of many of us, especially people who, as of this writing, were 45 to 63 years old - otherwise called baby boomers. If you consider that a baby boomer turns 50 every 7.5 seconds, by the year 2024 there will be 115 million people over age 50 in the U.S.
Today, approximately 78 million people, about 26 percent of the total U.S. population, were not only born between 1946 and 1964 but are, say demographers and researchers, greatly concerned about loss of memory and the aging of the mind.
True failing memory is different from the forgetfulness of a busy person or the stereotypical absentminded professor. Clinically speaking, failing memory is often accompanied by a person`s declining sense of well-being, and is often described by symptoms such as a lack of mental clarity (brain fog), altered mood (as in depression), decreased mental abilities, worsening sleep patterns, and declining overall energy.
Age of Information Overload
Whence the brain drain? Some researchers believe our brains are overtaxed today. Not many would disagree that we`ve moved beyond the Information Age into the "Age of Information Overload." It`s believed that our cognitive processing, and maybe even our memory storage capacity itself, can become overburdened as we age.
To one extent or another, there`s little doubt that all of us are bombarded by work and personal e-mail, Internet spam and junk mail, faxes, magazines, 24-hour news, digital pages, telemarketer calls, cell phone voice-mail and even the arcane logistics of play-date scheduling for the kids after school!
Cognition is sensitive to a wide variety of..........read the whole article
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For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
by: James J. Gormley, citizen journalist
(NaturalNews) Where did I leave my keys? Who am I supposed to call again? What did I mean by that scribbled note, anyway? Everybody experiences these incidents of forgetfulness.
As we get older, these kinds of memory lapses can become routine, and are casually attributed to "advancing years" by many baby boomers, according to Dr. Heidi White, assistant professor of geriatric medicine at Duke University Medical Center.
Age isn`t the only factor in memory loss, however, says White. She notes that among possible causes for cognitive decline are medications (such as sedatives, which can dull the mind), depression (which affects concentration), and hearing or vision impairment.
Baby boomers and the battle for the mind
Keeping the brain healthy much longer is a goal of many of us, especially people who, as of this writing, were 45 to 63 years old - otherwise called baby boomers. If you consider that a baby boomer turns 50 every 7.5 seconds, by the year 2024 there will be 115 million people over age 50 in the U.S.
Today, approximately 78 million people, about 26 percent of the total U.S. population, were not only born between 1946 and 1964 but are, say demographers and researchers, greatly concerned about loss of memory and the aging of the mind.
True failing memory is different from the forgetfulness of a busy person or the stereotypical absentminded professor. Clinically speaking, failing memory is often accompanied by a person`s declining sense of well-being, and is often described by symptoms such as a lack of mental clarity (brain fog), altered mood (as in depression), decreased mental abilities, worsening sleep patterns, and declining overall energy.
Age of Information Overload
Whence the brain drain? Some researchers believe our brains are overtaxed today. Not many would disagree that we`ve moved beyond the Information Age into the "Age of Information Overload." It`s believed that our cognitive processing, and maybe even our memory storage capacity itself, can become overburdened as we age.
To one extent or another, there`s little doubt that all of us are bombarded by work and personal e-mail, Internet spam and junk mail, faxes, magazines, 24-hour news, digital pages, telemarketer calls, cell phone voice-mail and even the arcane logistics of play-date scheduling for the kids after school!
Cognition is sensitive to a wide variety of..........read the whole article
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Saturday, March 21, 2009
Do You Really Want That Alzheimer's Test?
Forbes
By Lisa LaMotta
Scientists are working hard to develop a new test for Alzheimer's disease. But once they have such a diagnostic, will there be any reason to use it outside of clinical trials?
"What do you do with these people once you diagnose them -- apart from frighten them?" asks Mark Smith, a professor at Case Western Reserve University who has been an influential thinker when it comes to the disease.
Five million people in the United States suffer from the crippling neurological disease. This week, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania said they have developed a test that uses levels of certain proteins in spinal fluid, combined with the presence or absence of mutations in a particular gene, to predict who will get Alzheimer's.
Looking at all those different factors appears to pinpoint people who will....read the whole article
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By Lisa LaMotta
Scientists are working hard to develop a new test for Alzheimer's disease. But once they have such a diagnostic, will there be any reason to use it outside of clinical trials?
"What do you do with these people once you diagnose them -- apart from frighten them?" asks Mark Smith, a professor at Case Western Reserve University who has been an influential thinker when it comes to the disease.
Five million people in the United States suffer from the crippling neurological disease. This week, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania said they have developed a test that uses levels of certain proteins in spinal fluid, combined with the presence or absence of mutations in a particular gene, to predict who will get Alzheimer's.
Looking at all those different factors appears to pinpoint people who will....read the whole article
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For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Friday, March 20, 2009
Workaholics Risk Dementia, Study Finds
BBC News
Long working hours may raise the risk of mental decline and possibly dementia, research suggests.
The Finnish-led study was based on analysis of 2,214 middle-aged British civil servants.
It found that those working more than 55 hours a week had poorer mental skills than those who worked a standard working week.
The American Journal of Epidemiology study found hard workers had problems with short-term memory and word recall.
This should say to employers that insisting people work long hours is actually not good for your business
Professor Cary Cooper
University of Lancaster
Lead researcher Dr Marianna Virtanen, from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, said: "The disadvantages of overtime work should be taken seriously."
It is not known why working long hours might have an adverse effect on the brain.
However, the researchers say key factors could include..............read more
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Long working hours may raise the risk of mental decline and possibly dementia, research suggests.
The Finnish-led study was based on analysis of 2,214 middle-aged British civil servants.
It found that those working more than 55 hours a week had poorer mental skills than those who worked a standard working week.
The American Journal of Epidemiology study found hard workers had problems with short-term memory and word recall.
This should say to employers that insisting people work long hours is actually not good for your business
Professor Cary Cooper
University of Lancaster
Lead researcher Dr Marianna Virtanen, from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, said: "The disadvantages of overtime work should be taken seriously."
It is not known why working long hours might have an adverse effect on the brain.
However, the researchers say key factors could include..............read more
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Friday, March 13, 2009
Prana's Progress Inhibits Alzheimer's Damage
Alzheimer's and Dementia Weekly
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - Prana Biotechnology Limited, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, today announced that PBT2 has demonstrated safety and tolerability and reduced Abeta 42, in a Phase IIa study of PBT2 in patients with early Alzheimer's Disease. PBT2 also improved Executive Function performance in select cognitive tests.
"This is a very exciting and important milestone for the company, particularly because PBT2, a drug known to inhibit the toxic oligomers of Abeta that cause the functional damage in Alzheimer's Disease, was able to show such a clear effect in a short trial," commented Geoffrey Kempler, Prana's Chairman and CEO.
In this double blind multi-centre clinical trial, 78 patients in Sweden and Australia were randomized to receive either a placebo, PBT2 50mg or PBT2 250mg capsule once per day for 12 weeks.
Analysis of the trial data demonstrated that the....read the whole story
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - Prana Biotechnology Limited, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, today announced that PBT2 has demonstrated safety and tolerability and reduced Abeta 42, in a Phase IIa study of PBT2 in patients with early Alzheimer's Disease. PBT2 also improved Executive Function performance in select cognitive tests.
"This is a very exciting and important milestone for the company, particularly because PBT2, a drug known to inhibit the toxic oligomers of Abeta that cause the functional damage in Alzheimer's Disease, was able to show such a clear effect in a short trial," commented Geoffrey Kempler, Prana's Chairman and CEO.
In this double blind multi-centre clinical trial, 78 patients in Sweden and Australia were randomized to receive either a placebo, PBT2 50mg or PBT2 250mg capsule once per day for 12 weeks.
Analysis of the trial data demonstrated that the....read the whole story
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Monday, March 9, 2009
Insight Into Ways Organ Systems Outside The Brain May Affect Alzheimer's Disease
ScienceDaily - In Alzheimer's disease the brain accumulates a molecule called A-beta that can be quite toxic to brain cells. Many researchers believe that finding ways to clear A-beta may be a key to treatment or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
A new study provides new insights into the way A-beta in the peripheral blood stream affects A-beta clearance in the brain. Scientists from the University of Washington in Seattle, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, and the University of Hong Kong found that when circulating A-beta levels in the blood stream of rats were elevated, known amounts of radioactively tagged A-beta were swept from the brain more slowly.
These findings directly demonstrate something......read the whole article
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A new study provides new insights into the way A-beta in the peripheral blood stream affects A-beta clearance in the brain. Scientists from the University of Washington in Seattle, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, and the University of Hong Kong found that when circulating A-beta levels in the blood stream of rats were elevated, known amounts of radioactively tagged A-beta were swept from the brain more slowly.
These findings directly demonstrate something......read the whole article
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For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Friday, March 6, 2009
Virtual Dementia Tour
CBS
She's given goggles that impair sight... headphones that give off distracting noises... a pair of gloves with popcorn kernels in the finger tips to simulate arthritis... then more kernels are placed in her shoes. To finish it off, sister stella tapes some of her fingers together for limited dexterity.
Amy Kennedy is now ready to take the virtual dementia tour...an experience designed to give perfectly healthy individuals a chance to see what day to day life would be like if they suffered from alzheimer's or dementia. She admits, "You can do all that dementia training, i've had every dementia training there is, but making yourself go through it is a lot different than hearing it in a classroom."
But the tour is much more than just a crazy outfit. Once you're garbed up, you're taken into the testing room, which is designed to look like a residence room. Then, you're given 5 simple, everyday tasks to do... sounds easy, right? Turn's out, it.....read the whole story
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She's given goggles that impair sight... headphones that give off distracting noises... a pair of gloves with popcorn kernels in the finger tips to simulate arthritis... then more kernels are placed in her shoes. To finish it off, sister stella tapes some of her fingers together for limited dexterity.
Amy Kennedy is now ready to take the virtual dementia tour...an experience designed to give perfectly healthy individuals a chance to see what day to day life would be like if they suffered from alzheimer's or dementia. She admits, "You can do all that dementia training, i've had every dementia training there is, but making yourself go through it is a lot different than hearing it in a classroom."
But the tour is much more than just a crazy outfit. Once you're garbed up, you're taken into the testing room, which is designed to look like a residence room. Then, you're given 5 simple, everyday tasks to do... sounds easy, right? Turn's out, it.....read the whole story
For more dementia information, click here
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For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Study suggests how Alzheimer's attacks brain
Stuff.conz
US scientists proposed a new theory of how Alzheimer's disease kills brain cells they said opens new avenues of research into treatments for the fatal, brain-wasting disease.
They believe a chemical mechanism that naturally prunes away unwanted brain cells during early brain development somehow gets hijacked in Alzheimer's disease.
"The key player we're focusing on is a protein called APP," said Marc Tessier-Lavigne, executive vice president of research drug discovery at the US biotechnology company Genentech Inc , whose study appears in the journal Nature.
Tessier-Lavigne said amyloid precursor protein, or APP -- a key building block in brain plaques found in Alzheimer's disease -- is the driving force behind this process.
"We know that APP is...read the whole article
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US scientists proposed a new theory of how Alzheimer's disease kills brain cells they said opens new avenues of research into treatments for the fatal, brain-wasting disease.
They believe a chemical mechanism that naturally prunes away unwanted brain cells during early brain development somehow gets hijacked in Alzheimer's disease.
"The key player we're focusing on is a protein called APP," said Marc Tessier-Lavigne, executive vice president of research drug discovery at the US biotechnology company Genentech Inc , whose study appears in the journal Nature.
Tessier-Lavigne said amyloid precursor protein, or APP -- a key building block in brain plaques found in Alzheimer's disease -- is the driving force behind this process.
"We know that APP is...read the whole article
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For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Friday, February 27, 2009
Rate of memory decline differs by dementia type
Reuters UK
By Scott Baltic
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The rate at which people with dementia lose their memory differs significantly according to the type of dementia they have, new research from France suggests. The research also highlights the importance of early health care in elderly people who develop dementia.
After Alzheimer's disease (AD) alone, AD with cerebrovascular disease and vascular dementia are the leading causes of dementia. Vascular dementia is often associated with stroke. High blood pressure and smoking are risk factors.
Little is known about the progression of either AD with cerebrovascular disease or vascular dementia, Dr. Florence Pasquier of Hopital Salengro in Lille and colleagues note.
To investigate, they followed......read the whole story
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By Scott Baltic
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The rate at which people with dementia lose their memory differs significantly according to the type of dementia they have, new research from France suggests. The research also highlights the importance of early health care in elderly people who develop dementia.
After Alzheimer's disease (AD) alone, AD with cerebrovascular disease and vascular dementia are the leading causes of dementia. Vascular dementia is often associated with stroke. High blood pressure and smoking are risk factors.
Little is known about the progression of either AD with cerebrovascular disease or vascular dementia, Dr. Florence Pasquier of Hopital Salengro in Lille and colleagues note.
To investigate, they followed......read the whole story
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For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Mechanisms That Prevent Alzheimer's Disease: Enzymatic Activity Plays Key Role
ScienceDaily— In a project involving the collaboration of several institutes, research scientists of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have succeeded in gaining further insight in the functioning of endogenous mechanisms that protect against the development of Alzheimer's disease. It was found that the activity of the enzyme α-secretase is mainly responsible for the protective effect.
"In the past, we postulated that the enzyme α-secretase was involved in preventing the formation of cerebral plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and also enhanced cerebral functions, such as learning and memory," explained Professor Falk Fahrenholz of the Institute of Biochemistry. His research group has been working in cooperation with the Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the university's Faculty of Medicine and the Central Animal Laboratory Facility (ZVTE) to discover the mechanism for the beneficial effects of α-secretase. The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (JAD) presents the results of this project in its February 2009 issue.
α-secretase is an endogenous enzyme that is present in the nerve cells of the brain, where it is responsible for the cleavage of an Aβ into Aβ domain. The result is a soluble protein fragment that promotes the growth of nerve cells and thus prevents the development of cerebral deterioration caused by Aβ. However, if the enzyme β-secretase is active, a chain reaction is initiated that subsequently results in the development....read the whole article
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"In the past, we postulated that the enzyme α-secretase was involved in preventing the formation of cerebral plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and also enhanced cerebral functions, such as learning and memory," explained Professor Falk Fahrenholz of the Institute of Biochemistry. His research group has been working in cooperation with the Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the university's Faculty of Medicine and the Central Animal Laboratory Facility (ZVTE) to discover the mechanism for the beneficial effects of α-secretase. The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (JAD) presents the results of this project in its February 2009 issue.
α-secretase is an endogenous enzyme that is present in the nerve cells of the brain, where it is responsible for the cleavage of an Aβ into Aβ domain. The result is a soluble protein fragment that promotes the growth of nerve cells and thus prevents the development of cerebral deterioration caused by Aβ. However, if the enzyme β-secretase is active, a chain reaction is initiated that subsequently results in the development....read the whole article
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For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Boston Docs Study Promising New Alzheimer's Drug
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Alzheimer's May Affect Patients' Memory Earlier (2/19/2009)
Massachusetts researchers are looking for patients to test a promising new Alzheimer's drug. Experts believe it could be the first drug to actually slow down the disease.
Irene Courchesne was diagnosed with early symptoms of Alzheimer's three years ago. "Things started to get really funny," Irene said. "I couldn't remember. I used to have to go to court and I couldn't get my stuff correct."
That's why Irene decided to take part in a new clinical trial being done at the Boston University School of Medicine.
Researchers at B.U. are testing a promising new drug which they believe can actually slow down the progression of Alzheimer's, instead of just temporarily treating the symptoms like current treatments.
Dr. Robert Stern, co-director of the Alzheimer's disease Clinical and Research Program at the B.U. School of Medicine explains, "This new drug has as its goal the ability to suck out the amyloid proteins from the brain which we think is the cause of Alzheimer's and will dramatically alter the course of Alzheimer's disease."
Irene Courchesne, who enrolled in the study in December, says she started to notice....read the whole article
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Alzheimer's May Affect Patients' Memory Earlier (2/19/2009)
Massachusetts researchers are looking for patients to test a promising new Alzheimer's drug. Experts believe it could be the first drug to actually slow down the disease.
Irene Courchesne was diagnosed with early symptoms of Alzheimer's three years ago. "Things started to get really funny," Irene said. "I couldn't remember. I used to have to go to court and I couldn't get my stuff correct."
That's why Irene decided to take part in a new clinical trial being done at the Boston University School of Medicine.
Researchers at B.U. are testing a promising new drug which they believe can actually slow down the progression of Alzheimer's, instead of just temporarily treating the symptoms like current treatments.
Dr. Robert Stern, co-director of the Alzheimer's disease Clinical and Research Program at the B.U. School of Medicine explains, "This new drug has as its goal the ability to suck out the amyloid proteins from the brain which we think is the cause of Alzheimer's and will dramatically alter the course of Alzheimer's disease."
Irene Courchesne, who enrolled in the study in December, says she started to notice....read the whole article
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here
For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here
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