A person with Alzheimer’s disease may have other medical problems over time. These problems can cause more confusion and behavior changes. The person may not be able to tell you what is wrong. One problem, incontinence, means a person can’t control his or her bladder and/or bowels. This may happen at any stage of Alzheimer’s… Continue reading Dealing with Incontinence in Alzheimer’s Patients
Category: Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias
Are Your Senior Loved Ones Safe to Live Alone?
This week, millions of adult children will head “home” to spend time with their parents and grandparents over the holidays. It’s a time for family celebrations and bonding. And for adult offspring with elder loved ones, it’s also a rare time – with potentially five or more days spent together – to evaluate whether their… Continue reading Are Your Senior Loved Ones Safe to Live Alone?
A Link Between Some Brain Conditions and the Herpes Virus
Researchers have drawn closer to explaining the link between some neurologic condition and certain species of the herpes virus. In patients with Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and cerebellar ataxia, among other neuropathies, the cerebrospinal fluid teems with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Yet, the nature of that link has remained unclear, as it has been assumed that… Continue reading A Link Between Some Brain Conditions and the Herpes Virus
Alzheimer’s and The Genetic Factor
Scientists believe that many factors influence when Alzheimer’s disease begins and how it progresses. The more they study this devastating disease, the more they realize that genes play an important role. Research conducted and funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and others is advancing our understanding… Continue reading Alzheimer’s and The Genetic Factor
Brain’s Immune System Could Help Fight Alzheimer’s
The brain’s immune system could be harnessed to help clear the amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research. “This research confirms earlier observations that, when activated to fight inflammation, the brain’s immune system plays a role in the removal of amyloid beta,” said M. Kerry O’Banion, M.D., Ph.D., a… Continue reading Brain’s Immune System Could Help Fight Alzheimer’s
Cancer Drug May Help with Alzheimer’s
New research shows that a cancer drug administered to rats improved their memory and made them more attuned to what they were hearing. And that could point the way to better treatment for Alzheimer’s. “Memory-making in neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease is often poor or absent altogether once a person is in the advanced stages… Continue reading Cancer Drug May Help with Alzheimer’s
5 Ways to Maintain Balanced Emotions While Caregiving
Have your feelings been bruised recently by someone for whom you’re providing care? You may be taking caregiving too personally. If you’re the caring type, you want to be helpful. But what happens when you become too helpful or become too controlling of the life of another person, especially IF this person IS family? Caregivers… Continue reading 5 Ways to Maintain Balanced Emotions While Caregiving
Omega-3s Don’t Benefit Brain Health
Omega-3 fatty acids, touted as an aid to brain health, don’t slow cognitive decline, according to a large trial conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The study, which followed 4,000 patients over a five-year period, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Contrary to popular belief, we didn’t see… Continue reading Omega-3s Don’t Benefit Brain Health
9 Modifiable Risk Factors May Contribute to Two-Thirds of Alzheimer’s Cases
Nine potentially modifiable risk factors may contribute to up to two thirds of Alzheimer’s disease cases worldwide, suggests an analysis of the available evidence, published online in August 2015 the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. A release from the publisher notes that the analysis indicates the complexity of Alzheimer’s disease development and just how… Continue reading 9 Modifiable Risk Factors May Contribute to Two-Thirds of Alzheimer’s Cases
Alzheimer’s Patients & Caregivers Prefer Support over Research for Cure
More than $100 million in federal funding was spent last year toward searching for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, if given the choice, most people with dementia and those caring for them would like to see the money go elsewhere, according to a recent study led by University at Buffalo researcher Davina Porock and… Continue reading Alzheimer’s Patients & Caregivers Prefer Support over Research for Cure
A Day at the Art Museum: Rx for Medical Students
Considering the growing number of people with Alzheimer’s disease, understanding their care is vital for doctors. Yet medical students often just learn the facts and may only see people with advanced disease who are at the hospital or nursing home. A study done at Columbia University in New York City shows a new way to… Continue reading A Day at the Art Museum: Rx for Medical Students
Caregiving Strategies for Traveling with Alzheimer’s Patients
Taking a person with Alzheimer’s disease on an overnight trip is a challenge. Traveling can make the person more worried and confused, so it’s important to think ahead. Here are some tips from the experts at the National Institute on Aging: Getting Started Talk with the person’s doctor about medicines to calm someone who gets… Continue reading Caregiving Strategies for Traveling with Alzheimer’s Patients
People Who Screen Positive for Dementia but Refuse Diagnostic Testing
Two thirds of people 65 and older who screened positive for cognitive impairment refused subsequent evaluation according to the first study of its kind to examine older adults’ willingness to undergo diagnostic assessment. The Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Regenstrief Institute and Eskenazi Health study of approximately 500 older adults found that people living… Continue reading People Who Screen Positive for Dementia but Refuse Diagnostic Testing
Preventing Apathy in Dementia Patients
Nursing home residents with dementia are less likely to be apathetic if they live in an appropriately stimulating environment, according to a multi-university study published in June 2015 in The Gerontologist. A release from Penn State notes that clear stimulus is found in an environment without competing background noise, and with a single straightforward stimulus.… Continue reading Preventing Apathy in Dementia Patients
When Hospitalization Happens to Dementia Patients
From the National Institute on Aging A trip to the hospital with a person who has memory loss or dementia can be stressful for both of you. This outline, from experts at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), can relieve some of that stress by helping you prepare for both unexpected and planned hospital visits.… Continue reading When Hospitalization Happens to Dementia Patients
Medical Marijuana May Not Be Effective in Treating Symptoms of Dementia
A study done in the Netherland suggests that medical marijuana pills may not help treat behavioral symptoms of dementia such as aggression, pacing and wandering. The research was published in the May 13, 2015 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. However, researchers did find that the drug dosage… Continue reading Medical Marijuana May Not Be Effective in Treating Symptoms of Dementia
Majority of Older Adults Are Willing to Be Screened by Telephone for Dementia
Nearly two-thirds of older adults were willing to undergo telephone screening for dementia, according to study from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis. Willingness to be screened by phone did not differ by sex, age or race. The study was published in May 2015 in the Journal of… Continue reading Majority of Older Adults Are Willing to Be Screened by Telephone for Dementia
Intellectually Demanding Jobs Can Extend Life of Early-Dementia Patients
Intellectually demanding jobs may help people live longer after developing early-onset dementia, researchers say. “[Our] study suggests that having a higher occupational level protects the brain from some of the effects of this disease, allowing people to live longer after developing the disease,” said Lauren Massimo, postdoctoral fellow, Penn State College of Nursing. Degeneration of… Continue reading Intellectually Demanding Jobs Can Extend Life of Early-Dementia Patients