dementia

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The Race to Escape Her Family's Fatal Gene Flaw
The Race to Escape Her
Family's Fatal Gene Flaw
LONGFORM
Dec 29, 2024 8:00 AM CST

The Race to Escape Her Family's Fatal Gene Flaw

New York Times tells the story of a woman's fight to resist frontotemporal dementia

(Newser) - When Linde Jacobs' mother was in her 50s, her behavior changed dramatically. In a handful of years, Allison went from a stable matriarch to someone who shoplifted, drove recklessly, and began flouting boundaries and pinching strangers. While doctors blamed everything from menopause to psychiatric issues for the changes, Jacobs recognized...

Taxi, Ambulance Drivers Fare Better With Alzheimer's

Study suggests all that real-time navigating keeps their brains sharp

(Newser) - A new study suggests that turning off GPS in the car and instead navigating by your own wits may help stave off Alzheimer's. The study in the British Medical Journal found that taxi drivers and ambulance drivers died of the ailment less than people in other professions, reports HealthDay...

AWOL Congresswoman Found in 'Memory Care' Home

Kay Granger, 81, was found wandering in her Texas neighborhood months ago

(Newser) - A newspaper in Texas that went looking for a congresswoman who seemed to have vanished from Capitol Hill months ago has discovered that she's been living in a "memory care" facility for seniors. GOP Rep. Kay Granger, 81, became a resident "after having been found wandering lost...

Son: Al-Fayed Faked Dementia to Avoid Sex Crime Charges

Omar al-Fayed says late billionaire dad faked mental state, but was really 'sharp as a tack'

(Newser) - Mohamed al-Fayed, who entered mainstream consciousness as the father of the late Princess Diana's boyfriend Dodi al-Fayed, has been in the spotlight recently, accused by scores of women of sexual assault or other sexual abuse. Now, his own son is claiming that the deceased Egyptian business tycoon and Harrods...

Guardian: Wendy Williams 'Permanently Incapacitated'

Court document reveals celebrity's dementia has worsened

(Newser) - Former talk show host Wendy Williams' dementia has worsened to the point where she is "cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated," her legal guardian writes in new court documents, per the Los Angeles Times . Sabrina Morrissey made the revelation in a filing submitted to New York County Supreme Court...

Emerging Theory: 'Loneliness Is a Symptom of Dementia'

Meta-analysis finds condition boosts risk of cognitive impairment by 15% and dementia by 31%

(Newser) - Loneliness isn't just associated with a higher risk of death , but also a higher risk of dementia, new research suggests. A meta-analysis of 21 studies involving more than 600,000 people finds loneliness is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia from any cause. Participants were...

There's a Disturbing Trend in Political Donations
There's a Disturbing Trend
in Political Donations
longform
Oct 26, 2024 10:00 AM CDT

There's a Disturbing Trend in Political Donations

Both parties are benefiting from strategies that exploit seniors with dementia, reports CNN

(Newser) - A CNN investigation has uncovered a troubling trend in political fundraising, one in which elderly Americans—particularly those with dementia—are unwittingly becoming major donors to campaigns. Both parties have benefited from the practice, which often begins with a small online donation to a candidate. But once the hooks are...

Scientists: Brain Has Built-In Waste Removal System

Cleaning process could get rid of cellular trash that can build up, lead to dementia

(Newser) - A unique peek inside the human brain may help explain how it clears away waste like the kind that can build up and lead to Alzheimer's disease. Brain cells use a lot of nutrients, which means they make a lot of waste. Scientists have long thought the brain has...

Certain Meats May Lead to a Greater Dementia Risk
Certain Meats May Lead
to a Greater Dementia Risk
NEW STUDY
Aug 4, 2024 5:15 PM CDT

Certain Meats May Lead to a Greater Dementia Risk

Ultra-processed ones such as hot dogs and bologna identified as culprits in new study

(Newser) - New research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference showed that frequently eating ultra-processed meats such as hot dogs, sausage, bacon, and salami may increase the risk of dementia. Using data collected over four decades, the findings haven't been published in a peer-reviewed journal yet, but they gave...

Dealing With 14 Factors Could Massively Cut Dementia Cases

'Many people around the world believe dementia is inevitable but it's not'

(Newser) - The Lancet Commission on dementia says cases are rising worldwide as people live longer—but its latest update has "new hopeful evidence about dementia prevention, intervention, and care." In a report Wednesday, the commission said tackling 14 risk factors, including two it has added to a previous list...

'I Think We're Onto Something Important' for Alzheimer's

Scientists believe the protein reelin may help shield brain from aging diseases

(Newser) - "I think we're onto something important for Alzheimer's," MIT neuroscientist Li-Huei Tsai tells NPR , after her team's latest research backs up a pair of previous studies regarding a protein they say may help fend off cognitive decline. That protein, reelin, appears to act as a...

Her Dad Was Losing Memory, So They Took Literal Trip Down Memory Lane

Francesca Mari reflects on how reminiscence therapy factored in during a big trip with her father

(Newser) - When Francesca Mari decided to take a European trip with her aging dad, it wasn't just fun that she was hoping for. Writing for the New York Times , Mari expands on her father's Alzheimer's and how, as dementia started to steal his memories, she hit upon an...

On Alzheimer's, an Advance 'We've All Been Waiting For'

Eli Lilly's donanemab, sold as Kisunla, gets the FDA green light to help slow disease progression

(Newser) - Last summer, the Food and Drug Administration gave the thumbs-up to Leqembi, the first drug shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Now, almost a year to the day after that move, the government agency has greenlit a second drug: Eli Lilly's donanemab, sold under the brand...

Judge: Conservatorship 'Appropriate' for Brian Wilson

Manager, publicist will be handling Beach Boys co-founder's medical, personal decisions

(Newser) - Brian Wilson's business manager LeeAnn Hard and longtime publicist Jean Sievers will be taking charge of his personal and medical decisions under an arrangement approved by a judge on Thursday. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gus T. May found there was "clear and convincing evidence" that a conservatorship...

Jay Leno Is Complimented as He's Made Conservator of Wife

Mavis Leno, 77, who has dementia, sometimes doesn't know husband, per report by attorney

(Newser) - Jay Leno was granted conservatorship of his wife of more than four decades on Tuesday in a court hearing that was filled with praise for the care he has given her. Mavis Leno, 77, is suffering from advanced dementia, and People reports that Mavis' lawyer expressed her "agreement" with...

Our Brains Are Getting Bigger
Our Brains Are Getting Bigger
NEW STUDY
Mar 30, 2024 9:00 AM CDT

Our Brains Are Getting Bigger

They've increased in volume over the decades, which may be good news for dementia risks

(Newser) - Though theories abound that humans are getting dumber , evidence suggests that our brains are actually getting bigger. Researchers from UC Davis Health found that they've grown in both volume and surface area after comparing MRIs from people born in the 1930s with those born in the 1970s, per Newswise...

The Globe's Leading Ailments Are in Our Heads
The Globe's Leading
Illnesses Are in Our Heads
NEW STUDY
Mar 18, 2024 9:13 AM CDT

The Globe's Leading Illnesses Are in Our Heads

Neurological conditions like stroke, dementia affect 43% of global population, per new research

(Newser) - The leading cause of all ill health and disability around the globe isn't cancer or heart disease—it's a wide umbrella of neurological conditions, ranging from migraines to strokes, dementia, or Parkinson's, among other maladies. Per a new study published Thursday in the Lancet , scientists found that...

'Subtle' Signs May Point to Dementia Precursor

More attention is being paid to ailment known as Mild Cognitive Impairment

(Newser) - We all experience forgetfulness, but a growing number of doctors are focusing on when harmlessness crosses into a condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Both the New York Times and the Washington Post have stories on the ailment, which is thought to be severely underdiagnosed—a problem because early...

Family Says Beach Boy Has 'Major Neurocognitive Disorder'

They're seeking a conservatorship for 81-year-old Brian Wilson after his wife's death last month

(Newser) - Last month, Brian Wilson lost his wife of nearly three decades. "She was my savior," he wrote on X after Melinda's death. Now, the family of the Beach Boys co-founder is seeking to place him under a conservatorship, suggesting the move is necessary to protect Wilson's...

Researchers Find Telltale Alzheimer's Clues in Our Blood

Study identifies 4 biological markers, raising hope that a blood test for dementia is nearer

(Newser) - It's looking more and more likely that a blood test to predict Alzheimer's years before symptoms appear will be available in the not-too-distant future. In the latest development, researchers say they identified biological markers in stored blood samples that reliably forecast various forms of dementia nearly 15 years...

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