dementia

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Study IDs Plaque Linked to Alzheimer's

Scientist uncover key clue to cause of illness

(Newser) - Researchers have triggered Alzheimer's disease in rats by injecting them with a particular type of sticky plaque found in the brains of human dementia patients, AP reports. Only one of three different types of plaques found in elderly brains sparked the disease—compelling evidence that scientists may have narrowed down...

Light May Slow Dementia
 Light May
 Slow Dementia 
Jun 11, 2008 11:53 AM CDT

Light May Slow Dementia

Brighter environs cut depression in research hailed as 'spectacular'

(Newser) - Brighter daytime lighting can significantly soften dementia symptoms, according to a Dutch study that found better moods and sleep patterns correlated with brighter environs. Combined with extra doses of the hormone melatonin, lighting slowed onset of symptoms by up to 5%, which “may not sound like a huge amount,...

Dementia Sufferers Get Unusual Help

Fake bus stops give restless elderly patients a destination

(Newser) - German retirement homes have found a new way to help patients: building fake bus stops. Dementia sufferers who insist they have somewhere to go now have a destination, giving them a sense of control. That helps calm them, even if they forget where they're "going" after spending some time...

Antipsychotic Drugs Triple Health Risks in Elderly

Dementia research finds even brief use is dangerous

(Newser) - Elderly dementia patients given antipsychotic drugs, even briefly, are three times as likely to end up hospitalized or dead within a month, new research has found. The study looked at 40,000 elderly Canadians, half of them in nursing homes, and found that the drugs increased the risk of...

Ibuprofen Cuts Alzheimer's Risk: Study

Anti-inflammatory drugs reduced risk 40%, but experts sound note of caution

(Newser) - Long-term use of ibuprofen and some similar drugs cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study found the drugs cut the risk of dementia by more than 40%, WebMD reports. Doctors warn, however, that such medications can have serious side effects and that it 's...

She Painted Bolero
 She Painted Bolero 
Apr 8, 2008 11:14 AM CDT

She Painted Bolero

Brain disease led Ravel to compose 'Bolero;' and a scientist to paint it

(Newser) - Struck down by a degenerative brain disease, mathematician and scientist Anne Adams lost much of her ability to do even simple scientific tasks. But the disease also unleashed a fierce artistic creativity, as her brain rewired itself to compensate for the damage. Among her work is a painting that represents...

Depression Linked to Alzheimer's

Those prone to the blues may also be prone to dementia

(Newser) - Nearly 50% of Alzheimer's patients also suffer from depression, and new studies suggest the depression came first, WebMD reports. Researchers found that elderly people with a history of depression were much more likely to develop dementia. The findings give greater urgency to early treatment for depression, experts warn.

Blood Test May Predict Dementia 6 Years Early

Some worry over boost in insurance costs; others want wider study

(Newser) - A new blood test can warn of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases six years before symptoms appear, its makers say. The assessment, set to launch this summer, could allow patients to begin fighting the ailments early with through dietary changes, exercise and drugs, the Daily Mail reports. But some...

A Coffee a Day May Keep Dementia Away: Study

Daily caffeine helps protect the brain from damaging cholesterol

(Newser) - A daily fix of caffeine helps shield the brain from the damaging effects of cholesterol, which is apparently the way coffee helps reduce the risk of dementia, new research suggests. The "blood-brain barrier" protects the brain from toxins in the bloodstream, but scientists have discovered that cholesterol makes it...

Big Bellies Raise Risk of Alzheimer's

Those in their 40s better trim down, study suggests

(Newser) - People who have big bellies in middle age have a much greater risk of getting Alzheimer's or dementia as senior citizens, a new study says. The bigger the belly, the bigger the risk, reports the Washington Post. The findings raise more concern about America's expanding waist lines and offer more...

Mental Decline Strikes 1/3 of Seniors
Mental Decline Strikes 1/3
of Seniors
Mar 18, 2008 12:53 PM CDT

Mental Decline Strikes 1/3 of Seniors

Alzheimer's will afflict 1 in 8 baby boomers, report projects

(Newser) - Cognitive problems ranging from forgetting what day it is to full-blown dementia are affecting one-third of the nation's seniors, reports a new study by the National Institute on Aging. The report says 22% of those over 71 have mild impairment, added to 16% suffering dementia, the Washington Post reports. An...

Aging Baby Boomers Spur Brain Fitness Industry

Software sales have more than doubled as Boomers look to avoid Alzheimer's

(Newser) - Aging baby boomers, looking for answers on how to avoid—or at least forestall—dementia and Alzheimer’s, are driving the growth of a new industry that uses computer software to help maintain brain fitness, reports Reuters. Sales in the brain stimulation software industry have more than doubled since 2005...

Risk Rises if 2 Parents Have Alzheimer's

4 in 10 get the disease if mom and dad had it, study finds

(Newser) - People whose mom and dad have Alzheimer's run a much higher risk of getting the disease, a new study finds. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle looked at 111 families in which both parents have Alzheimer's, and found that 42% of those aged 70 and up got the...

Green Veggies May Fight Alzheimer's

Study links low folate levels, elevated dementia risk

(Newser) - Folic acid, already known to help prevent birth defects, may play a role in the development of dementia, the BBC reports. Elderly subjects with low levels of folate in their blood were three times more likely than people with normal levels to develop dementia, a South Korean study found . But...

Nursing Homes Fight Drug Addiction
Nursing Homes Fight Drug Addiction
Dec 20, 2007 1:30 PM CST

Nursing Homes Fight Drug Addiction

Use of anti-psychotics for dementia soars; alternatives sought

(Newser) - Despite known dangers—including an increased risk of death—the use of anti-psychotic drugs to control elderly dementia patients has surged, to an estimated 30% of all nursing home residents. Under pressure to cut back, some homes are experimenting with alternatives, like letting distraught patients do what they want to...

Nursing Homes Misuse Meds to Control Patients

'Off label' antipsychotic use drives up costs, sparks concern

(Newser) - Understaffed US nursing homes are increasingly turning to antipsychotic drugs to control elderly residents, even though most display symptoms of dementia rather than the psychotic disorders the drugs are intended to treat, the Wall Street Journal reports. Such “off-label” usage defies FDA warnings that elderly patients using the drugs...

Alzheimer's Less Prevalent Than Suspected

Study finds 10% of Americans over 71 afflicted

(Newser) - A new study estimates that 2.4 million people, or 9.7% of Americans over age 71, have Alzheimer's disease, fewer than originally suspected. Unlike prior studies, which have focused on a small region or select cities, researchers assessed seniors in 42 states to arrive at the "best" estimates...

Education Staves Off Alzheimer's
Education Staves Off Alzheimer's
Oct 23, 2007 4:17 AM CDT

Education Staves Off Alzheimer's

But seems to speed progress of disease once it sets in

(Newser) - Higher levels of education help delay the onset of Alzheimer's, but once the disease takes hold, mental decline is faster among those with more schooling, researchers have found. Each year of  education is linked to a 2.5 month delay in accelerated memory loss, according to the study in Neurology....

'Conscientious' Folks Face Lower Risk of Alzheimer's

Dependability appears to reduce threat: study

(Newser) - "Conscientious" people appear to be less likely to get Alzheimer's, researchers have found. Participants whose personality tests pegged them as extremely self-disciplined, goal-oriented and dependable were 89% less likely to get Alzheimer's than those at the opposite end of the diligence spectrum, according to a new study in the...

Smoking Linked to Alzheimer's
Smoking Linked to Alzheimer's
Sep 3, 2007 4:21 AM CDT

Smoking Linked to Alzheimer's

Smoking 'rusts' blood vessels, researchers find

(Newser) - If lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and social ostracism aren't enough, here's another good reason to stop smoking: a new study links smoking to Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The study, published in the journal Neurology, says that smoking alters the cells of arteries much the same way that metal rusts.

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