...Now, Eli Lilly has also announced that their contribution to the Alzheimer’s battle, solanezumab, did not meet the primary endpoints, both cognitive and functional, in either of the two Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on the drug. read more..
Title: Buttered Popcorn Flavoring Linked to Alzheimer's
Category: Health News
Created: 8/9/2012 11:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/9/2012 12:00:00 AM read more..
Title: Drug May Slow Memory Loss in Early Alzheimer's
Category: Health News
Created: 8/7/2012 11:01:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/7/2012 12:00:00 AM read more..
Could non-aerobic exercise help prevent Alzheimer’s and other dementia? Possibly. A recent article in The Atlantic reported on a study involving a group of seniors residing in Shanghai, China and the practice of the ancient art of tai chi as a way to prevent Alzheimer’s. read more..
The Framingham Offspring Study found that Vitamin B12 Deficiency is a big problem. How bad? As many as forty percent of the population might be at risk of a vitamin B12 deficiency.By Bob...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news and information for the entire Alzheimers and Dementia community. read more..
Even though there are many, many difficulties, having Alzheimer’s does not mean you are less than you were; having dementia does not mean you are dumb...By Tom and Karen...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news and information for the entire Alzheimers and Dementia community. read more..
There is a lovely letter here, to President Obama, about non-pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer's and dementia.
It reads, in part, "Drugs can't give people with dementia a life worth living. Non-pharmacological interventions can!" and includes a link to a petition to sign.
Hey, I think everything and everything possible should be thrown at Alzheimer's, including voodoo and the kitchen sink. Sacrifice a chicken, then fry it up and eat it--it was gonna die anyway, right? "Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog http://alzheimersdad.blogspot.com(c) Gevera Bert Piedmont })i({Thank you for visiting! read more..
As a result, the molecules have great potential as a therapeutic agent to prevent or delay injury in individuals in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's Reading Room
John VossUC Davis researchers have found novel compounds that disrupt the formation of amyloid, the clumps of protein in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease believed to be important in causing the disease's characteristic mental decline.
The so-called "spin-labeled fluorene compounds" are an important new target for researchers and physicians focused on diagnosing, treating and studying the disease.
The study, published today in the online journal PLoS ONE, is entitled "The influence of spin-labeled fluorene compounds on the assembly and toxicity of the Aß peptide."
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UC DAVIS RESEARCHERS CREATE MOLECULE THAT BLOCKS PATHWAY LEADING TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
"We have found these small molecules to have significant beneficial effects on cultured neurons, from protecting against toxic compounds that form in neurons to reducing inflammatory factors," said John C. Voss, professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and the principal investigator of the study. "As a result, they have great potential as a therapeutic agent to prevent or delay injury in individuals in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease, before significant damage to the brain occurs."Amyloid is an accumulation of proteins and peptides that are otherwise found naturally in the body. One component of amyloid - the amyloid beta (Aß) peptide - is believed to be primarily responsible for destroying neurons in the brain. Fluorene compounds, which are small three-ringed molecules, originally were developed as imaging agents to detect amyloid with PET imaging. In addition to being excellent for detecting amyloid, fluorenes bind and destabilize Aß peptide and thereby reduce amyloid formation, according to previous findings in mice by Lee-Way Jin, another study author and associate professor in the UC Davis MIND Institute and Department of Medical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
The current research studied the effects of fluorene compounds by attaching a special molecule to make their activity evident using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. This technology allows researchers to observe very specific activities of molecules of interest because biological tissues do not emit signals detectable by EPR. Since Voss was interested in the activity of fluorenes, he added a nitroxide "spin label," a chemical species with a unique signal that can be measured by EPR.
The group found that spin-labeled compounds disrupted Aß peptide formation even more effectively than did non-labeled fluorenes. In addition, the antioxidant properties of the nitroxide, which scavenge reactive oxygen species known to damage neurons and increase inflammation, significantly contributed to the protective effects on neurons.
"The spin-labeled fluorenes demonstrated a number of extremely important qualities: They are excellent for detecting amyloid in imaging studies, they disrupt Aß formation, and they reduce inflammation," said Voss. "This makes them potentially useful in the areas of research, diagnostics and treatment of Alzheimer's disease."
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and affects some 5 million Americans. Current medications used to fight the disease usually have only small and temporary benefits, and commonly have many side effects.
A major obstacle in developing Alzheimer's disease therapy is that most molecules will not cross the blood-brain barrier, so that potential treatments given orally or injected into the bloodstream cannot enter the brain where they are needed. Fluorene compounds are small molecules that have been shown to penetrate the brain well.
"We have br read more..
Title: Alzheimer's-Linked Gene May Have More Effect on Women
Category: Health News
Created: 6/12/2012 6:06:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 6/13/2012 12:00:00 AM read more..
A very important part of being a good caregiver for someone who has Alzheimer’s is taking care of you – that means exercising. The benefits of exercise are well documented... read more..
Guide dogs for the mind, the holy grail, and...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
The Alzheimer's caregiver deals with a disease...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
It was strange timing to learn of the passing of a fellow resident from the Alzheimer’s unit where my mother lived while I was attending the Memory Loss Conference a few weeks ago. I ran into the head nurse from … Continue reading ? read more..
Title: Trial Set to See if Drug Can Prevent Alzheimer's
Category: Health News
Created: 5/15/2012 6:05:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/16/2012 12:00:00 AM read more..
You and I travel to the beat of a different drum Oh can't you tell by the way I run Every time you make eyes at me Wo-oh
You cry and moan and say it will work out But honey child I've got my doubts You can't see the forest for the trees
By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Banyan TreeEvery time we drive through Sherwood Forrest Dotty marvels at the size and shape of the Banyan trees. The Banyan trees are about 60 feet tall. Maybe taller.
I would estimate that Dotty has seen the same exact trees over 7,000 times. But now, each time its for the first time.
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Five years ago it would be unsettling to me when Dotty would start talking about those trees. She would marvel, look at those trees. Look how big they are. I can't believe it. I have never seen so many trees.
What did I do? I would remind Dotty that she had seen those trees thousands of times. It was somehow important for me to remind her. Of course, this would sometimes cause Dotty to become confused. It might even cause her to tell me that I was full of poop. Her words were not kind.
Eventually, I made my way into Alzheimer's World. After I made it into the World I started looking at things from Dotty's point of view. Why should I be upset if she asked me what day it was ten times? If she needed to know what day it was, she needed to know. After all, don't we all need to know what day it is? How would you know where to be, or where to go, or what to do if you never knew what day it was?
Once I made it to Alzheimer's World, I started to look at the world from Dotty's point of view. I tried to think and feel like she was thinking and feeling. I often asked myself, why? Why is she acting this way? Why is she feeling this way? I also stopped making it all about me. Instead, I made it about Dotty, and about us. I stopped complaining and saying, can you believe she does this, and she does that. I replaced words like she, me, and you, with words like we and us.
Once into Alzheimer's World, I started listening to Dotty. The sound of her voice. What was I hearing? Confusion? Anger? Happiness? Joy? I listened.
Today when Dotty starts marveling at the size or the number of trees, I'll be listening to her voice. I'll hear how amazed she is. How happy she sounds. I'll listen to her words. I'll feel happy. I'll also notice that those banyan trees are big and beautiful. Amazing looking in fact. Each and every time if you pay attention.
Way back when, when Dotty would act like she never saw those trees before in her life I would get sad. I would need to remind her she had seen them thousands of times. I was burdened.
Now, I listen to Dotty's sweet voice. Hear how really amazed she is feeling. It makes me feel happy. We get along better these days.
I finally learned to look at the trees.
More Insight and Advice from the Alzheimer's Reading Room
By Carol Blackwell Alzheimer's Reading...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
“What’s she doing?” “What did she say?” “What...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
Every week we scour the news for the latest headlines in Alzheimer’s care, treatment and prevention. Here are some big stories for the week of April 23rd 2012: Daily Activity... read more..
What do you think?By Barbara Pursley ...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
“Does Audrey have her hearing aids in?”By...
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide. read more..
A recent public service announcement broadcast in Belgium has added fuel to the controversy over how “clever” it’s appropriate to be when it comes to Alzheimer’s awareness campaigns. The Flemish League Alzheimer’s Association recently commissioned a PSA message that has brought strong responses from viewers. read more..
Every week we like to scour the news world for the latest Headlines in Alzheimer’s care, treatment and prevention. Here are some major headlines for the week of April 9th... read more..
I've been writing this blog for a LONG time, and I know I often talk about things that might make people feel uncomfortable--that's the road I've chosen to travel. I have other blogs, on other subjects, and I often get negative comments on those. But on this blog, NEVER have I had anyone say anything bad...until now.
(I'm not talking about spam--I'm talking about rude.)
I recently did a post about what Alzheimer's cost my family in terms of Social Security income.
This is what someone commented:
"Some people don't think about their retirement thoroughly. And they take important steps before thinking about it twice or asking an expert."
WHAT?! My dad retired because he had ALZHEIMER'S. Did you miss that, jerk? And my mom retired to be a CARETAKER for my dad, who had ALZHEIMER'S.
There is nothing to "think about thoroughly" when you are sick with a fatal illness, or your spouse is.
And if you are implying they should have had investments, I didn't even get into that in the other post. But I will now. My mom had a nice 401(k) and some other savings. But there is a thing called a SPEND DOWN where the government makes you spend ALL your money before you or your spouse can go on Medicare. So the retirement she did plan for instead went to $10k a MONTH on a nursing home until she ran out of money. How do you plan for that, huh? You got an extra $120K a year just lying around waiting to be spent on nursing care? Good for you, I hope you live a LONG TIME and suck up all that money and someone comes along and tells you that you should have planned better and died quicker.
"Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog http://alzheimersdad.blogspot.com(c) Gevera Bert Piedmont })i({Thank you for visiting! read more..
The stuff touted to confer anti-aging properties on foods from blueberries to dark chocolate does no good for people with Alzheimer’s disease—and might even make them worse... read more..
Why has it been such a challenge to pinpoint the exact role in pathology of apolipoprotein E, which surpasses all other genetic risk factors for late onset Alzheimer’s disease?... read more..
It appears at the moment that Dotty has some new awareness and is more engaged. Yes, like always I am amazed, and greatly heartened.
By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Bob DeMarcoI had a long conversation with Carole Larkin yesterday about how Dotty has recently "perked up". She is more alive and more aware.
As this happens, I always ask myself, what changed, what variables are causing the difference? What am I learning, or relearning, that could help or benefit other dementia caregivers?
I think a key word is relearning. It is amazing how I have to relearn something I already learned over and over as an Alzheimer's caregiver for my mother.
AD caregiving is difficult. There is always so much going on. One of the things that make it difficult is that the variables are always changing, the person living with dementia is always changing. As persons living with Alzheimer's change, so do the tasks you perform each day change.
In a way, at least for me, this sometimes makes it difficult to stick to the routine, to stick with the program. To do the things that are necessary to help keep the dementia patient attached to the world, and aware.
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One reason that I get distracted from our routine is that I have to deal with the reality that Dotty's condition continues to worsen. This is not unexpected, but nevertheless dealing with the "expected" as it happens is taxing emotionally and psychologically. So I think this explains in part why I sometimes get distracted and fall out of our routine. It takes a lot of energy to deal with the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Recently, I have been distracted because Dotty can barely walk. We are now using the wheelchair every time we go out the door.
Dotty can no longer walk the 60 or so feet to go see Jim and Ruth. I must tell you this does make me a bit sad. That drains energy. Dotty can no longer "mosey" on down to see Jim and Ruth. This means she can't go get her own social interaction. This means I have to take her down, or find a way to fill in the void. Again, emotionally, psychologically and energy draining.
It took me a while to figure out what we were going to do adjust to these new circumstances. As a result, while I was making a plan, we fell out of our routine a bit.
A few weeks ago, I finally gathered up the energy and focus to start pushing Dotty around in the wheelchair. The purpose is simple, get her out into the sunlight for a big injection of Vitamin D. Yes, I think the level of vitamin D is important. You absorb vitamin d from the sun. So, if Dotty is not getting enough vitamin d she gets dull, bored, and less communicative.
Recently, we have been getting some very large doses of sunlight. This happens on our wheelchair walks, and on our renewed trips to the pool.
I have to assume that sunlight is one factor that is making Dotty more aware and more communicative.
Let me throw this out while we are here. The sun is out folks even if its cloudy or dingy out. Keep that in mind.
During the last trip to pool Dotty started saying some things and making some observations she had not made in a long time. I wondered about this. The only thing I can conclude is that the trips to the pool are "throwing Dotty back in time". In other words, she talks and acts a bit like she did in the long ago "days". I see this as a big positive. Why? Well, at least Dotty is initiating some talk and make some observations. This seems to carry over at home.
For the last two days, Dotty has started to say over and over, "I'm hungry, I'm starving". I had not been hearing this for a long time. So yes, it catches my attention. Why? The sunlight? The pool? The rides in the wheelchair? Me? Or, all of them in combination?
I think it is all of them in combination plus I am paying more attention to Dotty.
Another thing read more..
