“If you face a difficult situation, you have two choices. You can change the situation or, if you can’t do that, you must change yourself to meet the situation.”....By Carol Blackwell
It’s one of the hottest concepts to emerge from the discussions about how best to overhaul the nation’s health care system: accountable care organizations. The idea is to encourage groups of doctors or hospitals to work together to oversee medical care so quality improves and costs go down. Having captured the fancy of Washington, the organizations are even a part of the new health care law.
“Sixty-eight percent of all victims of Alzheimer’s are women. Is it just because they live longer? Let’s say it is, for purposes of discussion. Let’s say it’s just because these ladies get old. Do we just say, ‘Who cares?’ and move them into a nursing home? Or alternatively, maybe they are telling us something.” -- Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton
“These women thought they were losing their minds,” Brizendine said, describing the 40-to-60-year-old patients she began seeing when she opened the Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic at the university in 1994. “In 1994 we didn’t have words for it,” she said. “Now we do. It’s called perimenopausal depression.”
An 89-year-old Alzheimer's patient has avoided eviction from a Vancouver nursing home after the facility agreed to a treatment plan that doesn't involve sedatives.....By Bob DeMarco
Collectively, our data, together with the previously published in vivo data, suggest that curcumin and its derivatives may prove useful in the search for small-molecule pharmacological agents for the effective treatment and prevention of AD-related β-amyloid pathology.
“I don’t even know who I am!”Her biggest fears were realized when she had to be placed in an Alzheimer’s ward for the last few months of her life, and I would say that, yes, she was aware of her suffering.
A lack of social stimulation is harmful for people with dementia. It exaggerates the impact of the condition. It can lead to depression and it encourages people to withdraw into themselves.....By Bob DeMarco
Your thoughts and reaction?....By Bob DeMarco
MIT biologists report that they have discovered the first link between the amyloid plaques that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and a gene previously implicated in the aging process, SIRT1....Alzheimer's Reading Room
The same molecular mechanism that increases life span through calorie restriction may help boost memory and brainpower.....Discovery could lead to new drugs to fight Alzheimer’s, other neurological diseases....Alzheimer's Reading Room
A reader sent me an email asking about Aricept and Namenda and some other issues. After typing out this response I thought I would publish it as an article...By Bob DeMarco
And then the words, flew out of me -- she has Alzheimer’s disease.....By Bob DeMarco
Over time, I came to believe that these feelings are more then just an idea. Knowing that you are not alone is one of the first steps to reaching that place deep inside you that often lies dormant. It is a spiritual place. Alzheimer’s caregiving unleashes a heightened sense of the world around you -- you become connected.
I knew respite was important. Intellectually, I understood its value and necessity. But, being the stubborn dunce, I had to experience it to have my preconceived notions about how to do respite adjusted to reality.....
Here is your chance to ask your question to one of world's leaders in the study of Alzheimer’s disease genetics -- Dr. Rudy Tanzi......By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer’s disease is arguably the most important challenge we have in terms of public health. --Steven Paul....
The ApoE protein is involved in cholesterol transport within the blood, but its role in the brain is less well understood. Paul presents evidence that ApoE works in microglial cells to clear Aβ42 from the brain before it can accumulate to form damaging plaques.
I have had to make up my own system of keeping track of most everything that goes on in my life. ....By Bob DeMarco
Since I am living with this disease one day at a time, I have found that clock time really does not have any value like it did before I was diagnosed.
My sense of time just is not the same as it used to be. The more information that is made available to me, the more CONFUSED I get.
The Alzheimer's Reading Room has clear, concise, usable news, research, insight and advice for the entire Alzheimer's community. ....By Bob DeMarco
I soon realized that Alzheimer's caregivers are often thrust into their role with little or no experience, training, or education about Alzheimer's disease. As a result, they are often overwhelmed and suffer from feelings of helplessness.
The combination of Dotty and Alzheimer's never cease to amaze me.....By Bob DeMarco
I had my old Dotty back for twelve weeks. Yeah, it was a kinda watered down version but not to bad. She even laughed the way she did in the old days. It sounded the same.....
For those of you that have been here a while, I believe you enjoyed the Dotty Says articles. Those articles and those events occurred during the 6 to 18 week period when my mother was on Dimebon.....By Bob DeMarco
But there is a problem. The Food and Drug Administration says it needs to know not just that plaque was reduced or even that it disappeared, but that those who took a drug ended up with better memory and better ability to think and reason as compared with those who did not take the drug.
This is a call on the Collective Brain of the Alzheimer's Reading Room....By Bob DeMarco
Hi Bob! I have been reading you posts on the Alzheimer's Reading Room for some months now and find them very informative and uplifting.
I have been caring for my mother for just over 6 months now who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's about 2 years ago, even though I and other members of our extended family suspect she had it a lot longer.
To be honest with you, I find caring for her very tiring/wearysome for many reasons.
...first of all, I can not be outside of her presence for more than a few minutes or she will search me out so I have absolutley no quiet space to read or even get online for more than a few mins before being assailed with "what are you doing" "why are you doing" etc etc.
...she is only satisfied if I sit with her virtually 16 hours a day, which is impossible.
She can/is very negative in her words to me and about others, and if I say something positive, she will return a negative answer...she had always been somewhat negative in outlook, but she is 100 times more so now.
....she is 83 yrs old, thinks she has nothing wrong with her, denies everything, even when shown proof.
...I understand I need to enter the alzheimer's world, but her changes of mood, from mellow to angry, sad in the space of a few minures for the whole day is for me, unbearable.
....nothing I say or do can allievate all this...I feel helpless and at the end of my tether, and ready to walk out every day.
....she is in the old adage "a street angel, and a house devil" in that she can be very friendly/warm to people outside, and very negative/nasty to me.
....I do not want to see her put in a home, so any advice you may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated...thank you!
This live presentation by Dr. Rudy Tanzi will be conducted over the Internet. You can participant through your own computer and headset or phone. This webinar is open to readers of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. Your participation is wanted and welcomed. You can ask a question or simply listen....By Bob DeMarco
A newly identified gene appears to be highly predictive of not only the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, but also the approximate age at which the disease will begin to manifest itself, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center...
"Every day, researchers go to work with the sole purpose of advancing our understanding and knowledge about Alzheimer's, which is the defining disease of the baby boomer generation. We need a government response that shows equal commitment by providing the level of funding for research that will get us better diagnostic tests, treatments, and a cure," William Thies.
"Research suggests that when the family of someone who is officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's becomes educated about the disease, and they work together with medical professionals on a care plan, it can reduce the patient's difficult behavioral and psychiatric symptoms," said Maria Carrillo, PhD, Senior Director of Medical and Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer's Association. "It can also lower the family caregiver's anxiety, depression and stress."
"The increased risk of seizures among patients with Alzheimer's disease was seen in all age groups, but there was a substantial increase among the youngest patients. It is especially important for these patients and their caregivers to be aware of this risk," Nicole Baker said.
"These studies demonstrate the potential toll Alzheimer's disease can take on patients and their families," said Michael Grundman, M.D., M.P.H., Vice President, Clinical Development, on behalf of the Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program. "The Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program is dedicated to advancing research and developing new treatments that may help fight this deadly disease and ease the burden on patients and their caregivers."
"Alzheimer's had not previously been recognized as a risk factor for anemia, which is a common clinical problem for the elderly and can contribute to problems such as heart failure and renal failure," Faux continued. "The cause of anemia in Alzheimer's is still uncertain, but we speculate that Alzheimer's is a disease that affects both brain and blood. We are currently investigating this intriguing possibility."
If you are Alzheimer's dementia healthcare professional you might want to take a look at this website. Alzheimer's caregivers might also find this site useful. Readers might consider sharing this article with their personal care physician.....By Bob DeMarco
"Many caregivers did not recognize the early signs of dementia because they thought it was a part of their loved one's normal behavior," said Dilworth-Anderson. "Most caregivers mistakenly believed that having dementia is normal and accepted it as a part of growing old. A medical diagnosis of dementia is often only sought after a cultural understanding is developed by the cultural group."
Increasing evidence suggests that early diagnosis of Alzheimer's and timely intervention is beneficial, both for people with the disease and their caregivers. Earlier Alzheimer and dementia diagnosis could allow for earlier use of medications and other interventions that could help to maintain the person's independence longer. Delays in diagnosis also mean that many miss the opportunity to make legal, financial and care plans while they are still capable.
Have any of you ever searched through your loved ones history wondering what might have led to them developing Alzheimer's disease? I know I have."Research has pointed us towards a number of factors that may impact our risk of Alzheimer's and cognitive decline, the strongest being reducing cardiovascular risk factors," said William Thies, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at the Alzheimer's Association. "The Alzheimer's Association and others have repeatedly called for longer-term, larger-scale research studies to clarify the roles that these factors play in the health of the aging brain."
David Llewellyn, PhD, of the University of Exeter Peninsula Medical School (UK), and colleagues examined information from 3,325 adults aged 65 years and older from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a study that was carefully designed to accurately represent the U.S. non-institutionalized population. Vitamin D levels were measured from blood samples and compared with performance on a measure of general cognitive function that incorporated tests of memory, orientation in time and space, and ability to maintain attention.
The researchers found that people who consumed tea at a variety of levels had significantly less cognitive decline (17-37 percent) than non-tea drinkers. More specifically, study participants who drank tea 5-10 times/year, 1-3 times/month, 1-4 times/week, and 5+ times/week had average annual rates of decline 17 percent, 32 percent, 37 percent, and 26 percent lower, respectively, than non-tea drinkers.
"Biomedical research and development is very risky; for every new medicine that makes it to market, thousands must be screened in discovery. For a complex condition such as Alzheimer's disease, which has multiple factors contributing to its onset and progression, the challenges are even greater," said Steve Romano, vice president, medical affairs head, Pfizer Primary Care Business Unit.
Drinking fruit or vegetable juice may be better for you than you think. A research study shows that drinking fruit or vegetable juice may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.Believe it or not, the researchers followed 2,000 adults over a ten year period.
As the nuns use to say -- a word to the wise is sufficient.....By Bob DeMarco
“A simple blood test for detecting Alzheimer’s has long been the holy grail for dementia researchers and these new findings edge us closer in the search"....By Bob DeMarco
Finally, when her anger and confusion were slipping out of our control, I moved her into an assisted-living facility, where on each painful visit I see the changes as she disappears a little more...
A friend calls it grieving, like saying goodbye by going to the same funeral over and over again.
"It's really challenging to grieve someone that's sitting right in front of you," said Kallmyer. "It's really challenging to grieve someone that you've just helped take a bath and get them dressed."
"Because it's such a long process and a long road that a family travels down together, it changes family dynamics," said Pring. "And it takes away all our preconceived notions about how families should look and how they should function."
"I know that he will always be in my life," Jan said.
"We think doctors may be prescribing more medications because the patients aren't giving them the right information about what they are taking"....By Bob DeMarco
Get answers to your health questions and concerns from Cleveland Clinic physicians and health educators.....By Bob DeMarco
There can be little doubt that an early diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's leads to a better experience for both the patient and the caregiver.....By Bob DeMarco
"What's really novel about our study is that we evaluated all of these biomarkers in the same subjects, so we could more easily compare the predictive value of any one measure over the others," said Landau. "The Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, which measures memory recall ability, and the PET scans measuring glucose metabolism were the two markers that clearly stood out over the others."
The positive effects of socialization, initiative, and motivation on the part of Alzheimer's sufferers and their caregiver should not be overlooked. I believe these are as important as the medication..........By Bob DeMarco
Care giving for a child or an adult is difficult. It is also transformative by making one into a better person as passions, agendas, and priorities change and challenge. But this is where the comparison ends.
Most of us choose to have a baby. In early pregnancy we start celebrating the pregnancy and telling the world our big news.
And then your care giving begins. Along your care giving journey will be education, celebrations, proms, vacations, weddings and more; you will be surrounded by friends and family.
In advanced Alzheimer’s or Dementia people can let you down; and then there is the realization of eventual disappointment, disability and death. -- Lou Nevola
