A Whole New Take on the Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease
Today, Thomas Edison’s words ring true regarding the race to obtain both the main cause and a cure for Alzheimer’s disease: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Each day seems to bring hopeful news of another clinical trial, followed shortly after by the aggravating news that results failed to […]
What a Herd of Elephants Can Teach Us About Alzheimer’s
The old saying is true: elephants truly do have incredible memories, even in their old age. To illustrate, they can remember and return to very particular locations many years after visiting them, irrespective of age. Just what exactly can we discover from elephants that might lead to increasing our own brain functioning as we age? […]
Tips for St. Petersburg Seniors to Prevent Cognitive Dysfunction After Surgery
Undergoing surgery for older adults always involves some inherent risks, but there’s a little-known effect impacting a substantial number of seniors after surgery that we all should be informed about: POCD (postoperative cognitive dysfunction). POCD occurs in more than 25% of seniors in the days and sometimes even weeks after non-cardiac surgery, and can present […]
The Alzheimer’s Supplements to Avoid
As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That can easily be applied to the recent increase of corporations offering alternative supplements, dietary programs, and herbal concoctions in order to treat, or at the very least lessen, the ramifications of Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association aims to alert […]
Could It Be True? Telling Lies to Someone with Alzheimer’s May Be Best.
At an early age, we learn the tale of George Washington’s misadventure with the cherry tree and his bold admittance to his parents, “I cannot tell a lie; I chopped down the cherry tree!” Truthfulness is embedded within our character, and in many cases telling a tiny white lie can wrack us with guilt. But […]
How Rethinking Decades of Alzheimer’s Research Could Lead to a Cure
For those who follow the latest research in Alzheimer’s disease, we are all too familiar with amyloid plaques, the troublesome buildup thought to be linked to Alzheimer’s. But is it possible that the buildup is, in fact, helpful? Neuroscientists Rudolph Tanzi and Robert Moir, from Harvard’s influential teaching hospital, Massachusetts General, are making breakthroughs with […]
Reasons Why Women Are at Higher Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers are finally beginning to get a grip on the imbalance between Alzheimer’s diagnoses in women and men. Currently, as many as 2/3 of those with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. are female, and as scientists begin to understand the particular nuances behind this trend, we can begin to address them. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s […]
Help for This Common Alzheimer’s Care Concern: Resistance to Personal Hygiene
Of the many challenges related to providing care for a loved one with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association reveals that the most prevalent difficulty is with personal hygiene, for a variety of reasons: Reduced sense of vision and smell Comfort found in familiarity (i.e., wanting to wear the same clothes over and over again) The complexities […]
How Concerned Should You Be About Guns and Dementia?
With an impassioned level of debate rivaling the Hatfields and McCoys, it appears insurmountable to come to a resolution around the issue of gun control. Yet in spite of which side of the fence you are on, there’s one little-discussed scenario that will cause all of us to take pause: the frightening mixture of dementia […]