Popular Articles on the Alzheimer's Reading Room -- September (Top Landing Pages)

Test Your Memory (TYM) for Alzheimer's or Dementia in Five Minutes (#1 June, July, August, September)
A new cognitive test for detecting Alzheimer's disease is quicker and more accurate than many current tests, and could help diagnose early Alzheimer's, dementia, or mild cognitive impairment.
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Dementia and the Eight Types of Dementia
Dementia is a an illness that usually occurs slowly over time, and usually includes a progressive state of deterioration. The earliest signs of dementia are usually memory problems, confusion, and changes in the way a person behaves and communicates.
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Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away
A recently released study showed that regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia and can help slow progression of Alzheimer's disease. Less well known is the fact that if you have a big belly in middle age the chances that you could suffer from dementia are tripled.
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The Combination of Aricept and Namenda Helps Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
"The results of this study should change the way we treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for use in mild to moderate dementia, while memantine has been approved for advanced dementia. But it looks like there is an advantage in prescribing both drugs as initial treatment."--John Growdon, MD
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A Simple Three Minute Test Can Detect the Earliest Stage of Alzheimer's Disease
The study shows that the combination of a very brief three-minute cognitive screening test, called the Mini-Cog (MC), with a Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) -- administered to a family member or friend -- could accurately identify individuals with MCI and undiagnosed dementia.
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Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 800 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Dementia, and Memory Loss

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

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Does Loneliness cause an Alzheimer's like Dementia ?

Loneliness may put people at risk of an Alzheimer's-like dementia.

"People who described themselves as lonely were twice as likely to develop dementia," says researcher Robert Wilson of the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Research suggests lonely people are at greater risk of developing dementia. Seniors who scored high on the loneliness quiz agreed with three or more of the following scenarios:

• I experience a general sense of emptiness.
  
• I miss having people around.
• I feel like I don't have enough friends.
• I often feel abandoned.I miss having really good friends.

Source: Robert Wilson at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago

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Source USA Today

By Kathleen Fackelmann, USA TODAY

Loneliness may put people at risk of an Alzheimer's-like dementia, a study reported.
"People who described themselves as lonely were twice as likely to develop dementia," says researcher Robert Wilson of the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Other studies have found that people who are unmarried and socially isolated are at higher risk for dementia, including Alzheimer's. But this study is one of the first to show a link between loneliness — or the feelings of disconnection from other people — and a higher risk of developing dementia late in life, says Laurel Coleman, a spokeswoman for the Alzheimer's Association and a geriatrician in Portland, Maine.

Wilson and his colleagues studied 823 people who were about 80 years old and had no sign of dementia at the start of the study. The team gave the recruits a loneliness quiz and tested them annually for signs of memory loss and confusion, two key signs of dementia and Alzheimer's.

During the four-year study, 76 people developed an Alzheimer's-like dementia, Wilson says. The risk of developing dementia increased about 51% for each one-point increase on the loneliness scale. People with the highest scores had 2.1 times the risk of developing dementia, a group of conditions that destroy brain cells and lead to mental confusion. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia.

Autopsies were performed on 90 people who died during the study. The researchers found no link between loneliness and the development of the abnormal brain deposits that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's.

That finding suggests loneliness might be triggering dementia through a novel mechanism — one that doesn't lead to a brain riddled with deposits, Wilson says.

One theory is that people who are lonely over long periods of time might have higher levels of damaging stress hormones. The elevated stress hormones might lead to an accelerated aging of the brain — and perhaps to dementia, Wilson says.

Other research suggests lonely people are at risk of other health problems such as cancer and high blood pressure, says John Cacioppo of the University of Chicago. Still, he says, the new finding, which appears in February's Archives of General Psychiatry, must be verified by additional research.

The findings didn't change much when the team factored in markers of social isolation, such as infrequent participation in social events. That means that people who have a small number of good friends might be better off than those with a busy social schedule but chronic feelings of loneliness, Wilson says.

But lonely people often benefit from signing up for a new class or activity, Coleman says. Research shows that such activities might protect aging brain cells. And seniors who are out and about are more likely to make new friends, which might lessen feelings of loneliness, she says.

Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 600 articles with more than 11,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Original Content the Alzheimer's Reading Room

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From the Alzheimer’s Reading Room


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It is Difficult to Catch the Early Signs of Alzheimer's

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Ten Million Baby Boomers likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s during their lifetime


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Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away

High cholesterol levels in your 40s raises Alzheimer's risk

When Alzheimer's Hits at a Young Age

Conscientious people are less prone to Alzheimer's


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I Missed the Early Signs of Dementia in my Mother


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Exercise

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Husband Seeks Votes for 'Alzheimer's Disease: Early Detection Matters' Project

This is a worthy cause. I know everyone is busy but if you own an American Express card you can vote in under a minute.

Jay Smith, the man who submitted this project, has first hand experience with Alzheimer's. About ten million baby boomers can expect to suffer from Alzheimer's disease if a cure or therapy is not found. Early detection does make a big difference.

To vote go to http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/OGSSPK

clipped from alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com Husband Seeks Votes for 'Alzheimer's Disease: Early Detection Matters' Project Please take the time to vote. Alzheimer's Campaign Selected for Top Five in Members Project from American Express The "Alzheimer's Disease: Early Detection Matters" campaign has been selected as one of the top five campaigns in the Members Project from American Express, which will award $1.5 million to the program that receives the most votes through Monday, October 13. The submitter, Jay Smith, whose wife has early onset Alzheimer's disease, along with the Alzheimer's Association, are now asking that card members go to and vote for the Alzheimer's Disease: Early Detection Matters campaign.

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Combining Alzheimer's drugs helps slow rate of decline in Alzheimer's Patients

These findings should bring hope to those suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia. Baby boomers should take note.

clipped from alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com My mother is currently moving into the medium stage of Alzheimer's so for us this is exciting news. I intend to send this information to our personal care physician and discuss it with him immediately. "Finding something that could actually modify the course of the disease is the Holy Grail of Alzheimer's treatment, but we really don't know if that is happening or what the mechanism behind these effects might be," Alireza Atri explains. "What we can say now is that providers should help patients understand that the benefits of these drugs are long term and may not be apparent in the first months of treatment. Even if a patient's symptoms get worse, that doesn't mean the drug isn't working, since the decline probably would have been much greater without therapy." The results raise the intriguing possibility that the drugs may be protecting the patients' brains from further deterioration, the authors said.

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