Alzheimer's and Dementia Online: News and Information for Carers

Blogs » High Blood Pressure Puts Strain on Brain

2010-01-31T22:42:00.000-08:00

Blogs » High Blood Pressure Puts Strain on Brain

Over the years, multiple studies have shown links between deteriorating brain health and high blood pressure. One such study recently published in the journal Stroke found that older people with high blood pressure tended to have a greater accumulation of white matter on their brains. Past studies on people with various forms of dementia—including Alzheimer’s disease—have found that people with the most severe forms of dementia have this so-called white matter. White matter is basically scarring that’s formed on the brain.

Dementia and end of life

2009-10-22T02:46:00.000-07:00

Sobering reading but I am 100% behind palliative care and a "good death" rather than aggresive intervention near end of life..
@Times - Inside NYTimes.com by E-Mail: "Dementia is often viewed as a disease of the mind, an illness that erases treasured memories but leaves the body intact.

Health Guide: DementiaBut dementia is a physical illness, too — a progressive, terminal disease that shuts down the body as it attacks the brain. Although the early stages can last for years, the life expectancy of a patient with advanced dementia is similar to that of a patient with advanced cancer.
The lack of understanding about the physical toll of dementia means that many patients near the end of life are subjected to aggressive treatments that would never be considered with another terminal illness. People with advanced dementia are often given dialysis and put on ventilators; they may even get preventive care that cannot possibly help them, like colonoscopies and drugs for osteoporosis or high cholesterol.

The continued focus on treatment to prolong life often means that pain relief is inadequate, and symptoms like confusion and anxiety are worsened. A new study suggests that family members would be far less likely to subject their loved ones to such treatment if they had a better understanding of dementia as progressive, debilitating illness that ultimately shuts down the body after years of mental deterioration.

Harvard researchers recently followed 323 residents of 22 nursing homes. All had end-stage dementia, meaning that they no longer recognized family members, could speak fewer than six words and were incontinent and bedbound. During the 18-month study period, more than half of the patients died.

During the last three months of life, 41 percent of the patients received at least one “burdensome” treatment, like transport to the emergency room, hospitalization, feeding tubes or intravenous treatments. Advanced dementia patients are particularly prone to infections because of incontinence, risk of bedsores, a depressed immune response and inability to report symptoms.

When the investigators looked more deeply into the reasons for treatment decisions, they discovered stark differences based on what family members knew about dementia. When they understood its progressive and terminal nature, only 27 percent of the patients received aggressive care. For family members who did not understand the disease, the figure was 73 percent.

“When family members understood the clinical course of dementia and the poor prognosis, the patients were far less likely to undergo these distressing interventions,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Susan L. Mitchell, senior scientist at the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston. “Dementia is a terminal illness and needs to be recognized as such so these patients receive better palliative care.”

The study also found that pain control was often inadequate. One in four subjects were clearly suffering from pain, but that number may understate the problem, because the patients were unable to talk about their pain.

Dr. Sachs, at Indiana, notes that care for patients with dementia has changed very little in the past 30 years. As a teenager, he watched his grandmother decline from Alzheimer’s disease. During her final months, she was repeatedly treated for infections and put in restraints or sedated to control agitation. "

A 2005 report from the Alzheimer’s Association showed troubling trends in care at the end of life. In a sweeping review of the medical literature, the investigators found that 71 percent of nursing home residents with advanced dementia died within six months of admission, yet only 11 percent were referred to hospice care, which focuses on comfort rather than active treatment.

Simply transferring a dementia patient from the nursing home to a hospital can lead to confusion, falls or a decline in eating — which in turn, often leads to further aggressive treatment.

Geriatricians say a large part of the problem is that the patients are unable to make their wishes known. In the absence of a living will, family members often struggle with guilt and are afraid to stop aggressive treatment because they do not want to be seen as abandoning a loved one in mental decline.

Dr. Sachs says doctors need to spend more time explaining the prognosis for advanced dementia, making it clear that palliative care does not mean less care.

“We’re not talking about aggressive care versus no care,” he said. “Palliative care is aggressive and attentive and focused on symptom management and support of the patient and family. It’s not any less excellent care.”

Number of people with dementia worldwide to double every 20 years

2009-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Latest news - The leading UK research charity for dementia: "Number of people with dementia worldwide to double every 20 years 21st September 2009

The number of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will nearly double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050, according to a new Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) study, released this World Alzheimer’s Day.

The 2009 report, published by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), was prepared by a research team headed by Professor Martin Prince from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London. It covers the global prevalence of dementia, the impact of dementia worldwide, and a detailed analysis of the challenges faced by governments and healthcare systems worldwide."

review into the widespread misuse of antipsychotic drugs for people with dementia

2009-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Latest news - The leading UK research charity for dementia: "Government under pressure to publish antipsychotic review 7th October 2009

10 leading dementia organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, are demanding that the government publishes its long-delayed review into the widespread misuse of antipsychotic – or ‘chemical cosh’ – drugs.

Earlier this year, an Alzheimer’s Research Trust-funded study published in Lancet Neurology found that antipsychotic drugs double risk of death for many patients if used over a three year period. As many as 100,000 people with dementia are routinely prescribed antipsychotics in UK care homes. This could mean 23,500 people dying prematurely, according to a 2008 report by Paul Burstow MP."

Memory loss “not the only” early indicator of Alzheimer’s

2009-10-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

Latest news - The leading UK research charity for dementia: "New research into how the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s affect the brain suggests that mental abilities outside of memory, such as spatial awareness, may decline years before clinical diagnosis is usually made."

News about mental health on the Mental Health Foundation website

2009-08-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

News about mental health on the Mental Health Foundation website: "Neural networks mapped in dementia patients Full StoryDifferent types of dementia show dissimilar changes in brain activity. A network mapping technique described in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience has been applied to EEG data obtained from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD, a less common type of dementia with more prominent behavioral symptoms)."

Curry a day could keep dementia away - Yahoo! News UK

2009-07-04T03:42:00.000-07:00

Curry a day could keep dementia away - Yahoo! News UK: "Having a curry once or twice a week could stave off Alzheimer's disease, it has been claimed. Skip related contentCurcumin, an ingredient in turmeric, which is used widely in Indian cuisine, is believed to prevent changes in the brain by blocking the spread of amyloid plaques - toxic protein deposits thought to play a key role in Alzheimer's.
Members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists were told at their annual meeting in Liverpool that laboratory and animal studies have already produced strong evidence that curry combats dementia.
A clinical trial is now under way in California to test the effects of curcumin on a group of Alzheimer's patients."

TV series lifts curtain on Alzheimer's - MayoClinic.com

2009-06-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

TV series lifts curtain on Alzheimer's - MayoClinic.com HBO Documentary Films and the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health lift a curtain on the lives of those impacted by Alzheimer's disease, as well as the most cutting edge advances from those who treat and study the disease, in a new documentary project.

The "Los Angeles Times" wrote that the 4-part HBO documentary is "an ambitious, disturbing, emotionally fraught and carefully optimistic film exploring virtually every angle of Alzheimer's disease that can be explored on television."

If you haven't already, I invite you to watch these films and offer your reaction, beginning with "The Memory Loss Tapes." After watching, consider sharing your thoughts. What affected you the most and why?

The series is available on HBO, HBO on Demand, or you can watch for free on your computer at www.hbo.com/alzheimer's, where many other resources are available.

Delaying retirement could prevent early dementia, say scientists | Society | guardian.co.uk

2009-05-19T02:26:00.000-07:00

Delaying retirement could prevent early dementia, say scientists | Society | guardian.co.uk:

"Working beyond normal retirement age might help stave off dementia, scientists said today.

Keeping the brain active later in life appears to reduce the chances of an early onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study of 382 men with probable dementia. The researchers suggest a significant link between later retirement and delayed symptoms.
The findings emerged from a wider study on data from 1,320 people with dementia led by members of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College, London, and funded by the Alzheimer's Research Trust and the Medical Research Council.

The researchers found no link between education or employment and dementia risk, but found that those who retired later prolonged their mental abilities above the threshold for dementia"

Residents celebrate success of care facility (From The Northern Echo)

2008-10-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

I agree that the move towards "extra care facilities" is a positive move I just had to point out the factual error in this report....Residents celebrate success of care facility (From The Northern Echo): "RESIDENTS of a £4.5m care complex have been celebrating the success of the scheme, which has helped them to stay independent.
Sunnyfield Lodge, near Ripon, opened in May last year and was the first 'extra care' scheme in North Yorkshire.
It has 40 self-contained apartments, and provides 24-hour care for its residents, as and when it is needed."... I wrote "Extra care complexes are truly a great alternative to care and nursing homes.

I have to point out that The Orchards, extra care in Brompton, Northallerton opened in April 2003 and has provided a lovely home with appropriate care since late 2003 for my father in law who has severe dementia ....

http://www.housingcare.org/assisted-living-extra-care-housing/scheme-86560-the-orchards-brompton-england.aspx
The Orchards, which was opened in April 2003, is Broadacres' first purpose-built Extra care scheme. It comprises 34 flats and 3 bungalows, along with a restaurant, landscaped gardens, lounges and health centre. Care staff are on site 24 hours per day.
The Orchards provides a safe and secure home for life whilst at the same time encourages social interaction through the Orchards Social Club which enables members of the wider community to use the facilities for the payment of a nominal fee.
Extra care complexes are truly a great alternative to care and nursing homes. I have to point out that The Orchards, extra care in Brompton, Northallerton opened in April 2003 and has provided a lovely home with appropriate care for my father in law who has severe dementia since late 2003. http://www.housingca re.org/assisted-livi ng-extra-care-housin g/scheme-86560-the-o rchards-brompton-eng land.aspx The Orchards, which was opened in April 2003, is Broadacres' first purpose-built Extra care scheme. It comprises 34 flats and 3 bungalows, along with a restaurant, landscaped gardens, lounges and health centre. Care staff are on site 24 hours per day. The Orchards provides a safe and secure home for life whilst at the same time encourages social interaction through the Orchards Social Club which enables members of the wider community to use the facilities for the payment of a nominal fee.

Second patient benefits from pioneering helmet (From The Northern Echo)

2008-09-12T02:14:00.000-07:00

Second patient benefits from pioneering helmet (From The Northern Echo): "A NORTH-EAST inventor has revealed that a second US patient is benefiting from a prototype antidementia device.
Earlier this year, The Northern Echo exclusively reported that County Durham GP-turned inventor Dr Gordon Dougal had developed a light-emitting helmet which he is convinced can help combat dementia. . . .

Dr Dougal said the unnamed 58 year old American, who is also a university lecturer, got in touch with him after reading about his invention.

In June, Dr Dougal flew to New York to meet the man and agreed to provide him with a second prototype helmet. “He noticed his memory was declining and asked if I could help. I met him in New York, dropped off a helmet and it has worked for him,” said Dr Dougal.
“He has been using it for about six weeks.

“His principle problem is his memory and the helmet has had a positive effect,” said Dr Dougal, who says that the 700 light-emitting diodes in the helmet will help to hold dementia in check and even partially reverse the condition."

The part that perhaps raises most hope and confidence is at the end of the article...

"An early invention by Dr Dougal, which uses the same wavelength of light to heal cold sores, has been approved for use by the NHS."

Sunday Herald: Life: People, Lifestyles & Living Today

2008-09-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday Herald: Life: People, Lifestyles & Living Today:

"Dementia has ceased to be a condition that is hidden away in the family closet. Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher's descent into forgetfulness has been publicly charted by her daughter, while Terry Pratchett has described his own as an 'embuggerance' but carried on writing. We also live in an era when all aspects of ageing are considered worth fighting.

Does this mean we are any closer to real hope for sufferers? For Jean Rankin, now entering the severe stages of the disease, perhaps not. The carers at her day centre recently told her daughter she was losing more of her personal skills. Her independent life at her Falkirk home is 'hanging by a thread'. The future for her is only further deterioration.

But there is hope. Ongoing research at the University of Aberdeen by Professor Claude Wischik and his company TauRx suggests that within five years a drug that stems the development of the disease may be on the market. Currently undergoing trials, the drug - remberTM - has so far been found to reduce memory loss by 80%. Effectively, it is halting the progress of the condition. What is remarkable about remberTM is that it came from left-field. Most other scientists had been pursuing the theory that the culprit - and, therefore the target for drugs - was protein deposits in the brain called 'amyloid plaques'. Meanwhile, Wischik had been examining another set of protein formations known as 'tau tangles'. He believed that if those tangles could be broken down, the disease could be halted....

Alzheimer's lies at the centre of a battle for the human mind that raged throughout the 20th century. Roth played a role in this fight. Wischik credits him with having "guided a generation of psychiatrists through a period of post-Freudian thought into the age of drugs, when psychiatry understands mental illness biologically".

But the battle began long before Roth - in 1910, just nine years after a woman in her 40s arrived at the Frankfurt Mental Institute exhibiting many of the symptoms associated with what was then called senile dementia. Auguste D, as she was called, had memory loss and delusions. She was in the habit of dragging sheets about her house and would scream for hours during the night. Her doctor, Alois Alzheimer, asked her to write her name, and she would start, then seemingly forget, and say: "I have lost myself."

When she died in 1906, Alzheimer studied her brain and published a paper outlining his findings of plaques and fibrules and their connection with the condition. He made no attempt to suggest this was his own discovery, or indeed anything new in the investigation of dementia. It was his co-worker, Emil Kraepelin - now widely considered the father of modern scientific psychiatry - who, in his 1910 book, Psychiatrie, identified Alzheimer's disease. He cited it as proof, in his battle against the Freudians, that mental illness could be caused by physical changes.

Few nowadays dispute that Alzheimer's is an organic disease. In the past 30 years the battle for a cure has switched from Freud versus Kraepelin to tau versus amyloid ß , the "tauists" versus the "ßaptists". In his dogged adherence to tau, Wischik was pushing against the scientific grain that amyloid was the key....

One of the surprises about remberTM is that it looks as though it may work at almost all stages of the disease. Given this, it could function, like statins, as a preventative. It could halt the development of the tau tangles long before there are any symptoms.

Does Wischik foresee a future in which everyone over 60 will begin popping these pills with their muesli? No. Rather, he hopes that, using diagnostic tests he is developing, those who need the drug will be identified and targeted. The potential market is huge. Wischik's research suggests that more people than were previously realised currently have undetected Alzheimer-type patterns in their brains. He recognises six stages of deterioration. By stage two there is a small amount of memory loss. A person gets demented "somewhere between stage two and stage four". Of the 10m over-65s in Britain, he notes, 6m are at stage two or beyond. "That," he says, "funnels down to about a million who have full-blown Alzheimer's, and even that, I think, is an underestimate."

"

New Alzheimer's Drug Rember Hailed As Breakthrough | Health | Sky News

2008-07-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

New Alzheimer's Drug Rember Hailed As Breakthrough | Health | Sky News: "Scientists have developed a drug that could prove twice as effective as current medicines in treating Alzheimer's."

All too late already for Gan Gan and anyone already diagnosed with Alzheimer's as further clinical tests are needed and it will be at least 4 years before the drug becomes available and it is likely to be used only on those in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

Stages of Alzheimer's: "Stages of Alzheimer's

Stage 1: No impairment
Stage 2: Very mild decline
Stage 3: Mild decline
Stage 4: Moderate decline (mild or early stage)
Stage 5: Moderately severe decline (moderate or mid-stage)
Stage 6: Severe decline (moderately severe or mid-stage)
Stage 7: Very severe decline (severe or late stage)"

The expert rolled out on the TV news reckoned the drug would be used before stage 4 is reached so early diagnosis will be even more crucial.

Extra Care Housing Enabling More Older People And Those With Dementia And Long-term Conditions To Live In A Home Of Their Own, UK

2008-07-21T03:15:00.000-07:00

Extra Care Housing Enabling More Older People And Those With Dementia And Long-term Conditions To Live In A Home Of Their Own, UK: "Health and Care Minister Ivan Lewis today (Monday 21 July) announced the sites that will benefit from £80million of Government funding to build extra care housing, enabling more older people and those with dementia and long-term conditions to live in a home of their own...

People who are unable to continue to live in their own homes have traditionally had their choices limited to care homes, creating a number of problems including couples finding they can no longer live together.

Extra care housing gives people a home of their own where wide ranges of care and support services are provided on site. Tenants enjoy greater privacy, dignity and independence, couples can stay together, and social and leisure opportunities can be enjoyed at the resident's convenience. In addition, homeowners may be able to keep some of the equity in their property."

From our experience with Gan Gan extra care accommodation works really well for him and he now has severe dementia but appears most settled when in his apartment as compared to say the hospital or one of the family's houses when the change in surroundings makes him very agitated indeed. One of the saddest aspects of his decline is the inability to take pleasure from most everything apart from his cigaretts, it is a battle to get him to eat anything, he does not ask for a beer, cannot follow TV shows nor read his daily paper. So sad...

New treatment for dementia

2008-07-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

The Northern Echo :: News, Sport, Business and more from around the North East: "A MAN with an aggressive form of dementia has become the first person in the world to benefit from a revolutionary treatment developed by a North-East GP.

Three weeks after he flew to the UK to be treated using a prototype light-emitting helmet - invented by County Durham GP Dr Gordon Dougal - American Clem Fennell's family are amazed at the progress he has made..... In January, The Northern Echo broke the news that the North-East medic had developed a new way to combat dementia, a feared degenerative brain disease which affects millions of Britons.

In 2005 researchers at Sunderland University confirmed that infra-red light with a specific wavelength of 1072 nanometers has a measurable, positive effect on human immune cells, also known as lymphocytes, which play a vital role in the healing process.

"The great thing is that this treatment is non-invasive. It wouldn't do any harm," said Dr Dougal.

The Fennells have been told they can take the prototype helmet back to the US with them so they can continue the treatment at home.

Dr Dougal estimates that commercially available helmets, which include 700 LEDs, will cost about £10,000, but should last for years"

Dementia – a living death - Sunderland Echo

2008-07-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

A heartbreaking first hand account of living with and caring for a partner with Alzheimers.

Dementia – a living death - Sunderland Echo: "It started with little things, like Audrey Shaw popping teabags in the kettle, and missing numbers on her bingo card.
'It was my friend who noticed it and said 'There's something wrong with Audrey. She's never missed a number before,'' says her husband of 47 years, Brian, who never realised it was the start of dementia and the heartbreak of his life."

For now gan gan is still back in his extra care apartment following the succesful hip replacement (needed because of a fall) but while in hospital he could not recognise the place as a hospital despite all the visual and other clues we all would process unthinkingly to call the place a hospital. He always seemed more comfortable in the apartment even if he did mistake for a station or a hotel at times..

This week however he seems ever more confused and insistent that he does not know where he is whereas before he would settle when his furniture etc was brought to his attention and told the name of the village and town but no more. it seems to be a long slow spiral always downwards and very had on all the family. Where it all will go next is anyones guess...

Jackpot Rollover Newmarket

2008-07-09T02:23:00.000-07:00

Newmarket Jackpot Tips: Working through the race card, tips will be online before the first race. Well worth having a go as there could be a £1million jackpot to be won at Newmarket today as it was not won at Pontefract yesterday.
The rollover pool will start on £521,541 after £308,887 so the magic million is a real possibility today.

The totepool spokesman, Paul Petrie, stated: 'It is normal for the pools to double in size and with the quality of racing on show at Newmarket we would hope the jackpot would top the £1million mark.'"

Blood pressure link to dementia - Yahoo! News UK

2008-07-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

Blood pressure link to dementia - Yahoo! News UK: "High blood pressure among the over 80s can increase their chances of dementia, a study has found.

The condition pressure is already associated with an increased risk of strokes and heart attacks.

And these new findings show lowering blood pressure among this elderly age group could cut their chances of dementia by 13 per cent.

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: 'This is an exciting development, with the potential to enhance thousands of lives."

Sunday Ayr Jackpot Placepot Tips & Stop at a Winner Dutch Bets

2008-07-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Thought today was going to be another jackpot winning day, close in the end but no big payout...

Sunday Racing Tips, Jackpot Placepot: "2.20 Jaconet WON 5/1, Mandalay King 3rd
2.50 Snow Bay WON 4/5
3.20 Border Fox, Papa’s Princess WON 10/1
3.50 Inner Voice 2nd
4.20 Imperial Sword, Oeuf A La Neige
4.50 Esoterica WON 10/3"

Latest news - Alzheimer's Research Trust

2008-07-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Latest news - Alzheimer's Research Trust: "Results from a large US study reveal that women aged 90+ are almost twice as likely to develop dementia than men.

Previous studies have shown that in men and women over the age of 65 the prevalence of dementia increases by 5% and doubles every 5 years thereafter. . .

This study revealed that the prevalence of dementia kept on doubling in women aged over 90 but not in men of the same age. It allows us to look at the risk factors associated with dementia and whether they have a greater effect in women aged 90+ or if certain sex-specific risk factors are the cause.

This study also found that women with higher education were less likely to develop dementia.

So on one hand my risk of developing dementia is higher but negated by my having a degree...

BBC NEWS | Have Your Say | Tofu 'may raise risk of dementia'

2008-07-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

BBC NEWS | Have Your Say | Tofu 'may raise risk of dementia': "Eating high levels of some soy products - including tofu - may raise the risk of memory loss, research suggests.

The study focused on 719 elderly Indonesians living in urban and rural regions of Java.
The researchers found high tofu consumption - at least once a day - was associated with worse memory, particularly among the over-68s.

The Loughborough University-led study features in the journal Dementias and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders...

Soy products are rich in micronutrients called phytoestrogens, which mimic the impact of the female sex hormone oestrogen.

There is some evidence that they may protect the brains of younger and middle-aged people from damage - but their effect on the ageing brain is less clear.

The latest study suggests phytoestrogens - in high quantity - may actually heighten the risk of dementia."

Does this mean I should stop using soya milk in my tea as I am dairy intolerent but love a good cuppa?

Simple questionnaire may identify dementia risk | Healthcare News:

2008-07-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

Simple questionnaire may identify dementia risk | Healthcare News:: "Simple questionnaire may identify dementia risk

A new questionnaire has been devised which can evaluate an older adult's basic mental functioning abilities, US scientists say.

The questionnaire assesses an individual's performance in everyday activities and is completed by someone who knows the person well, according to a report in the July issue of Neuropsychology, published by the American Psychological Association.

Any difficulties experienced in activities such as shopping without a list or following a conversation could signal the risk or presence of disease, researchers at the University of California suggest....In addition, given it was able to differentiate between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and dementia, it offers great promise for detecting individuals who may be at increased risk of developing dementia, according to the researchers."

Hmm, why would someone who knows the person well be more able to give an objective answer to a question than the subject of the questionnaie themselves? Seems tobe stating the obvious and not much improvement on the mini memory test (Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE))

groundbreaking clue to the cause of Alzheimers

2008-06-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

6 news state "Researchers may have uncovered a groundbreaking clue to the cause of Alzheimers. It's Amyloid, a protein that can cause plaque buildup in the brain, and Amyloid clumps can damage the brain's memory centers. Scientists injected rats with several forms of the protein. They found one type was more likely to cause Alzheimer's.

Dr. Einar Sigurdsson, NYU Med. Ctr.: "It seems like we have these smaller clumps of the protein that are likely to be more toxic."

Research continues as to how the plaque causes the damage found in Alzheimer patients with much more needed before any clues as to how to prevent or treat Alzheimers

Fruit and vegetable juice can lower risk of Alzheimer's

2008-06-10T02:08:00.000-07:00

www.orlandosentinel.com reports on various health benefits of certain foods, re Alzheimer's they say:

"Juice it up. New research has found that drinking fruit and vegetable juice can lower your risk of Alzheimer's disease by 76 percent and help lower cholesterol. Just make sure you go for 100 percent juice (read labels carefully).

Lunch on salad. It's an easy way to get at least two servings of vegetables in one shot. Be sure to toss in the brightly colored ones, which are highest in disease-fighting antioxidants. Try red and green peppers, tomatoes and broccoli."

Alzheimer's and palliative care

2008-05-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Something that is maybe going to affect the whole family, gan gan has recovered well from the hip operation itself but is now partialy incontinent and very very frail and almost impossible to hold any conversation with

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk report that
"The number of people living with dementia in the UK is set to soar to more than a million in less than twenty years. This important review highlights the desperate need for specialist palliative care for those in the final stages of dementia. There must be more sharing of skills and knowledge between dementia care and palliative care specialists to enable this to happen.

The state of dementia care now has been compared to that of cancer care in the 1950s; people are afraid of dementia; many people do not receive a proper diagnosis; there is poor access to treatments and a lack of good quality care. The time for change is now. The first National Dementia Strategy, due to be published in draft next month, must tackle the appalling state of end of life dementia care.

Alzheimer's Society's position on palliative care can be found here. Some key elements of their position are:

- Alzheimer's Society believes that in the advanced stages of dementia, quality of life rather than length of life should be prioritised. The use of a tube for artificial hydration and feeding should not be considered best practice in the provision of care of people in the advanced stages of dementia.

- The opportunity to discuss end of life care should be provided at an early stage of the illness to enable individuals with dementia to input into decisions around their future care and treatment.

- The end of life care of people with dementia will involve a range of professionals across social services and NHS. In order to support the seamless provision of the care package we believe the key worker model should be explored. The NICE clinical guideline on supportive and palliative care recommends that the idea of nominating a person to take on the role of 'key - 1 in 3 older people will end their lives with a form of dementia.

- 700,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer's disease. In less than 20 years nearly a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051. 1 in 6 people over 80 have dementia.

- The Alzheimer's Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and those who care for them. The Alzheimer's Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

- As a charity, the Alzheimer's Society depends on the generosity of the public to help it care, research and campaign for people with dementia. You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting http://www.alzheimers.org.uk "

Hip operations and vascular dementia

2008-03-12T01:58:00.000-07:00

Thought I had seen the last of hospitals for a while after mum died in January, but no chance, gan gan fell and broke his hip just under a fortnight ago so once again we are to-ing and fro-ing every day to visit.

Amazingly they did a hip replacement operation the day after his accident and that is healing well but the poor old sod is even more confused than usual which means he is very unsetttled and distressed which is hard on the family ...and the hospital staff...although they are doig all they can to make him comfortable and try to find out if there is any other reason other than progression of his vascular dementia for his increased distress.

Who knows what the next steps are to be, he cannot even remember having had an op nor does he recognise his surroundings as being a hospital..a score of 4/35 on the mini mental state test does not bode well for his being able to be a good patient and help work towards restoring his already limited mobilty.....

Dementia cases to soar,

2008-02-25T03:23:00.000-08:00

The Mental Health Foundation reports that: "The number of people with dementia in Northern Ireland is set to double within a generation, the Alzheimer's Research Trust claimed today.

There are currently 16,000 sufferers, but the number is expected to reach 20,500 by 2017 and 47,000 by 2051."

Alzheimer's Research Trust Network

2008-02-19T03:35:00.000-08:00

Claire Regan for The Belfast Telegraph reports that:

"Research into Alzheimer's Disease has taken a step forward with the launch of a new centre specialising in underlying causes and novel treatments...

The Alzheimer's Research Trust Network links 15 UK centres of research, each headed by an internationally distinguished research scientist. The network centres share data and findings, pool resources when appropriate and have an annual conference to exchange ideas and results.

The new network will include 15 researchers based across both universities with an interest in the underlying causes or novel treatments for Alzheimer's."

Shocking figures : "The number of people with dementia is set to double within a generation. There are currently 16,000 people with dementia in Northern Ireland, a figure expected to increase to 20,500 by 2017 and to over 47,000 by 2051."

However, it is likely that most of this increase can be attributed to the aging population, ie we are all likly to live longer and the incidence of Alzheimers increases with age...of course there are also some new factors which may have an impact over the next few decades.... namely the increased use of soft and hard drugs from the 1960's on - 60's hippies will now be at or beyond retirement age with 80's ecstasy users 20 years behind....are these a couple of time bombs ticking away?

Attacking Alzheimer's research treatment and diagnosis

2008-02-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

Attacking Alzheimer's
latest news on treatment and diagnosis
Christine Larson January 31, 2008

"Though they may live in dread of it, most people will never develop it. "There's a 10 to 15 percent chance, if you live a normal life [span], you'll develop Alzheimer's disease," says Norman Relkin, associate professor of clinical neurology and neuroscience at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College. (To be sure, the prevalence in people over age 90 rises to nearly 1 in 2.) Relkin suspects the body has natural defenses—and several years ago, he and his colleagues set about finding them...

...By comparing the blood of Alzheimer's patients with that of normal older people, the team discovered that the patients did indeed have lower-than-normal levels of a particular antibody. The researchers administered the antibody—already present in a therapy used to treat immune deficiencies—to a handful of people with Alzheimer's in 2004. A few months later, they were shocked by the improvements in the patients' cognitive function. "The mental scores were increasing by an amount that was equivalent to setting the disease back by a year and a half," Relkin says. Last June, he discovered that the antibodies were ignoring single amyloid molecules and kicking in only to destroy the toxic clumps...

Immunotherapy for Alzheimer's patients is just one of several new directions promising to transform the treatment of Alzheimer's, Relkin says. "We're at a juncture now where we're trying to make the transition from treating symptoms to disease-modifying treatments" that hit at the cause of Alzheimer's...

Until recently, doctors weren't able to say for sure whether someone had Alzheimer's until an autopsy. But the closer science comes to a treatment for Alzheimer's, the more important early detection becomes. The National Institute on Aging is currently sponsoring a study of 800 older people—some cognitively normal, some with Alzheimer's, some with mild cognitive impairment—to uncover early warning signs. Promising techniques include MRIs used to show abnormal shrinking of the brain; pet scans to detect amyloid plaques in the brain or to spot patterns of glucose use associated with Alzheimer's; or spinal taps to look for abnormal concentrations of certain proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid during the early stages of Alzheimer's."

Alzheimer's, dementia sufferers and tagging

2007-12-29T05:05:00.000-08:00

I first looked into the availability of electronic tagging devices over three years ago when Harry was wandering frequently, the bast at the time was the SOS talisman range which did not provide a means of locating a lost person but ensured they always had essential details on them.

Now the Alzheimer's Society charity "has backed British government proposals to issue dementia sufferers with tracking devices if patients agree.

Concerns have been raised about the ethics of tagging dementia patients to stop them wandering off and the charity itself has in the past worried about the obtrusive nature of some of the tracking devices."

Blood test may be able to predict Alzheimer's risk

2007-10-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

The Mental Health Foundation report that "Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a blood test that is a step toward giving people an answer two to six years in advance of the onset of the disease.

The test identifies changes in a handful of proteins in blood plasma that cells use to convey messages to one another. The research team discovered a connection between shifts in the cells' dialog and the changes in the brain accompanying Alzheimer's. They found that the blood test could indicate who had Alzheimer's with 90 percent agreement with clinical diagnoses, and could predict the onset of Alzheimer's two to six years before symptoms appeared."

With all the restrictions on Alzheimer's drugs and its dire prognosis would you want to know?

New research gives hope for people suffering from dementia

2007-08-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

Michael Kahn LONDON (Reuters) reports that researchers have found a way to erase long-term memory in rats without damaging their brains in a study that could lead to targeted drugs for people suffering from dementia.

The findings show long-term memories are not as secure as thought and challenge the idea they stabilize after maturing from short-term memories, said Yadin Dudai, who led the study...

"This research is important because it casts light on the mechanisms of memory," Dudai said. "It also shows that long-term memory is not a permanent change and can be edited."

While the procedure is experimental and far too invasive to be done on humans, the results give drug makers a roadmap to develop new treatments related to memory....

Dudai said "The minute you identify a molecular mechanism that is critical for keeping memory going, you identify a potential target for drugs," he said. "The prime target is people with defective memories."

New Alzheimers Research

2007-08-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Medascape report a possible paradigm shift: Excess TNF-Alpha Emerges as a Key Therapeutic Target in
Alzheimer's Disease..

You will need to register, it is free, pretty technical but this research seems to offer the possibility of new treatments and better understanding of Alzheimers

There is now substantial, and accumulating, basic science, genetic, and
clinical evidence that excess tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is centrally involved
in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.[1-26] New TNF data from the
renowned Framingham Study is the most recent robust scientific evidence supporting
a key role of excess TNF in Alzheimer's.[4] By negatively influencing
synaptic regulation and amyloid, glutamate, NMDA, and inflammatory pathways, excess
TNF, along with amyloid/tau, may constitute the "perfect storm" which attacks
the brain and results in Alzheimer's progression.[1-26] The new recognition
of the potential association of traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's in
professional football players, the increasing attention deservedly being given
to the public health threat posed by Alzheimer's, and the increasing health
burden posed by the growing ranks of our young veterans afflicted by traumatic
brain injury underscores their unmet medical need. What is not yet widely
recognized is that these disorders are united by the common involvement of
excess TNF in their pathogenesis.[1-28]

Plans for a national dementia strategy

2007-08-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

Dreadful to read that so many people with dementia do not even get a diagnosis which could help improve their care ..

The Mental Health Foundation report that: "The Government is to produce the first ever national dementia strategy in response to one of the great challenges now facing society.

Speaking during a visit to a mental health centre for older people in North Kensington, Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis said:

"The scale of our ambition must now meet the scale of the challenge as demographic realities mean dementia will impact on an increasing number of families in our society. The current system is failing too many dementia sufferers and their carers".

"I am determined that this disease is brought out of the shadows. We need to minimise the shame and fear associated with dementia so that people and their relatives feel able to seek support at the earliest possible stage in the knowledge they will get expert help and be treated with dignity and respect."

There are currently around 600,000 people with dementia in England - a figure which is set to double in the next thirty years.

Despite an estimated investment of £3.3bn per annum, recent reports and feedback tell us that there are three key issues where improvements have to be made. These are:

* Better Awareness - Addressing the stigma of dementia in society and ensuring that individuals and their family members recognise the early signs of dementia so symptoms are not wrongly attributed to "old age" and patients are referred quickly for diagnosis.

Examples of these early signs are:

When you or your family feel that your memory has got worse for recent events;

When your family and friends notice that you are repeating the same phrases and questions over again.

When your family and friends notice that you are not looking after yourself as well as usual.

* Early Diagnosis - ensuring the diagnosis of dementia is made accurately and early by clinicians, so people with dementia and their families can receive appropriate support.

* High quality treatment- improving services so that people with dementia receive high quality treatment and support, which maximises their quality of life and ensures they are treated with dignity and respect.

Ivan Lewis continued:

"Dementia is a unique illness with devastating consequences. We know that as people live longer an increasing number of families will have to cope with the harsh realities of dementia.

"It is of utmost importance that we have the right services in place for people with dementia as well as those who love and care for them. By concentrating on improving awareness, diagnosis and managing the disease we will help transform the lives of those with dementia by improving their quality of life."

Alzheimer's campaigners win drug ruling

2007-08-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

Campaigners for Alzheimer's sufferers to have access to anti-dementia drugs on the NHS in the early stages of the disease were thrown a lifeline by a High Court judge today.

Mrs Justice Dobbs, sitting in London, ruled in favour of drug companies, supported by the Alzheimer's Society, which challenged new guidance by the Government's medicines watchdog that the drugs should not be funded by the NHS for patients with "mild symptoms".

The judge ordered that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which is responsible for providing national guidance on treatments available on the NHS, should amend its guidance in relation to the drugs at the centre of the case - which she ruled was "discriminatory"...

The judge announced: "In the light of the court's finding that the guidance is discriminatory, the court directs Nice to amend the guidance so as to ensure its compliance with Nice's duties and obligations under anti-discrimination legislation."

Alzheimer's Society chief executive Neil Hunt said after the ruling: "This judgment is vindication for the thousands of people who have campaigned for fair access to Alzheimer's drugs.

"The court has ruled that the Nice guidance is discriminatory and must be changed.

"The Alzheimer's Society told Nice this time and again. We have been proved right.

"Patients now have much fairer access to Alzheimer's drug treatments."

The Northern Echo: News: Don't Stop Dementia Drugs Campaign

2006-10-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Northern Echo: News: Don't Stop Dementia Drugs Campaign: "Don't Stop Dementia Drugs Campaign........deadline....make sure you submit your objection by Friday November 10 at the latest.

Don't Stop Dementia Drugs Campaign

2006-10-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Known for its previous successful campaigns The Northern Echo: News: Don't Stop Dementia Drugs Campaign: "The Northern Echo is launching a campaign against a decision to deny certain drugs which can improve the quality of life for many Alzheimer's and dementia sufferers. We have joined forces with the Alzheimer's Society and are calling on the Department of Health to set aside guidance from NHS drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) and ensure that the relevant treatments are made available for doctors to prescribe to all patients where they feel they will be of clinical benefit."

NICE says anti-dementia drugs should be used only for moderate Alzheimer's disease -- Day 333 (7572): 774 -- BMJ

2006-10-13T02:03:00.000-07:00

Ruling to affect thousands of dementia sufferers and their carers...

NICE says anti-dementia drugs should be used only for moderate Alzheimer's disease -- Day 333 (7572): 774 -- BMJ: "NICE says anti-dementia drugs should be used only for moderate Alzheimer’s disease...More than 80 000 people with Alzheimer’s disease are expected to be denied the drugs"

technorati tags
Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's treatment

Pot's Active Ingredient Could Fight Alzheimer's - Forbes.com

2006-10-10T00:08:00.000-07:00

Pot's Active Ingredient Could Fight Alzheimer's - Forbes.com: "Pot's Active Ingredient Could Fight Alzheimer's ....The active ingredient in marijuana -- delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- may slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests."

Apparently thee active bit works in the same way as trad alzheimers drugs but it still seems counter-intuitive to me given the general dopiness and forgetfulness attributed to dope smokers

Mediterranean Diet May Keep Alzheimer's at Bay - washingtonpost.com

2006-10-09T23:57:00.000-07:00

Mediterranean Diet May Keep Alzheimer's at Bay - washingtonpost.com: "Mediterranean Diet May Keep Alzheimer's at Bay Tuesday, October 10, 2006;
" well designed survey concludes..."After taking into account other factors that could affect the risk of developing the devastating brain disease, such as age and weight, the researchers found that those whose food choices were closest to a Mediterranean diet were 68 percent less likely to have Alzheimer's than those whose diets were least like it.

Researchers had thought that the protective benefits of the diet came primarily from protecting blood vessels. But the researchers said their study found evidence indicating that is not the case, suggesting that the diet may instead produce its benefits through other means, such as reducing inflammation and the amount of oxidation in the body."

But could this be enough to cancel out the genetic factor, reportedly as much as 75%?

Dementia: Not always Alzheimer's - MayoClinic.com

2006-03-28T23:54:00.000-08:00

Article outlines a number of different types of dementia with links to in depth information. It concludes that a diagnosis is essemtial as knowing the likely cause of dementia is the first step to treating it....how many carers do not pursue a diagnosis for their loved ones and so deny them the chance of effective treatment?
Dementia: Not always Alzheimer's - MayoClinic.com: "Dementia is a neurological disorder that affects your ability to think, speak, reason, remember and move. While Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, many other conditions also cause these symptoms. Some of these disorders get worse with time and cannot be cured. Other types can be treated and reversed.
The three most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia."

Health criteria strip old and infirm of free care

2006-03-20T03:37:00.000-08:00

Already a huge worry to the families and those caring for the elderly and disabled the issue of having to pay for care is becoming an ever increasing burdon on top of the problems associated with coping with long term illness, and disability..SocietyGuardian.co.uk | Society | Health criteria strip old and infirm of free care: "Health criteria strip old and infirm of free care

� Draft proposals toughen eligibility assessments
� MP claims 70,000 a year sell homes to pay for help..

The Guardian has obtained a leaked document suggesting criteria for deciding who among the old and infirm qualifies for free NHS "continuing" care. Ministers want standardised tests to address what they have called a "postcode lottery". But it is claimed that the proposals would also sharply reduce the number of patients eligible for free NHS continuing care.

Officials say a harsher assessment regime outlined in the document would force many more families to rely on local authority supplied "social care", which is subject to means testing. That would push more vulnerable people into a parallel system that is itself under unprecedented pressure from debts of £1.7bn.

...A senior social services source said: "We are taking this very seriously. This would effectively be the end of the NHS for older and severely disabled people."

Decisions about who qualifies for care are taken by health trusts using government guidance and the "Coughlan test", which determines whether care is provided by a local council and means tested, or free of charge by the NHS."

GMTV - Alzheimer's agony

2006-03-16T22:39:00.000-08:00

Watching Mike Baldwin in Coronation Street has been particularly hard for P as it is scheduled for 2 of nights he looks after H. However, true to the nature of Alzheimers H does not realise that he and Baldwin are suffering the same symptoms.

GMTV have picked up on the story line with some sympathetic coverage today and their site provides all the useful liks carers may need.

GMTV - Alzheimer's agony: "the current plight of Coronation Street character Mike Baldwin emphasises how devastating Alzheimer's can be"

I have found tthe script writing and acting to be absolutly spot on - even down to the fly away hair and soft smile when Mike has his hair combed. Touching

Alzheimer's risk 'is 80% genetic'

2006-02-21T00:28:00.000-08:00

Infamous twin studies - infamous because they all rest on decidly dodgy theoretical assumptions, but worth a mention...but it does make me wobnder what this means for my other half and his 3 siblings....

Mental Health Foundation: News: "Alzheimer's risk 'is 80% genetic'..

Up to 80% of the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is genetic, a study has suggested.

US researchers looked at almost 400 sets of elderly twins, where at least one had Alzheimer's.

It also found that genetic factors appeared to determine when a person developed the condition.

UK experts said the research, published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, would help quantify the role genetics played.

Two-thirds of adults aged 65 years and older with dementia have Alzheimer's.

The number of cases is expected to rise with the growing older adult population "

Alzheimer's highly heritable - Twin study shows that genetic factors influence the development and timing of Alzheimer's disease

2006-02-09T23:03:00.000-08:00

Twin study shows that genetic factors influence the development and timing of Alzheimer's disease -- Mayor 332 (7537): 324 -- BMJ: "Alzheimer�s disease seems to be highly heritable, and genetic factors may also influence the timing of the disease, concludes a large study of twins published this week. "

PLoS Medicine: Using Search Engines to Find Online Medical Information

2006-01-31T12:37:00.000-08:00

Google has changed medical info, access to it and the whole doctor patient relationship beyond my wildest dreams ( 5 years ago...) PLoS Medicine: Using Search Engines to Find Online Medical Information: "The Internet certainly provides a number of resources for finding medical evidence. The Cochrane Collaboration (www.cochrane.org), for example, posts freely available abstracts of systematic reviews of health interventions (access to the full text of the reviews requires a fee). PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi), the United States National Library of Medicine's search service, provides access to abstracts of articles in MEDLINE, PreMEDLINE, and other related databases. PubMed's MyNCBI feature provides useful filters such as �free full-text,� which shows papers for which the full text is available through the Internet, free of charge. The �HINARI� filter (www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/jf05/jf05_myncbi.html#filters) shows papers for which the text is freely available to residents of a small number of developing world countries�those with a Gross National Product per capita below $1,000�who are part of the HINARI agreement (www.healthinternetwork.org). PubMed Central (www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov) is the US National Institutes of Health's free digital archive of the full text of biomedical and life sciences journal articles.
Yet, as many a doctor will point out, the bigger problem with medical knowledge today is not its paucity, but the difficulty of navigating what there is. Finding the right answer quickly for a patient is difficult, and perhaps nothing will replace a good medical librarian in finding that information.
The rise of the search engine Google (www.google.com), along with other freely available search engines, has made it easier to find information, although the clinical uses of Google have not been as well documented as those of PubMed [1]. Google will "

Alzheimer's drug could make everyone brainier

2006-01-29T09:48:00.000-08:00

Alzheimer's drugs side-effects stomach pains and sickness

Nootropics A generic term for "smart drugs" which claim to boost cognitive abilities. From noos for mind, and tropos for bend.

Alzheimer's drugs: Prescription-only pills such as donepezil designed to slow the effects of Alzheimer's, now sold illegally online to improve brain abilities in healthy adults

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Alzheimer's drug could make everyone brainier: "A new generation of 'smart pills' known as nootropics which could make people think sharper and remember things better could be available in chemists within a decade, education specialists at a Bristol University meeting heard this week.

The drugs include prescription-only medications normally used to treat Alzheimer's disease and dementia in older people which some studies have suggested also improve memory and thinking processes in fit adults...

The drugs are already available on the internet, circumventing prescription controls. Sites based in America advertise a range of prescription-only pills for sale including Hydergine, the treatment for Alzheimer's for as little as $15.10 (£8.48) for a month's supply and deprenyl, a Parkinson's disease drug, for $45 a month. One website, Offshore Pharmacy, is registered to an address in the Channel Islands, though it says that it does not ship drugs to the UK.

Roy Jones, an Alzheimer's medication specialist at Bath University, said: "The general thought is that these substances work by increasing brain metabolism, circulation and introduce antioxidants which protect from damage. Any compound used or considered in the treatment of Alzheimer's will have been considered as a smart pill."

Many Alzheimer's drugs have serious side-effects, including stomach pains and sickness, he warned. One participant in the German trials was forced to drop out after experiencing severe side-effects including dizzyness and nausea.

"

SOS Alzheimers Talisman

2006-01-26T04:59:00.000-08:00

Well, Dad has been wandering again recently, turning up at his old house at 9am absolutly frozen and worn out, unable to get up the stairs to use the toilet and generally in a right state. He has been treated for a urine infection - 3 weeks after we suggested it as a cause for his increased agitation. Lets hope that things improve when he finishes the antibiotics.

All of this has reminded me to start my next marketing project. I think the SOS Talisman is a great medical ID tag product and will be using Adwords as the main form of advertising....

SOS Alzheimers Talisman: Sometimes it is impossible to stop the person with dementia or Alzheimers Disease wandering so it is imperative that they always carry some form of ID with medical and contact details in case of emergcency."

Alzheimer sufferers win 60m drug fight

2006-01-22T02:48:00.000-08:00

The Observer | UK News | Alzheimer sufferers win �60m drug fight: "Alzheimer sufferers win �60m drug fight

� Family protests force policy U-turn
� Acute dementia patients left out

Hundreds of thousands of Britons who suffer from Alzheimer's disease are to be given a massive boost tomorrow when government experts finally conclude that the benefits of at least three breakthrough drug treatments outweigh the financial costs.

Following an outpouring of protest from thousands of families whose relatives have been helped by the drugs, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) will reverse its earlier plan to ban the treatments which cost the NHS £60m a year. Instead, it will conclude that Aricept and other similar drugs should be given to patients in the early stages of the disease, when they have mild or moderate dementia."

The article concludes:"Three of the drugs, rivastigmine (brand name Exelon), donepezil (Aricept) and galantamine (Reminyl), cost around £2.50 per day per patient, resulting in an NHS bill of £60m a year. They belong to a class known as cholinesterase inhibitors, and were approved for use on the NHS in 2001.

They are currently prescribed to some 54,000 patients, but that is only a small proportion of the number who should be on the drugs. The fourth drug is Ebixa, also known as memantine, which costs £69 a month. This is the first in a new class of drugs called NMDA receptor antagonists which appear to have a protective effect on the brain, slowing down progress at the later stages of the disease.

The latest evidence suggests that 20 per cent of Alzheimer's patients do very well on the drugs, and up to 68 per cent derive some benefit. Campaigners say that to withhold the only treatment available to sufferers is immoral."

Regular exercise reduces risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease -- Mayor 332 (7534): 137 -- BMJ

2006-01-21T23:55:00.000-08:00

Exercise to lower your risk of Alzheimer's and dementia.Regular exercise reduces risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease -- Mayor 332 (7534): 137 -- BMJ: "Regular exercise reduces risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease...

More evidence for the "use it or lose it" approach to ageing has come from a study published this week showing that older adults who exercised three or more times a week had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia than adults who exercised less (Annals of Internal Medicine 2006;144: 73-81[Abstract]"

SOS Alzheimers Talisman ID for wanderers

2006-01-20T04:08:00.000-08:00

SOS Alzheimers Talisman: "SOS Alzheimer's Online Solutions

The problem: My father-in law has a form of dementia and it worries the family half to death when he decides to go for a wander as he does not remember where he lives or anyone's contact details. He is very unsteady and falls often. He and we have been lucky so far in that good samaritans have found him wandering and looking lost but end up taking him to where he used to live so I have been searching online for a discreet way of making sure he always has full details of who he is, where he lives, medical condition, medication and contact details in case of emergency. This site seems to have an answer to the id problem Why he wanders is another toopic altogether."

Technology enables more dementia patients to stay out of care

2006-01-16T09:18:00.001-08:00

Tunstall

Key Facts
There are 750,000 people with dementia in the UK
That's 5% of the total population aged 65 and over, rising to 20% aged 80 and over
154,000 people with dementia live alone
By 2026 there will be 840,000 people with dementia in the UK

There has previously been little alternative to residential care for many people living with the effects of dementia, as the risks of remaining at home often become too great as the condition progresses.This change of environment in itself can often prove distressing and detrimental to older people with dementia. Carers for those with dementia can experience prolonged periods of emotional and physical strain, and respite from their role is made difficult by the adverse effect
it can have on the person they are caring for.

Technology which can allow a carer to have a good night's sleep, safe in the knowledge that should their loved one wander out of the house, cause the bath to overflow or even leave their bed for a prolonged period of time, they will be alerted immediately can make an enormous difference to the quality of everyday life.

Telecare can monitor the environment for people living with dementia and their carers, and a variety of sensors can be employed as appropriate to the situation, such as the wandering client sensor.Wandering can be a particular issue for people with dementia, particularly at night time. A simple solution, based around a door contact and PIR (Passive Infra Red) can ensure that people with dementia do not need to be prisoners in their own homes in order to live safely in the community. This technology will raise an alert if it detects a presence leaving the house but not returning within a short space of time, thus enabling them to be guided safely home.

Alzheimers, wanderers and personal electronic tag

2006-01-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

I am trying to find some kind of electronic solutions to finding alzheimer & dementia patients who wander. Parts of the US have databases which link to search and rescue with some also using GPS tags. Such aids do not seem to be available on the UK market so I may have to search wider.

Example; UK-Wire: "One of the features that make HomeFree's systems so attractive is the new watch style personal electronic tag, which was developed on the basis of specific market feedback. This new 'Personal Watcher', which will also be offered to HomeFree's existing clients, is much lighter and more comfortable to wear than the previous version and acts as a conventional watch, making it far more acceptable to patients."

"I have asked officials in the Department of Health to develop a strategy for telecare and
other electronic assistive technology and for the development of other equipment services,
and to consider what enabling action government might now need to take. I am putting my
personal support behind the efforts to bring about the technological, service and cultural
developments that our ageing population deserves. "
Speech by Stephen Ladyman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Community Care:
Integration of Community Equipment Service (ICES) Conference, Homing In, 9 March 2004

Pull cords and personal alarms are not suited to Alzheimers and dementia patients because of the nature of their condition and frequent lack of awareness of the dangers of wandering.

First people injected with ID chips, sales drive kicks off | The Register

2006-01-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

First people injected with ID chips, sales drive kicks off | The Register: "It works like this. For a $200 fee and $10 a month for data storage you get your own personal chip, said to be about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen, inserted. A handheld VeriChip scanner can then be used to read the information on the chip, and naturally the positive medical aspects of the system are being majored on at the moment. The Jacobs family suffers from various ailments, so if one of them is taken ill near a medical centre equipped with a VeriChip scanner.... Ah yes, you see the problem, and the need to achieve critical mass. Nate Isaacson, also in the first wave of chipping, is however a more plausible example at this juncture.
He has Alzheimer's, and so long as VeriChip achieves a reasonable uptake in this area then there seems some likelihood of confused people found wandering around being scanned and identified. It'd be something the police and/or medics would probably reckon would be worth a shot.
What VeriChip doesn't do at this juncture is allow any kind of remote tracking."

OAPS to be tagged in care homes

2006-01-15T06:06:00.000-08:00

Scotsman.com News - OAPS to be tagged in care homes: "THOUSANDS of elderly Scots are set to be electronically tagged in a controversial bid to stop dementia patients disappearing from hospital wards and care homes, Scotland on Sunday can reveal.
The nation�s mental health watchdog has given the green light for electronic tagging of confused and vulnerable elderly people, despite widespread concern about the ethics of the move and the possibility that it might be abused.
The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWCS) believes electronic tags - which are commonly used as an alternative to jail for criminals - can save lives by preventing patients with dementia and other mental disorders straying into danger."

Applied Digital SolutiAlzheimer's Disease, GPS Technology and Alzheimer's Disease, Applied Digital Solutions sells a device Digital Angel

2006-01-15T03:35:00.000-08:00

Alzheimer's Disease, GPS Technology and Alzheimer's Disease, UPMC | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA:
"Personal locator devices using GPS technology can be used to pinpoint the location of lost Alzheimer�s patients. For example, Applied Digital Solutions sells a device called the Digital Angel, which is worn as a watch, plus has a separate clip-on pager. Using GPS mapping software and cell phone networks, the Digital Angel alerts caretakers by e-mail (sent to a cell phone, personal computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), or text pager) when an Alzheimer�s patient has wandered out of a pre-designated area. Two other companies selling similar devices are SIDSA, based in Spain, and Secom, based in Japan.

The advantages of using a GPS locator device over more traditional personal alert systems is that the user doesn�t have to activate it and the technology works over a larger geographic area. The main disadvantage is cost.

The Bottom Line
Wandering is a serious problem for Alzheimer�s patients and their caretakers. There are a few simple measures that caretakers can follow, however, to help prevent wandering:
Conceal or camouflage doors.
Install locks, alarm systems, and wandering monitoring devices.
Label doors to explain the purpose of each room and to discourage exit/entry. Use warning signs or symbols that say 'Do Not Enter' or 'No!'
Try to identify when the patient is likely to wander and distract him or her with another activity at that time.
Encourage activity that will relieve the patient�s anxiety.
Reassure the patient that he or she is in the right place.
If you are a caretaker for an Alzheimer�s patient, registering him or her in the Safe Return program may be a great option for your peace of mind. But if you�d feel better being able to find exactly w"

Alzheimer's Disease, database and finding wanderers and Alzheimer's Disease, UPMC | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

2006-01-15T03:19:00.000-08:00

Alzheimer's Disease, GPS Technology and Alzheimer's Disease, UPMC | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA: "What can be done for wanderers?

In 1994, the U.S. Department of Justice partnered with the National Alzheimer�s Association to create Safe Return, an identification program that unites Alzheimer�s disease wanderers with their loved ones. For a fee, families can register a patient with Alzheimer�s. The patient�s name, photo, identifying characteristics, and emergency contacts are placed in a database.

The patients wear an accessory � a pin, necklace, or bracelet � indicating that they are memory impaired. Then, if the patient is found wandering, a call can be placed to the 24-hour toll-free hotline listed on the Safe Return accessory. Local law enforcement agencies can then use this information to return the wanderers to their homes.

Another option available to keep a watchful eye on wandering Alzheimer�s patients is to use personal locator devices that integrate GPS technology with mapping programs and digital wireless gadgets. Still in the early phases of use, such devices receive signals from satellites to tell users where on earth they are. "

Alzheimer's Disease, GPS Technology and Alzheimer's Disease, UPMC | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

2006-01-15T03:16:00.000-08:00

Dad has started wandering again - possible he has a urine infection given that he has had trouble controlling his weeing, unable to get to the toilet in time etc....lets hope sis in law gets the doctor to him asap even though this was mentioned at least two weeks ago!

That apart I am reconsidering starting a new website to mAlzheimer's Disease, GPS Technology and Alzheimer's Disease, UPMC | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA: "GPS Technology and Alzheimer's Disease: Novel Use for an Existing Technology
Experts predict the number of Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer�s disease, a disorder that robs victims of their memory, cognitive abilities, and personality, will triple in the next 50 years. As the disease progresses, people with Alzheimer�s may lose track of time and become increasingly disoriented. As a result, for many Alzheimer�s sufferers (and those who take care of them) wandering is a huge problem. Safe Return, a national, government-funded identification program, helps locate lost Alzheimer�s patients in a safe and timely manner. Also coming onto the scene are new tracking systems using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology that may help keep track of Alzheimer�s disease sufferers."

Home Page for People with Dementia | Alzheimer's Research Exchange

2005-10-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

Home Page for People with Dementia | Alzheimer's Research Exchange: "Home Page for People with Dementia
Welcome to the Alzheimer's Research Exchange web site.
There are many people with dementia who are taking a more active role in their own care. They are looking for information that will assist them in being an active contributor to their families and communities. We hope the Alzheimer's Research Exchange will give you a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias by providing you with current research and best practices for care. The ARE will also provide a vehicle for sharing your personal experiences with others"

Alzheimers News Articles

2005-10-22T22:52:00.000-07:00

Alzheimers News Articles: "The latest Alzheimer's News Updated every hour " American Alzheimers news, throws up some usefull articles about dementia, alzheimers and related news.

Find out about the Alzheimers Society protest World Alzheimer's Day

2005-09-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

GMTV - Find out about the Alzheimers Society protest: "World Alzheimer's Day, 21 September each year, is a day on which Alzheimer associations concentrate their efforts on raising awareness about dementia. There are an estimated 18 million people around the world who currently have dementia.

The theme for World Alzheimer's Day, this year is "We can make a difference". For the UK, it is their 3rd year and Memory Walks will take place at 87 sites around the country. Thenumber of people with dementia is set to double over the next twenty years. World Alzheimer's Day events can raise essential funds and awareness

Changes to a person's lifestyle might affect the risk of getting Alzheimer's. These include:
Not smoking
Reducing the intake of salt and saturated fat
Taking regualr exercise
Drinking alcohol in moderation (flavonoids which are found in red wine are a type of antioxidant believed to neutralise some causes of brain damage)
Eating plenty or fruit and vegetables and eating oily fish once a week
Having an active social life"

Brain Workouts May Tone Memory

2005-08-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

Wired News: Brain Workouts May Tone Memory: "Among people who work with older adults, the concept of 'cognitive fitness' has become a buzzword to describe activities that stimulate underutilized areas of the brain and improve memory. Proponents of brain-fitness exercises say such mental conditioning can help prevent or delay memory loss and the onset of other age-related cognitive disorders...

One purpose of mental exercises is to reinforce the idea that "in aging, not everything is downhill," said Elkhonon Goldberg, a Manhattan neuropsychologist and author of The Wisdom Paradox, which examines how some people grow wiser with age.

"There are gains that are subsequent and consequent to a lifelong history of mental activity and mental striving," Goldberg said. He also believes brain exercises can benefit adults suffering from mild cognitive impairment, and he has developed computer puzzles designed to help them stimulate different areas of their brain.

It's not clear how much targeted brain exercises can prevent the onset of cognitive disorders in older adults. But some findings indicate that high cognitive ability is tied to a lower risk of Alzheimer's...

One of the most extensive and widely cited investigations on the subject, the landmark Nun Study, tracked 100 Milwaukee nuns who had written autobiographies in the 1930s. More than 50 years later, scientists gave them cognitive tests and examined the brain tissue of nuns who died. Those who demonstrated lower linguistic ability in the autobiographies were at greater risk for Alzheimer's disease.

A similar study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association surveyed 801 older Catholic nuns, priests and brothers. The results linked reading newspapers and participating in other brain-stimulating activities with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's."

Skull Scanner Reveals Alzheimer's

2005-08-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

Wired News: Skull Scanner Reveals Alzheimer's: "Technology that's now used to monitor patients in the operating room could become the first accurate way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease before death.
The only definitive way to diagnose Alzheimer's today is by performing an autopsy. But early test results indicate that a brain-wave analysis device can accurately detect the beginning stages of the deadly illness and even help to diagnose depression. The technology, developed by Aspect Medical Systems, converts the data from an electroencephalogram, or EEG, into a numerical value between 0 and 100 indicating the amount of electrical brain activity. "

Daydreaming activity linked to Alzheimer's

2005-08-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

Health News Article | Reuters.com: " The parts of the brain that young, healthy people use when daydreaming are the same areas that fail in people who have Alzheimer's disease, researchers reported on Wednesday in a study that may someday help in preventing or diagnosing the disease.
The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that the way people use their brains could actually lead to Alzheimer's disease.

"It may be the normal cognitive function of the brain that leads to Alzheimer's later in life. This was not a relationship we had even considered," said Randy Buckner, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Washington University in St. Louis who led the study.

The relationships are not clear and do not yet suggest that daydreaming is dangerous, but further study may shed light on the relationship, the study said.

The study found that Alzheimer's mostly affects the brain's "default state" regions -- used when musing or daydreaming.

"We appear to use memory systems often in our default states," Buckner said in a statement. "This may help us to plan and solve problems. Maybe it helps us be creative. But it may also have metabolic consequences."

For their study, Buckner and colleagues used five different imaging techniques including positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the brain activity of 764 volunteers, including those with Alzheimer's, those close to developing dementia, and healthy people.

Such imaging scans have recently been found to indicate Alzheimer's disease and may even be able to diagnose it -- something that so far doctors can only do with 100 percent accuracy after death, although certain cognitive tests give a very good indication.

When people are concentrating on a task such as reading, talking or solving problems, the brain uses one set of regions, but during down time it switches to a default mode.

"The regions of the brain we tend to use in our default state when we are young are very similar to the regions where plaques form in older people with Alzheimer's disease," Buckner said.

Alzheimer's has no cure and there are no long-lasting treatments for the brain-destroying illness, which affects an estimated 4.5 million Americans.

It is marked by a messy buildup in the brain of two proteins called beta-amyloid and tau, and the death of healthy brain cells, but the precise mechanisms are not understood.

Exercise, and mental and social activity appear to help protect some people against the disease.

The researchers said their imaging studies also helped show that people with pre-dementia had damage in areas known to be damaged in Alzheimer's, which further confirms the potential use of brain imaging to diagnose and track the illness.

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved."

Stages of Alzheimer's disease

2005-08-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

Stages of Alzheimer's disease - MayoClinic.com: "While there is no clear separation of 'stages' in dementia, there are global descriptions that capture the progression of the illness. The five basic descriptions of most types of dementia are based on an individual's abilities in the areas of memory, communication and self-care. These descriptions are:

Mild cognitive impairment. The person has some isolated thinking problems, often with memory, but can continue to live independently.

Mild dementia. The person experiences impaired thinking skills in two or more areas such as memory and problem solving. He or she may no longer be able to live completely independently and requires assistance with finances, grooming and dressing, and meal planning and cooking. The individual may also become confused when in public.

Moderate dementia. The person has severe thinking impairment and difficulty communicating. He or she can't live alone and needs help with almost every basic activity. The person can go out in public only with assistance.

Severe dementia. The person experiences severe problems with communication, frequent incontinence and requires constant care. He or she needs hands-on assistance with dressing and eating and is too impaired to go out in public alone.

Profound dementia. At this end stage, the person usually is bedridden."

Docs re EPA and Receiver Public Guardianship Office

2005-08-20T04:23:00.000-07:00

Enduring power of attorney
a guide to making an enduring power of attorney or taking on the role of attorney

Public Guardianship Office

Med Cert

Mind games 'answer' to Alzheimer's

2005-07-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

SocietyGuardian.co.uk | Society

"Relatively simple self-help measures and treatment by doctors have been shown by research to reduce or remove the risk of Alzheimer's and other dementias, a leading authority on the disease told the Guardian Hay Festival last night.

Among these measures are physical exercise, such as walking, taking fish oil and playing cards, the festival heard.
There is no need to wait for years for the discovery of miracle drugs to fight the predicted epidemic of 'many more millions' of Alzheimer's cases as the aged population grows, according to Lawrence Whalley, professor of mental health at Aberdeen University.

· The "fairly simple step" of adding the vitamins B12 and folate to the diet of everyone over 50. They should take 2.5 micrograms of B12 daily, he said.

· Brain-stimulating activities such as newspaper-reading, card games, puzzles and draughts. These had been shown in "the best study of the problem so far" to lower the risk of dementia. In urging this, Prof Whalley was challenging the widespread conventional wisdom that intelligence - as in the case of the novelist Iris Murdoch - and use of the mind are no protection against Alzheimer's. He declared: "The greater the mental activity at the beginning of the study, the lower the risk of dementia."

· Staying physically active as long as possible. "Women who walk" - healthy, physically active older women - had especially emerged from another long-term study of 6,000 women as "less likely to become demented". This was regardless of whether they had poor health, had done badly at school or smoked - factors which are usually regarded as important by Alzheimer's researchers.

· Taking fish oil supplements, already a habit among possibly 5% of people. Prof Whalley told his audience that about "100 grams of oily fish, taken two or three times a week is sufficient for an average adult".

Prof Whalley cited important research findings by the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing, which, he said were soon replicated by other researchers. The project found that "a naturally occurring amino acid - homocysteine - was increased in dementia sufferers and this deficit could be linked to their mental decline. Homocysteine builds up in the body when there is insufficient vitamin B12 and folate to convert homocysteine to methionine.

A Massachusetts study of more than 1,000 people, all initially without Alzheimer's, had shown that homocysteine was likely to be involved in the processes that occurred before the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's. The people were studied for up to 12 years. By the end, 111 had developed dementia.

"The risk of dementia in those with the highest homocysteine concentrations was about double the risk in all other subjects," Prof Whalley said. Achieving even slight delays in the onset of the disease could have a significant impact in reducing numbers of new cases and the huge predicted costs of care.

Summing up his analysis of up-to-date research, he said: "I concluded that whatever your doctor tells you is good for your heart is probably good for your head." "

Alzheimer's patients despair as drug decision is delayed

2005-07-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

SocietyGuardian.co.uk | Health | Alzheimer's patients despair as drug decision is delayed: "James Meikle, health correspondent::The Guardian

Government advisers have delayed a decision on the use of drugs to combat Alzheimer's disease as a row intensifies over the way the NHS determines which treatments it can afford...

Draft proposals to end routine prescription of four drugs for newly diagnosed patients on the grounds that they are not cost-effective sparked an outcry from patient groups, carers, doctors and manufacturers earlier this year.

Clive Ballard, the research director at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "It seems absolutely outrageous that drugs so clearly clinically effective should be withheld at such a modest cost.

"These drugs are not a cure ... but they do give people significant benefits ... In the context of most serious conditions, people would say buying a year of quality of life is something worth achieving."

About 750,000 Britons are thought to have dementia, of whom two-thirds are Alzheimer's patients"

Alzheimer's Research Trust

2005-06-02T23:43:00.001-07:00

Alzheimer's Research Trust - funding research into Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.: "The Alzheimer's Research Trust is funding the best major research projects to make a difference"

Definition: Alzheimer's disease is the commonest cause of dementia, accounting for about 65% of dementia in the elderly. Dementia due to narrowing of the brain's blood vessels (vascular dementia) and Lewy body dementia make up most of the remainder. Rarely, dementia can be reversed, for example if it is due to thyroid hormone deficiency or deficiency of vitamin B-12 or folic acid. It is therefore important that all patients with dementia are screened for these treatable causes.

In some cases of Alzheimer's disease, mental decline may occur relatively rapidly whilst in others the loss of cognitive ability may be more gradual. Alzheimer's disease shortens the life span and, although patients may live for as many as 15 years after diagnosis, the average period to death (usually from an infection) is about 8 years.

Symptoms: Loss of memory is the first and most characteristic symptom; often, early childhood memories are preserved whereas recognition of a loved one, work colleague or sense of daily routine is lost. As the disease progresses, language difficulties, difficulties in co-ordination, depression, paranoia, aggressive outbursts, delusions and hallucinations may take hold. Self-neglect, incontinence, wandering and disorientation necessitate constant supervision.

Alzheimer Scientist's Diary

2005-06-02T23:43:00.000-07:00

Diary of an Alzheimer Scientist Always bear in mind that Alzheimer's: "is strongly associated with ageing, but not the inevitable consequence thereof..." there is also some evidence, for example, that both physical and mental activity are to some extent protective."

Dementia - Centre for Health Service Research - University of Newcastle

2005-06-02T23:23:00.000-07:00

Dementia - Centre for Health Service Research - University of Newcastle: "WANdering in DementiA (WANDA)

Sponsors: NHS HTA grant
Wandering is a common problem in dementia occurring in up to 40% of people. The term wandering refers to a complex collection of different behavioural abnormalities which occur for a multitude of reasons.

systematic review is therefore required to synthesise the evidence for the other non-pharmacological interventions listed above.

This project aims to determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of non-drug related interventions to prevent/reduce wandering in people with dementia, and to assess their acceptability to relevant stakeholders, through a systematic review.

Objectives

1.To perform a systematic review of all relevant studies involving non pharmaceutical interventions to prevent wandering in dementia and determine their clinical and cost effectiveness in comparison to usual care from the perspectives of patients, carers and service providers;

2.To evaluate the acceptability to stakeholders of such interventions and identify ethical issues associated with their use, and the extent to which issues of acceptability and ethics are assessed in relation to such interventions; and,

3.To explore objective 2) in greater depth through a qualitative study involving relevant stakeholders.

This project aims to determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of non-drug related interventions to prevent/reduce wandering in people with dementia, and to assess their acceptability to relevant stakeholders, through a systematic review. If the available evidence on cost effectiveness is too limited or of unsatisfactory quality, the economic evaluation will include a simulation modelling exercise. Outcomes will include the number of successful/attempted exits, number and nature of accidents, acceptability measures for both patients and carers, quality of life measures and assessment of costs of care. The project will also consider in greater depth the acceptability and ethical implications of such interventions through a qualitative study of relevant stakeholders, such as people with dementia, their informal and formal carers and health and social care professionals via focus groups and one to one interviews."

Drinking and brain damage

2005-05-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

Alzheimer's News: "(Fisher Center for Alzheimer�s Research Foundation) � People who head out at the end of the day with colleagues and friends to chat over several rounds of drinks may be doing long-term damage to their brains, a new study finds. The result could mean memory problems, impaired thinking, and loss of other essential mental skills.

�Socially functioning heavy drinkers often do not recognize that their level of drinking constitutes a problem that warrants treatment,� the researchers, from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and the University of California in San Francisco report.

In the study, the researchers recruited people who considered themselves social drinkers. Heavy drinkers included men who drank on average more than 100 drinks a month, and women who drank more than 80. That translates to three or so drinks a night, or more drinking on weekends. A drink is generally defined as a glass of wine or a can or bottle of beer, or one serving of spirits."

A drink or two a day is recognized by many as an effective way to ease stress. Some studies even suggest that antioxidants and other substances in wine and other beverages may boost longevity and heart health and possibly even help to ward off serious ailments like Alzheimer’s disease. (See the story “A Little Wine May Keep the Mind Sharp” on alzinfo.org, at http://www.alzinfo.org/news/11_02c.aspx )

Heavy alcohol use, on the other hand, is known to damage the liver and other organs, including the brain. In some cases, heavy drinking can lead to permanent memory problems that resemble those of Alzheimer’s.

Any damage to the brain—whether it’s due to alcohol, poor blood flow, a stroke, or other reasons—is not a good thing. Alcohol damage may be particularly important for those concerned about ailments like Alzheimer’s, since a diminished brain capacity may contribute to memory problems and speed the onset of mental decline, research suggests.

The bottom line: If you drink, do so in moderation. That means two drinks a day tops for younger men, and just a drink a day for women and older people.

Dementia - useful resources

2005-05-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

betterhealthchannel.com: "Keys to understanding Alzheimer's disease" - page does what it says..

For understanding from the point of view of the person with dementia the following books are written by people with dementia - an angle we as carers often ponder:

Christine Boden was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at age 46 and now lives with a re-diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, made when she was 49. This is the first book written by an Australian with dementia and offers a unique insight into her battle with the disease.

"Living in the labyrinth: A personal journey through the maze of Alzheimer's, by Diana Friel McGowan. An autobiographical book which tells of the author's struggle with the effects of Alzheimer's disease and offers the reader an insight into the world of dementia." Not available on Amazon but other books about alzheimers and dementia on Amazon are available.

Spring is in the air...GG goes a- wandering

2005-05-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

Smell the panic! Twice in the past week H has not been in when P then F arrived for the evening social. Twice he has turned up, once at his old address ( where luckily other family members now live) and once back at the extra care restaurant having made his own way back from wherever...

P imagines all sorts and is especially worried that "something will happen" and our holiday will be up the spout. Again.

Off course it has to be a beneficial side effect that he gets fresh air and exercise - tired himself out last Friday and ready for bed at nine - but it is a real concern as he is very unsteady and obviously has little clue as to where he is or where he has been.

Alzheimers Australia have a PDF help sheet which: "looks at the wandering behaviour of some people with dementia. The reasons for wandering are discussed as well as some suggestions for way to manage it."

Most important I reckon are that the wanderer has some ID and a contact phone number on them plus carers have a recent photo in case the police need to search.

The Alzheimer's Prevention Plan

2005-05-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

www.patrickholford.com A new book to be published in June: "The Alzheimer's Prevention Plan" maybe offers hope of avoiding becoming a mess like many now in their 70s and 80s.....

Blurb reads: "according to a number of top health experts, Alzheimer’s disease is probably completely preventable. "It is time we woke up to the fact that Alzheimer’s is a preventable disease, not an inevitable part of ageing." says Professor David Smith, Deputy-Head of Oxford University’s Medical Sciences Division, whose research team believe they’ve found out how to identify those at risk – and reverse the risk with simple diet changes. But you have to start young. “The disease process begins early in life, already in our 30s some of us have signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain, just as we have atherosclerosis in our blood vessels.” Says Smith. "Scary as that sounds, especially if your memory isn’t exactly up to scratch, the good news is that it’s highly likely that you can reverse the risk with a few simple diet and lifestyle changes."

LONDON ENTREPRENEUR LAUNCHES SUCCESSFUL BABYCARE PRODUCTS

2005-05-08T03:58:00.000-07:00

re importing US productswith sole distribution rights ArriveNet Press Releases : Business: "Previously only available in the United States and Canada, Mrs. Testa�s business is distributing two key products, Table Topper and Potty Topper, to establishments across the United Kingdom. Mums (and Dads) are fanatically loyal to these innovative, unique products, as they feature safety and convenience."

TEIS - UK Telemedicine and E-health Information Service

2005-03-16T09:27:00.000-08:00

TEIS - UK Telemedicine and E-health Information Service: "This site is updated as we receive information from the telemedicine and e-health community. The objectives of TEIS are to bring together those working in the field of telemedicine, telecare and ehealth; to encourage them to share information and experience; and to provide an information resource on telemedicine activity in the UK. The Telemedicine and E-health Information Service is run by the University of Portsmouth. "

UK eHealth Association

2005-03-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

UK eHealth Association

UK eHealth Association Newsletter

Minister intervenes in row over drugs to treat Alzheimer's

2005-03-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian : "James Meikle, health correspondent

The health minister Stephen Ladyman has intervened in the growing row over plans by NHS advisers to stop the routine prescription of four drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease.

He wants to ensure that they recognise the social implications of withdrawing official support for such drugs, even if they do not regard them as clinically cost-effective."

Connected Home Care

2005-03-14T02:21:00.000-08:00

Connected Home Care "Connected Home Care, organised by HSA Conferences and Junction, will take place on 15 June 2005 in London to promote provision of care services to the ill and elderly in private homes by new information communication technologies. The one-day conference will provide an opportunity to bring together all of the key players within the healthcare sector – academic, research, health, social and suppliers – in a push to really drive the market forward and into the mainstream.

The conference will address both the financial and social benefits and demands of adopting these services – in line with the government’s objective that Connected Home Care services will be made available in all homes that require them by 2010."

UK eHealth Association

2005-03-14T02:19:00.000-08:00

UK eHealth Association - Association News October 2000: Publish a newsletter to keep members up to date with telemedicine developments.

Google Search: tunstall emergency communications technology

2005-03-14T01:55:00.000-08:00

Google Search: tunstall emergency communications technology The main providers of tracking and emergency communications technology to local authority housing and social services already, are now looking at the domestic, private market....

Emergency Response Systems and other products by Tunstall include:
DDA compliant door panel User Alert Pager
Pillow Alert solution
Sounder Beacons
Environmental Control Solutions
Big Button Phones
Call Points
Remote Door Controllers
Inductive Loops
Video identification solutions

Of especial interest for carers of persons with dementia is the:
"Wandering client
Provides an early warning by alerting the 24 hour response centre that the user has
left their home and not returned within a predetermined time parameter. Ideal for
early onset dementia sufferers.

Alzheimer's: four main drugs availability to be limited

2005-03-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

Health News Article | Reuters.com

"Britain's cost-effectiveness health watchdog said Tuesday it wants to limit access to the four main drugs used to treat patients with Alzheimer's disease, to the fury of pharmaceutical manufacturers. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended that doctors should stop giving the drugs to new patients because they are not cost effective.

NICE said three of the drugs were not recommended to treat mild to moderate dementia -- Pfizer Inc and Eisai Co.'s Aricept; Novartis AG's Exelon; and Reminyl, made by Johnson & Johnson and distributed in Britain by Shire Pharmaceuticals Group Plc.

"(They) are not recommended for use in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease," NICE said in a statement on its Web site (http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=245908).

A fourth drug, Ebixa, made by Danish group Lundbeck, was not recommended for its designated treatment of moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's outside clinical trials.

Currently some 52,500 Britons are taking the drugs, known as cholinesterase inhibitors, at a cost of around 1,000 pounds ($1,922) per patient a year. Although they will be allowed to continue on treatment, the draft recommendations say the medicines should not be offered to new patients."

Medications and Alzheimer's Disease

2005-02-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

Sexual Health Network : Life with Alzheimer's Disease

The main group of medications that may slow down the progression of symptoms are called cholinesterase inhibitors, and for early-stage patients Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl are three approved products in common use.

Alzheimer's Disease Reading Alzheimer's Patients' Behavior: It Takes a Detective

2005-02-26T22:29:00.000-08:00

Sexual Health Network - Alzheimer's Disease

Wise advice: "Alan Dengiz, MD, director of geriatric medicine at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, offers another common challenging scenario and possible solution. 'One of the things that happens, especially as the day progresses, is that the individual with Alzheimer's disease will say, 'I want to go home' when they're in their home. What they're thinking about oftentimes is a home from their past because that's what's still alive in their brain, whereas the current home is not as familiar to them because they've lost the more recent memories.'
'What I recommend is that you go along with that rather than trying to correct them and getting them angry,' Dr. Dengiz continues. 'You can say, 'Well, let's go home later on, but why don't we go into the kitchen and have a nice cup of tea and just sit down and relax?' Sometimes that's enough to do it.' "

Most especially, always remember: "One of the important things for caregivers to understand is that frustrating or challenging behavior is a result of the disease and brain cells dying, and it's not reflective of the person," O'Brien says. "If families recognize that, it's easier to find a way to manage."

Articles for Alzheimer's Caregivers

2005-02-26T22:25:00.000-08:00

Easy to read and insightful....Sexual Health Network - Alzheimer's Disease

"Learn about alzheimer's disease symptoms such as memory loss and senile dementia. Find out about the treatments and causes, as well as the stages of alzheimer's disease and dementia."

Sexual Health Network
"The father of television personality Linda Dano experienced years of mental deterioration before he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Hear Linda describe how her family coped. "

Alzheimers research articles

2005-02-25T00:52:00.000-08:00

Psychiatrysource.com

Information on Alzheimer's

2005-02-25T00:49:00.000-08:00

www.therubins.com

US info site for senior citizens has usefull section of articles about Alzheimer.

Recent developments in pain in dementia -- Scherder et al.

2005-02-25T00:44:00.000-08:00

BMJ

How to assess and treat pain when dementia causes problems with perception and communication of pain.

"Epidemiological studies show that, worldwide, the number of people aged over 65 will increase substantially in the next decades and that a considerable proportion of this population will develop dementia.1 Ample evidence shows that ageing is associated with a high rate of painful conditions, irrespective of cognitive status.2 The number of patients with dementia who will experience painful conditions is therefore likely to increase. A key question relates to whether and how patients with dementia perceive pain. Patients with dementia may express their pain in ways that are quite different from those of elderly people without dementia.3 Particularly in the more severe stages of dementia, therefore, the complexity and consequent (frequent) inadequacy of pain assessment leads to the undertreatment of pain."

Atypical antipsychotic drugs and risk of ischaemic stroke: population based retrospective cohort study -- Gill et al. 330 (7489): 445 -- BMJ

2005-02-25T00:34:00.000-08:00

BMJ article asks if certain antipsychotic drugs prescribed to contol psychotic* symptoms in older patients with dementia increase the odds of having a stroke. I find the mention of "non-pharmacological harm reduction strategies" especially interesting. Non have been offered for dad by either medical professionals nor the extra care accommodation which lacks funding for activities.

"In this population based cohort, older adults with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) who received atypical antipsychotic drugs seem to have a similar risk of admission to hospital for ischaemic stroke as those receiving typical antipsychotic drugs. These findings are important because of the frequency with which atypical antipsychotics are used to manage BPSD.6 Our results may help to inform drug prescribing for this group of patients.

What is already known on this topic
Atypical antipsychotics are commonly used to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)
Recent evidence from clinical trials suggests an association between atypical antipsychotic use and cerebrovascular events (including stroke) among older adults with BPSD

These data prompted the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines to recommend against the prescribing of atypical antipsychotics to patients with BPSD

What this study adds

Use of atypical antipsychotics by patients with dementia is not associated with a greater risk of stroke is than use of typical antipsychotics
Findings were consistent for a series of subgroup analyses including ones for patients at high baseline risk of stroke
The choice of atypical or typical antipsychotics to manage BPSD should not be based on concerns about the risk of stroke"

What do these results mean for clinical practice?

Clinicians managing patients with dementia who develop behavioural disturbances should initially rule out underlying medical illnesses or drugs that might predispose to delirium.33 If BPSD is diagnosed, clinicians should initially consider non-pharmacological harm reduction strategies such as education of family members, ABC charting, and music therapy.3 If pharmacotherapy is considered necessary, it should be tailored to the individual. Our data show that the risk of ischaemic stroke is similar for patients receiving atypical antipsychotics and those receiving typical antipsychotics. Other potential risks of antipsychotics (for example, extrapyramidal symptoms, tardive dyskinesia) should also be weighed against the benefits. A working group of psychiatrists, general practitioners, and geriatricians in the United Kingdom has developed guidelines for the management of BPSD in people with a history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack.34 Unfortunately, many of the alternatives to atypical antipsychotics for managing BPSD have received only limited evaluation and have their own important adverse event profiles.4 The US National Institute of Mental Health is currently sponsoring the clinical antipsychotic trials of intervention effectiveness (CATIE) Alzheimer's disease trial, which is a 36 week study comparing three atypical antipsychotics, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and placebo to treat BPSD. Results are due in 2006.35 This study and others36 should shed light on the optimal management of BPSD and the risk of stroke in this patient population.

* Dementia.com Glossary
"Psychosis
A mental disorder causing the individual to lose contact with reality. Characterized by impairment in reality testing, which manifests as delusions, hallucinations, incoherent speech, and disorganized and agitated behavior."

ZEN - Buddhism Glossary

2005-02-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

Mokurai's Temple defines Zen as:

"Zen: Japanese; Ch'an (Chinese); a branch of Mahayana Buddhism which developed in China during the sixth and seventh centuries after Bodhidharma arrived; it later divided into the Soto and Rinzai schools; Zen stresses the importance of the enlightenment experience and the futility of rational thought, intellectual study and religious ritual in attaining this; a central element of Zen is zazen, a meditative practice which seeks to free the mind of all thought and conceptualization."

What has this to do with Alzheimer's? Well, I like to think of Dad as nearing a state of Zen in many ways. His favourite TV is the adverts which he engages with totally with little or no critical thought about the content, intent, self awareness or indeed any manipulation of his behaviour - he doesnt do shopping and I reckon the "need to" rarely if ever crosses his mind.

For mum's funeral he repeatedly asked "what do the ladies drink?" and attempted to make a list. That was over a year ago. Fair, enough all his daily needs are taken care of between the family and the staff at the "extra care accommodation" but I have to assume from being with him that the concept of needs and pro-actively tending to them oneself does not impinge on his being.

The first awareness to go after one stroke was hunger, he just does not feel it and so has to always be prompted to eat. As a large part of human activity still has the aim of fulfilling hunger plus other basic needs before the desires induced by western capitalist culture this alone frees him from thought about what needs to be done. As he also forgets almost immediatly that he has eaten (and almost everything else) he is also freed from much of the noise of memory.

I see this emptiness as far from the void of nihilism but to mix my metaphors as more akin to a state of grace. Medicalisation of "going ga-ga" carries very negative connotations but sometimes I really envy him for his seeming to exist right here right now without complication...

Worry Accelerates Your Risk of Alzheimer's 2/23/05

2005-02-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

Mercola

Early Detection of Alzheimer's Made Possible With New Test 2/19/05

2005-02-21T03:47:00.000-08:00

Early Detection of Alzheimer's Made Possible With New Test 2/19/05: "A team of researchers developed a highly effective new test to locate the disease in its early stages, when the patient is still alive and can be treated. The test is called a bio-barcode assay; it detects small amounts of proteins in spinal fluid and is up to 1 million times more sensitive than other available tests. "

Mercola recommends: The Notebook on DVD for a sensitive film about Alzheimers.

Mercola also writes that "The number of people with Alzheimer's disease is expected to triple, as the greatest known risk factor of Alzheimer's is age. About 4.5 million people are affected today and the prevalence doubles every five years after the age of 65. In fact, if current population trends continue, it is estimated some 13.5 million Americans will have Alzheimer's disease by 2050.

But what's important for you to understand is that Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging and there are a number of natural and safe ways to prevent and treat it."

He recommends:

1) increase the amount of fresh vegetables, which are high in folate, in your diet and restrict grains and sugars

2) consuming high-quality fish or cod liver oil

3) Exercise

4) Avoid and remove mercury from your body

5) Avoid aluminum

6) Seek mental stimulation

Brain scans reveal possible indicator of risk of developing Alzheimer's disease,

2005-02-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

Health News Article | Reuters.com

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mental tasks take an extra effort for healthy non-demented older adults with a genetic variation called APOE-e4, which has been linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, research shows.
On tests of learning and memory, brain scans show that people with APOE-e4 apparently have to work harder to achieve scores comparable to those reached by people with the APOE-e3 "

This remains just a possible indicator of increased risk of developing dementia not a treatable cause.