Spring Arbor Living Blog

There are brain activities that can help you prevent Alzheimer’s disease.  Reading this article can help.  So might writing a letter, playing a card game or going to the library.

Researchers have long believed that cognitive activity could help strengthen the brain’s defenses against Alzheimer’s disease. But a new study shows for the first time how that might work.

Test subjects who engaged in cognitive exercise over a lifetime had less of a protein that is believed to contribute to brain-cell decline in Alzheimer’s patients.

Researchers at the University of California-Berkeley used brain scans to measure the amount of beta amyloid, a protein that accumulates between nerve cells and reduces brain function.

They tested healthy young people, healthy older people and a group of Alzheimer’s patients and found that the healthy older people who exercised their brains throughout their lives had less beta amyloid built up in their brains. That means they should be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s .

“What this suggests is that lifelong cognitive engagement might have real, substantial benefits to the brain,” said Bill Jagust, a UC-Berkeley professor and a co-author of the study.

The research did not look at whether some activities were more beneficial than others. What matters is that the brain is engaged and that the benefits are greatest if the activity is started at a young age.

A bigger “cognitive reserve” could delay the onset of symptoms. The same goes for those with more education.

“You have more to destroy before you reach the threshold where ‘I’ve forgot my keys’ or ‘I can’t remember how to pay the bills.’  ”

Scharre and other OSU researchers are studying people with mild cognitive problems now, asking them to complete exercises in music, art and problem-solving, in the hopes it will improve their memory loss. Similarly, a new program at the Columbus Museum of Art is designed to help spark memories in people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The monthly program aims to give patients and their caregivers a chance to discuss works of art.

In trial runs, the art appeared to help people make connections, said Kenneth Strong, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association, Central Ohio Chapter. “It’s just amazing. They come up with things in their past that catch you off guard.”

Despite some of the data it is unclear whether exercising your brain, even from a young age, can stop Alzheimer’s. It might delay it, but it’s a “bigger leap” to think the disease could be prevented in someone who’s genetically prone.

Scharre, the Ohio State neurologist, said cognitive exercise is worth a shot. “Why not do more with your brain?” he said. “You might help society; you might help yourself. You’ll probably enjoy life more. There’s no downside.”

The Columbus Dispatch

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Alzheimer’s disease can be challenging for the person diagnosed and for their family members and loved ones. Each day can bring new demands as the Alzheimer’s patient and family tries to cope with changing levels of ability and new patterns of behavior. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can often seem overwhelming, but the more information you have, the better you can handle the future. Start by learning about ways to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as where to find support, and how to determine the long-term care options that are best suited to you and your loved one.

There are some Alzheimer’s care preparations that should be done in the early stages of the disease. It may be hard to consider these questions, however, making preparations early helps for a smoother transition for everyone. Depending on the stage of Alzheimer’s at diagnosis, it is important to include the patient in the decision-making process as much as possible.
 
Questions to consider in preparing for Alzheimer’s and dementia care:

Who will make healthcare/financial decisions when the person no longer can? While a difficult topic to bring up, if your loved one is still lucid enough, getting their wishes down on paper means they’ll be preserved and respected by all members of the family.

How will the memory care needs be met? Sometimes other family members assume that a spouse or nearest family member will be the caregiver, but that is not always the case. Caregiving is a large commitment that gets bigger over time. The patient will eventually need round-the-clock care. Communication is essential to make sure that the needs of the Alzheimer’s patient are met, and that the caregiver has the support to meet those needs.

Where will the person live? Is his or her home appropriate, or is it difficult to access or make safe for later? If the person is currently living alone, for example, or far from any family or other support, it may be necessary to relocate or consider an assisted living community with support and custom care plans based on the level of memory care needed.

For information on memory care in North Carolina and Virginia contact Spring Arbor.

Help Guide

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In the last 15 years, the number of men caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's or dementia has more than doubled, from 19 to 40%, according to the Alzheimer's Association. The trend mirrors the higher number of women over the age of 65 in the U.S. with the disease - 3.4 million compared to 1.8 million men. Those demographics have changed the tone of local support group meetings by adding a chorus of male perspectives.

It has also prompted an outpouring of new books, organizations and online resources for men learning how to be nurturers.

Experts attribute the increase in male caregivers to several societal changes, including evolving gender expectations as well as new life expectancy rates.

“Men say, 'this is hard. It's challenging, I didn't realize we would ever be at this point, but I'm not giving up,'" said Edrena Harrison, a social worker and specialist for the National Caregiving Center.

The sentiment is shared by some husbands, who find themselves making dinner, doing laundry and coordinating doctor's appointments for the first time as senior citizens.

In 2010, doctors diagnosed Patti with frontotemporal dementia. She is now unable to drive, perform simple household tasks or follow and participate in conversations.

Since then, her husband has sharpened his cooking skills. He took over the household duties and has grown used to guiding Patti through conversations with friends and family. He also joined a support group for caregivers of those with dementia to learn how to cope with and handle the new lifestyle.

He fears the day when she needs more help than he can provide, and he wants to find an assisted living facility for memory care that he can trust.

But for now, he said, he does what he can for his wife.

Philly.com

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For the first time in almost 30 years there is a new definition for what it means to have Alzheiimer’s Disease. New guidelines were issued to diagnose the disease. It is the only leading disease that has no cure and no treatment. These new Guidelines will hopefully allow doctors to intervene faster and earlier.

for the first time, using the new guidelines, Doctors can diagnose MCI which is forgetfulness beyond natural aging. Without intervention, 80% of these patients will develop Alzheimer's disease within seven years. These people are candidates for clinical trials. Being diagnosed earlier, means intervention earlier as well as preparedness for memory care. Early detection and intervention also helps those family members that would eventually end up as care givers.
 
What is forgetfulness beyond normal aging? If you are concerned, or those around  you are concerned, consult your physician. Watch the below video for more information on the new guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease.

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While no one can promise a sure-fire treatment to prevent memory loss, there are strategies that can significantly improve your chances of keeping Alzheimer's at bay.

How to Protect Your Memory and Brain Health

8 Key Strategies Focused on Saving Your Memory

Dr. Peter V. Rabins, acclaimed author and geriatric psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins - and one of the nation's leading experts on the care and management of patients with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and memory care.

If someone told you there were eight straightforward steps you could take to dramatically enhance your quality of life and reduce or delay your chances for memory deterioration, what would you do?

Many experts believe that once you understand your various risk factors for cognitive decline, take control of them, and follow through with the evidence-based strategies detailed in How To Protect Your Memory and Brain Health, you'll be in a better position to keep your memory strong well into later life.

For example, do you know:

What's the best way to guard your memory and prevent dementia?

If you answered, stay heart healthy, you'd be right. And Dr. Rabins explains why with evidence from recent studies in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Controlling high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease are absolutely critical to cognitive function. Dr. Rabins explains how to take charge.

What are the effects of too little sleep on keeping your memory sharp?

Many of us have trouble sleeping at night. No big deal -- right? Now new studies show that getting adequate sleep plays an essential role in learning new information, relating to names, dates, faces, facts, specific events - in short forming memory.

What's so special about the Mediterranean diet?

For years the marketing and promotion of dietary supplements that claim to enhance memory have left many people confused and wary. Now recent evidence-based research reported in the Annals of Neurology suggests that people who closely follow the Mediterranean diet have a 40 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. The take-away: The food you eat, not the pills, can prevent or slow the rate of cognitive decline.

How does regular physical activity protect memory and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's?

Studies investigating the exercise/memory/dementia link have shown positive outcomes in recent years. Dr. Rabins provides an in-depth look at a number of key studies to show you the benefits of regular exercise... and how to incorporate exercise into your schedule.

How does stress affect memory?

We all know that living a stress-filled life is unhealthy. It turns out that stress is worse for us than we thought. Johns Hopkins researchers have linked high levels of the stress hormone cortisol with poor cognitive performance in older adults. And another study, reported in the journal Neurology, found that depressed and anxious people are 40% more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment. In this fascinating section, Dr. Rabins provides key "stress erasers" - proactive steps you can take to reduce the stress in your life.

Every day, scientists are proving that diminished memory and mental capacity are NOT inevitable - and can be slowed, halted or even reversed through good nutrition, lifestyle habits and more. Even Alzheimer's disease is not something that suddenly occurs in old age. Rather, it's a continuum of illnesses that gets its start decades earlier without any symptoms.

So it makes sense that if we could find a way to keep our brains healthier and better able to counter the damage that occurs with age, we could better the odds of preserving memory and preventing or forestalling Alzheimer's and other dementias.

A recent report from the National Institutes of Health supports this view. It provides evidence that vascular disease risk factors - including mid-life hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes - can all predispose someone to developing memory problems-even Alzheimer's.

While this may not sound like good news - it is.

Because it points the way to the importance of effective prevention strategies - strategies you can begin TODAY to keep your brain healthier, longer.

Original article – Johns Hopkins Health Alerts

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Alzheimer's Disease isn't inevitable. Many experts now believe you can prevent or delay dementia — even if you have a genetic predisposition. Reducing Alzheimer's risk factors like obesity, diabetes, smoking and low physical activity by just 25% percent could prevent up to half a million cases of the disease in the United States.

Regular exercise can keep your brain young, reducing your need for memory care.

Here are 10 new ways you can boost your brain health now.

1) Get moving
"If you do only one thing to keep your brain young, exercise," says Art Kramer, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Illinois. Higher exercise levels can reduce dementia risk by 30 to 40% compared with low activity levels, and physically active people tend to maintain better cognition and memory than inactive people. "They also have substantially lower rates of different forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease," Kramer says.

 2) Pump some iron
Older women who participated in a yearlong weight-training program at the University of British Columbia at Vancouver did 13% better on tests of cognitive function than a group of women who did balance and toning exercises.
 
 3) Learn new skills
Learning spurs the growth of new brain cells. "When you challenge the brain, you increase the number of brain cells and the number of connections between those cells. But it's not enough to do the things you routinely do "says Keith L. Black, M.D., chair of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

4) Reduce Stress
Chronic stress floods your brain with cortisol, which leads to impaired memory. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), which involves focusing one's attention on sensations, feelings and state of mind,  has been shown to reduce harmful stress hormones.
 
5) Eat like a Greek
A heart-friendly Mediterranean diet, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and beans, reduced Alzheimer's risk by 34 to 48% in studies conducted by Columbia University.

These fats may be equally important for maintaining a healthy brain and memory care.

6) Spice it up
Your brain enjoys spices as much as your taste buds do. Herbs and spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, oregano, basil, parsley, ginger and vanilla are high in antioxidants, which may help build brainpower. Scientists are particularly intrigued by curcumin. Indians have lower incidence of Alzheimer's, and one theory is it's the curcumin.

7) Find your purpose
Discovering your mission in life can help you stay sharp. Participants who approached life with clear intentions and goals at the start of the study were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease over the following seven years.

8) Get a social life
Having multiple social networks helps lower dementia risk and your need for memory care. A rich social life may protect against dementia by providing emotional and mental stimulation. Other studies yield similar conclusions: Subjects in a University of Michigan study did better on tests of short-term memory after just 10 minutes of conversation with another person.

9) Reduce your risks
Chronic health conditions like diabetes, obesity and hypertension are often associated with dementia. Diabetes, for example, roughly doubles the risk for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Controlling these risk factors can slow the tide.

10) Check vitamin deficiencies
Older adults don't always get all the nutrients they need from foods, because of declines in digestive acids or because their medications interfere with absorption. That vitamin deficit — particularly vitamin B12 — can also affect brain vitality.

AARP

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