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Alzheimer's & Dementia

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Purpose in life protects against Alzheimer's disease
  • New results from a longitudinal study add to evidence that having a purpose and finding meaning in life protects against the harmful effects of Alzheimer’s pathology in the brain.

Here’s a different aspect to cognitive reserve. I have earlier reported on the first tranche of results from this study.

Omega-3 oil linked to lower level of Alzheimer's protein

A new study adds to growing evidence that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study, involving 1,219 dementia-free older adults (65+), has found that the more omega-3 fatty acids the person consumed, the lower the level of beta-amyloid in the blood (a proxy for brain levels).

Genes, brain size, brain atrophy, and Alzheimer’s risk

A round-up of genetic news.

  • Several genes are linked to smaller brain size and faster brain atrophy in middle- & old age.
  • The main Alzheimer's gene is implicated in leaky blood vessels, and shown to interact with brain size, white matter lesions, and dementia risk.
  • Some evidence suggests early-onset Alzheimer's is not so dissimilar to late-onset Alzheimer's.

Genetic analysis of 9,232 older adults (average age 67; range 56-84) has implicated four genes in how fast your hippocampus shrinks with age (rs7294919 at 12q24, rs17178006 at 12q14, rs6741949 at 2q24, rs7852872 at 9p33).

Cognitive stimulation beneficial in dementia

A review supports cognitive stimulation therapy for those with mild to moderate dementia.

A review of 15 randomized controlled trials in which people with mild to moderate dementia were offered mental stimulation has concluded that such stimulation does indeed help slow down cognitive decline.

Walking speed and grip strength may predict dementia, stroke risk

More evidence comes for a link between lower physical fitness and increased risk of dementia in a large study that extends earlier findings to middle-aged and younger-old.

Following on from research showing an association between lower walking speed and increased risk of dementia, and weaker hand grip strength and increased dementia risk, a large study has explored whether this association extends to middle-aged and younger-old adults.

Higher risk of mild cognitive impairment among older men

Significant differences in the risk of mild cognitive impairment for men and women, and in the risk of developing the two sub-types, suggests that risk factors should be considered separately for genders and sub-type.

More data from the long-running Mayo Clinic Study of Aging has revealed that, in this one part of the U.S. at least, MCI develops at an overall rate of 6.4% a year among older adults (70+), with a higher rate for men and the less-educated.

Nicotine patch shows benefits in mild cognitive impairment

A pilot study suggests that wearing a nicotine patch may help improve memory loss in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

The study involved 74 non-smokers with amnestic MCI (average age 76), of whom half were given a nicotine patch of 15 mg a day for six months and half received a placebo. Cognitive tests were given at the start of the study and again after three and six months.

Brain atrophy may predict risk for early Alzheimer's disease
  • Shrinking of certain brain regions predicts age-related cognitive decline and dementia, with greater brain tissue loss markedly increasing risk.

A study involving 159 older adults (average age 76) has confirmed that the amount of brain tissue in specific regions is a predictor of Alzheimer’s disease development.

Physical evidence bilingualism delays onset of Alzheimer's symptoms
  • Brain scans reveal that active bilinguals can have nearly twice as much brain atrophy as monolinguals before cognitive performance suffers.

Growing evidence points to greater education and mentally stimulating occupations and activities providing a cognitive reserve that enables people with developing Alzheimer's to function normally for longer.

Common health complaints increase Alzheimer's risk

Two large studies respectively find that common health complaints and irregular heartbeat are associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s, while a rat study adds to evidence that stress is also a risk factor.

A ten-year study involving 7,239 older adults (65+) has found that each common health complaint increased dementia risk by an average of about 3%, and that these individual risks compounded.

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