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Alzheimer's & Dementia

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Mental activity may slow cognitive decline initially, but speed up dementia later

Another study has come out suggesting that the advantage of mental stimulation is to delay cognitive decline, but at the cost of faster decline later (it’s still a good bargain).

A long-running study involving 1,157 healthy older adults (65+) who were scored on a 5-point scale according to how often they participated in mental activities such as listening to the radio, watching television, reading, playing games and going to a museum, has found that this score is correlat

Career choice may determine where frontotemporal dementia begins
  • An international review of patients with frontotemporal dementia has revealed that the area of the brain first affected tends to be the hemisphere least used in the individual’s occupation.

A review of brain imaging and occupation data from 588 patients diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia has found that among the dementias affecting those 65 years and younger, FTD is as common as Alzheimer's disease.

Low levels of omega-3 fatty acid may contribute to Alzheimer’s

A finding that the livers of Alzheimer’s patients have an impaired ability to make the omega-3 fatty acid DHA may suggest a new approach.

Low levels of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, have been found in the brains of those with Alzheimer's disease, but the reason has not been known.

Post-traumatic stress disorder increases dementia risk

A very large study has found that military veterans with PTSD were twice as likely to develop dementia in old age, compared to vets without PTSD.

A study involving over 180,000 older veterans (average age 68.8 at study start), of whom 29% had PTSD, has revealed that those with PTSD had a significantly greater risk of developing dementia.

Stress in middle age could contribute to later dementia

A long-running study of Swedish women has revealed that dementia risk is greater in those who experienced periods of stress in middle age.

Data from a 35-year study of women from Gothenburg in Sweden has revealed that the risk of dementia was about 65% higher in women who reported repeated periods of stress in middle age than in those who did not.

Vitamin B supplements could delay onset of Alzheimer's
  • Vitamin B supplements markedly reduced brain atrophy in older adults with MCI, offering hope that they may be effective in delaying the development of Alzheimer’s.

A two-year study involving 271 older adults (70+) with mild cognitive impairment has found that the rate of brain atrophy in those taking folic acid (0.8 mg/d), vitamin B12 (0.5 mg/d) and vitamin B6 (20 mg/d), was significantly slower than in those taking a placebo, with those taking the suppleme

Deep Brain Stimulation shows promise for patients with Alzheimer's

A safety trial has shown that Deep Brain Stimulation is safe for those with mild Alzheimer’s, and may slow cognitive decline.

A pilot study involving six patients with mild Alzheimer’s has shown using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is safe and may help improve memory, or at least slow decline. Patients received continuous stimulation for 12 months, between 2005 and 2008.

Apple juice improves behavior in Alzheimer's patients

A pilot study found daily apple juice improved behavioral and psychotic symptoms in those with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s.

A pilot study involving 21 institutionalized individuals with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s found that, although drinking two 4-oz glasses of apple juice daily for a month produced no change in the Dementia Rating Scale or in the Activities of Daily Living measure, there was a significant (27%)

Depression increases risk of dementia
  • New data from a large long-running study provides more conclusive evidence that depression is indeed a risk factor for dementia.

Data from the long-running Framingham Heart Study has revealed that depression significantly increased the risk of developing dementia.

Memory problems not the only predictor of later mild cognitive impairment

A study finds poor learning plus depression or slow processing speed predicts the development of amnestic mild cognitive impairment for seniors.

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment often leads to Alzheimer's disease, but what predicts aMCI?

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