MedWorm: Dementia

7 books about alzheimer’s & caregiving you may find helpful

Alzheimer's Notes — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:00:47 +0100

AlzheimersNotes.com Obtaining information about Alzheimer’s aided me in understanding Mother and Auntie and hopefully being a better caregiver. I tried to learn what they were feeling and what to expect with their actions. Since that time (the decade of the 1990’s) more research has been done and more books written. We still don’t have all the answers. However, there are many out there that will aid you. Here are just a few: A Glass Full of Tears, Dementia Day-By-Day by June Lund Shiplett (June’s account of caring for her spouse) The 36-Hour Day by Nancy L. Mace & Peter V. Rabins (a standby) The Alzheimer’s Action Plan by P. Muraldi Doraiswamy & Lisa P. Gwyther with Tina Adler (I shall be reviewing this book soon.) Mothering Mother, A Daughter’s Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir by Carol D. O’Dell (I hosted Carol on her blog tour here at Alzheimer’s Notes.) The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, a novel focusing on Alzheimer’s. (It also was made into a movie.) Living in the Labyrinth by Diana Friel McGowin (A personal journey through the maze of Alzheimer’s) Helping Yourself Help Others by Rosalynn Carter with Susan K. Golant (A book for caregivers) What books have you found helpful in your journey through caregiving or perhaps as you encounter Alzheimer’s or dementia? (Amazon image;click on book for details) (c)2008 Mary Emma Allen Tags: Alzheimer's help, Alzheimer's Notes, Alzheimers, Alzheimers-disease, caregiver's health, Carol Odell, health, Mary Allen, Mary Emma, Mary Emma Allen, men's health, Mothering Mother, women's healthShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

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Alzheimer’s news from around the world.

Alzheimer's Notes — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:24:55 +0100

To accelerate research on Alzheimer’s disease internationally - The FRSQ, Inserm and CIHR sign a France-Quebec-Canada partnership agreement on research on Alzheimer’s disease - “The health research funding organizations of Quebec (the Fonds de la recherche en sant? du Qu?bec, FRSQ), France (the Institut national de la sant? et de la recherche m?dicale, Inserm) and Canada (the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, and Institute of Aging) today signed a co-operation agreement on Alzheimer’s disease research…” (more) Antipsychotics Bring Little Long-Term Benefit in Alzheimer’s - “When an Alzheimer’s patient becomes suspicious of family and hostile or violent, medication may be indicated. Despite their side effects in this population, antipsychotics are the primary tools available for these symptoms…” (more) Alzheimer’s less likely for men over 90 than women - “Men are much less likely than women to live into their 90s, but those who do have a much lower chance of having Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday…” (more) Tags: alzheimer's news, alzheimer's research. alzheimer's notes, alzheimer's studies, Alzheimers-diseaseShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

Mary's Place — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:19:00 +0100

Happy 4th of July!!!We are having a cookout with out neighborhood tonight. There will be fireworks too... Please be safe... Good Night All... Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma (Source: Mary's Place)

Happy fourth of july from alzheimer’s notes

Alzheimer's Notes — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:00:40 +0100

AlzheimersNotes.com In the United States, we’re celebrating Fourth of July, or Independence Day. There are parades, fireworks, community activities, and for many a weekend off from work. You may be somewhat confined at home, if you’re caring for an Alzheimer’s patient. Or you may be visiting your family member at a nursing home and joining in festivities there. When I was growing up, we couldn’t take a day off from the dairy farm work. However, we usually visited relatives for a holiday meal, a family reunion type of gathering, then returned home for the evening chores. Then as dusk descended, we watched fireworks from the “Big Hill,” a hay field on a hill top from which we could see for miles. Bursts of fireworks were visible in the darkening sky. How do you celebrate Fourth of July? If you don’t live in the United States, do you have a similar holiday? Share with us. (Amazon image) (c)2008 Mary Emma Allen Tags: Alzheimer's holidays, Alzheimer's Notes, Alzheimers-disease, caregiver's health, Fourth of July, health, holidays, Independence Day, Mary Allen, Mary Emma, Mary Emma Allen, Memories, memory-loss, men's health, women's healthShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

How can caregivers cope?

David Roeltgen, MD's SharePosts — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:55:50 +0100

We received a question some time back that asked about caretaker coping mechanisms and resources. Some related questions were: "Are there any trends that seem to have more positive outcomes on the family?" "What support do families find helpful?" "Do men or women find it harder to deal with the problem if their spouse develops the disease?" Good Caregiving for People with Alzheimer's Disease I would... (Source: David Roeltgen, MD's SharePosts)

Cbs sportcaster jim nantz's father, who had alzheimer's, dies

Dorian Martin's SharePosts — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:55:09 +0100

Jim Nantz Jr., the father of CBS Sports anchor Jim Nantz III, died Saturday, June 28. The Houston Chronicle reported that Mr. Nantz, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1995, died with his son by his bedside. I had heard about Mr. Nantz's struggle with Alzheimer's during interviews given by Jim Nantz III this past spring. When asked by U.S. News and World Report what the most difficult aspect of his father's demise had been, the son... (Source: Dorian Martin's SharePosts)

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Is heart-healthy good for the brain?

Carol Bradley Bursack's SharePosts — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:51:53 +0100

Gloom and doom over the "tsunami" of baby boomers that is going to overwhelm everything from health care to the swimming pool is in the news daily. In fact, I'm getting pretty sick of being associated with a tsunami, but I'd better get used to it. When a phrase gets picked up that is dramatic and rolls of the tongue like that, it's not going to leave headlines anytime soon. I do believe, however, that many of us who are in... (Source: Carol Bradley Bursack's SharePosts)

Sweet sixteen’s used to raise money for alzheimer’s association.

Alzheimer's Notes — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:19:54 +0100

Two teens, Erin Mross and Claire Makinen, used turning 16 as a means of raising money for the local Alzheimer’s Association. Both girls have grandmothers suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Keen to do something to help, they organized a combined slumber party to celebrate their birthdays and asked all their guests to bring a donation rather than a gift. What a great way to celebrate a birthday…. read more here… Tags: Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimers-disease, Fundraising, teens and alzheimer's diseaseShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

New clue to the cause of alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

I read most of the books published on Alzheimer's in the last five years. I also read thousands of articles. I keep wondering if scientists are looking in the right place. Is the plaque made up of beta-amyloid the place they should be looking; and if so, is there a path to a remedy or cure?The article on the next page addresses this issue. This gives me hope. clipped from www.time.comMorrison-Bogorad said the findings may help explain the discovery of plaque in the brains of people who do not develop dementia. For some time, doctors have wondered why they find some brains in autopsy that are heavily coated with beta-amyloid, but the person did not have Alzheimer's. New Clue to the Cause of Alzheimer'sResearchers have uncovered a new clue to the cause of Alzheimer's disease.The brains of people with the memory-robbing form of dementia are cluttered with a plaque made up of beta-amyloid, a sticky protein. But there long has been a question whether this is a cause of the disease or a side effect. Also involved are tangles of a protein called tau; some scientists suspect this is the cause.Now, researchers have caused Alzheimer's symptoms in rats by injecting them with one particular form of beta-amyloid. Injections with other forms of beta-amyloid did not cause illness, which may explain why some people have beta-amyloid plaque in their brains but do not show disease symptoms.The findings by a team led by Dr. Ganesh M. Shankar and Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe of Harvard Medical School were reported in Sunday's online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.The researchers used extracts from the brains of people who donated their bodies to medicine.Forms of soluble beta-amyloid containing different numbers of molecules, as well as insoluble cores of the brain plaque, were injected into the brains of rats. There was no detectable effect from the insoluble plaque or the soluble one-molecule or three-molecule forms, the researchers found.But the two-molecule form of soluble beta-amyloid produced characteristics of Alzheimer's in the rats, they reported.Those rats had impaired memory function, especially for newly learned behaviors. Studies were also done on mice and when their brains were inspected, the density brain cells were reduced by 47 percent. The beta-amyloid seemed to affect synapses, the connections between cells that are essential for communication between them.The research, for the first time, showed the effect of a particular type of beta-amyloid in the brain, said Dr. Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad, director of the division of neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging, which helped fund the research.It was surprising that only one of the three types had an effect, she said in a telephone interview.Morrison-Bogorad said the findings may help explain the discovery of plaque in the brains of people who do not develop dementia. For some time, doctors have wondered why they find some brains in autopsy that are heavily coated with beta-amyloid, but the person did not have Alzheimer's.The answer may lie in the two types of beta-amyloid that did not cause symptoms.Now, the question is why one has the damaging effect and not others."A lot of work needs to be done," Morrison-Bogorad said. "Nature keeps sending us down paths that look straight at the beginning, but there are a lot of curves before we get to the end."Dr. Richard J. Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, said that "while more research is needed to replicate and extend these findings, this study has put yet one more piece into place in the puzzle that is Alzheimer's."In addition to the Institute on Aging, the research was funded by Science Foundation Ireland, Wellcome Trust, the McKnight and Ellison foundations and the Lefler Small Grant Fund. The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Mary's Place — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:11:00 +0100

I chatted with my DASNI friends, rode the bike for 25 minutes, and went for my chiropractor treatment. I am down to every two weeks now… Kenny called and invited us up for supper. I cooked fresh green beans and potatoes and took them up. Kathy fixed a delicious meat loaf. Dave used the excuse that is depth perception was off for the reason he took such a large piece of meat loaf. LOL… Tonight I will host the Dr. Mitch chat at http://www.alzinfo.org/alztalk/flashchat.php His topic is: Brain training through meditation/stilling and cognitiveremediation/stimulating… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma (Source: Mary's Place)

Revisiting ‘cruises for alzheimer’s caregivers’.

Alzheimer's Notes — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:12:51 +0100

Last year, Alzheimer’s Notes wrote about ‘Cruises for Alzheimer’s Caregivers’. Sounds like a great way to get away, so here’s update on cruises for 2009… February 9-14, 2009 Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Century Miami to Miami September 4-11, 2009 Alaskan Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas Seattle to Seattle The cruises for 2010 are not yet scheduled but will be during same months as 2009: February and September. You can find out more at www.CAREGIVERCRUISES.com Tags: Alzheimers-disease, caregiver cruises, caregivers, cruises, respite for caregiversShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

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National policy discussion on diagnosing early-stage alzheimer's

I am an Alzheimer's Caregiver — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:28:54 +0100

Mental test spots alzheimer's risk

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Interesting article well worth reading.The Everyday Cognition instrument consists of 39 questions to be answered by people who know the patient well. Mental Test Spots Alzheimer's RiskA new questionnaire may help in both diagnosing older adults facing dementia and also in identifying individuals who need help with daily living.The Everyday Cognition instrument consists of 39 questions to be answered by people who know the patient well."There have been a number of studies that show that people with mild cognitive impairment who have functional problems in addition to performing poorly on neuropsychological testing are more likely to progress in the near future," said study author Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento. "One of our hopes is that this instrument will be able to help identify very early on those people at increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease."That would help both patients and family members prepare for what lies ahead and identify patients who need to be more closely monitored.In addition, Farias said, the test would also help identify "people who are having [functional] problems so that we know who needs help and who doesn't.""What's nice about this is that it is designed to pick up very early memory problems, and it's an entirely caregiver-based survey," said Dr. Scott Turner, incoming director of the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, in Washington, D.C. "This is something the caregiver can fill out, while the practitioner is looking at the patient. It could be used for screening, for diagnosis and for drug development, if you want to look for some proof that your drug is having some effect, so it has a lot of potential uses.""They want something that they could use to ask a family member about the potential patient's everyday functioning to see if that's sensitive to picking up the likelihood of dementia early on," added Dr. Gary J. Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.The findings were published in the July issue of Neuropsychology.Existing neuropsychological tests tend to be very abstract. For the last 40 years, these tests have looked at two categories: so-called "basic" activities (such as grooming, feeding, dressing), which are affected in later stages of dementia, and "instrumental" activities of daily living (such as managing medication, finances, cooking, driving)."I was interested in understanding how our neuropsychology tests translated into everyday problems, how our cognitive tests . . . translate into everyday problems that a person is experiencing and that a caregiver is concerned about," Farias explained.Farias and her colleagues divided everyday functioning into seven cognitive "domains:" memory, language, semantic or factual knowledge, visual and spatial abilities, planning, organization and divided attention.An original list of 138 items was eventually culled to 39, which was then tested in 576 older adults: 174 of whom were cognitively normal, 126 who had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 276 who had been diagnosed with dementia."Informants" (people who had known the patient for an average of almost 45 years) provided details on whether the patient could remember shopping items without a list, reading a map, balancing the checkbook, and cooking or working and talking at the same time.Not only did the instrument confirm established diagnoses, it was also able to distinguish people with MCI from those with full-blown dementia, meaning it was able to pick up on subtle differences in function.The results also weren't highly influenced by occupation and education levels, as are existing tests."This is really the first step in development the instrument," Farias said. "What we're really interested in doing is to track people over time to get a better understanding of the early signs of functional impairment." The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

National policy discussion on diagnosing early-stage alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This looks interesting and hopefully will lead to some real action. I'll try to post highlights of the conference as they become available. clipped from www.newswise.comThe Alzheimer Research Forum, the Web’s foremost community of AD researchers, in collaboration with the Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer’s Initiative and Alzheimer’s Study Group, has assembled a panel of thought leaders to address the challenges and solutions to early-diagnosis of AD during a 90-minute web-based “virtual town hall meeting.” The event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. (U.S. East Coast Time) and will be conducted using Webinar technology and teleconferencing.One of the key roadblocks to developing better treatments for AD is the lack of approved tests that doctors can use to screen and diagnose patients who are at the very earliest stage of the devastating brain disorder. The lack of early-stage diagnostic tools also impedes drug development.http://www.alzforum.org/res/for/journal/detail.asp?liveID=167 (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Brain ‘trick’ offers treatment hope for alzheimer’s

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This is the kind of science that catches my attention. Also, gives me hope. "We hope that the work will evolve into new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease"Professor Gideon DaviesBrain ‘trick’ offers treatment hope for Alzheimer’sAn ageing population means that neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer’s disease, is one of the major health problems in the developed world. But researchers at the University of York and Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, have designed an enzyme inhibitor which could ‘trick’ the brain and so help to halt neurodegeneration.The research is published in the latest issue of Nature Chemical Biology.One of the causes of neurodegeneration is a modification to the protein ‘tau’, which helps to maintain the stability of neurones in the brain, causing them to form aggregates termed ‘tangles’.These diseases, or ‘tauopathies’ are believed to be caused by a form of the protein tau which has been excessively modified with phosphate.By studying the chemistry and structure of relevant enzymes, the research teams at York, led by Professor Gideon Davies, and Simon Fraser, led by Professor David Vocadlo, have designed an enzyme inhibitor that prevents the phosphorylation of tau in animal models. They have effectively tricked the brain’s own enzymes into installing a sugar on to tau in place of the detrimental phosphates.The enzyme inhibitor, termed a ‘thiazoline’, developed by Professor Vocadlo and Professor Davies is not yet a drug, but it is a major breakthrough in finding compounds that cross the blood-brain barrier to elicit beneficial effects that prevent the onset of tauopathies.Professor Davies, of the Department of Chemistry at York, said: "We hope that the work will evolve into new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease, although that is still many years off. The work highlights the synergy of studying the chemistry of enzymes in living cells."The York/Simon Fraser collaboration also revealed the first structure of the enzyme responsible for the installation of these protective sugars in a paper in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology earlier this month. The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Mary's Place — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:27:00 +0100

Dave has had several naps today, but he says he has no pain. The doctor called this morning to check on him… I have been tired all day. I had a terrible time falling asleep last night. I guess I got over stimulated yesterday… Jennifer another neighbor called this morning and said she would like to bring our supper tonight and she did. She and her three children brought it in. Kyle even made us chocolate chip cookies. I am getting fatter by the minute. Last night Kim brought us brownies with our meal. I am not used to eating like this… Kathy picked their peaches tonight and she had about a half of bushel and she shared with us. Our peach trees aren’t doing that well. Maybe next year they will do better. They are still young yet… We have had several phone calls today. I can’t begin to remember all of them. But they were appreciated… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma… (Source: Mary's Place)

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Housing plans

Fading from Memory — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:46:13 +0100

Slowly, we have gone round and round and finally decided on what to do with the house that mum and dad lived in for over 20 years. The answer is: what we originally thought, we shall rent it out to tenants after first getting it renovated to an acceptable standard. Consequently, Greg, Rachel and I all gathered there at 1 pm on Sunday, armed with rubber gloves and some fresh milk. We had the goal of going through the house and performing a kind of triage on everything. Each item would be consigned to one of three groups: items to keep items to sell items to throw away Starting seemed to be the hardest part. We talked about what we might do, where we might put things, without actually doing anything. Eventually I picked up a worn and faded cushion. 'Do either of you want this?' I asked. Both Greg and Rachel said they didn't. 'Will anyone buy it? No, they agreed. 'So, it's rubbish,' I declared, slinging it out the doorway and across the lawn to the skip that had been placed in the drive. And so we started. The enormity of the job became clear very early on. Behind every object was another. When chests were moved, they revealed a sediment of objects that had fallen down the back of their drawers. There were scatterings of tissues and half-empty food packets, banana skins and clothing in unexpected places. As we pulled furniture away from the wall the dust rose in a cloud. Floor space disappeared rapidly. The lounge became a staging area for items we will sell. Very soon we could hardly move through it. The dining table, fully extended, was nowhere big enough to hold the hundreds of ornaments that mum had collected over the years. But among all this unwanted furniture and kitsch, we found some gems: mum's Kodak camera, which travelled with us for many miles and many years; dad's masonic medals (which kept turning up in odd places), the colourful blanket that mum crocheted and draped over us when we were small and sick; my laundry bag from boarding school days, a chest of drawers which, upon inspection, looks very much as if it was made by our grandfather. We made great progress, but not enough. Next Saturday we must reassemble and finish the job and, then, some time after that, return to oversee the garage sale that will liquidate a lifetime's material accumulation. I found the day enjoyable. It was good to work together as we did. It was a task that I had been itching to do for many years (and which really should have been done many years ago, by mum and dad themselves). And there was a sense that our endless evolving problems were finally refining themselves into a clear and contained shape: mum and dad's health. All other issues are now under our control. (Source: Fading from Memory)

Fourth of july activities for alzheimer’s patient and youngsters in your home

Alzheimer's Notes — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:01:31 +0100

AlzheimersNotes.com As the Fourth of July approaches, many communities will hold parades and fireworks. However, it’s usually not feasible to take Alzheimer’s patients to these. Sometimes even youngsters find them very tiring. When you need relaxation and some home activities, check out some of those at One Book Two Book, where I’m a co-blogger. If the Alzheimer’s patient can’t participate, he/she often enjoys simply watching. Books, particularly picture books hold their attention for awhile and may remind them of earlier days. When Mother was in the mid stages of Alzheimer’s, she’d say the words she recognized, even when she might not make the mental connection. Or the word or picture could set her to reminiscing. They often enjoy having children read books to them. Check out these links: Fourth of July Craft Ideas 10 Best Fourth of July Picture Books All American Week Fourth of July Books for Teens What ideas do you have to celebrate Fourth of July with Alzheimer’s patients and/or youngsters? (Amazon image;click on flag for details) (c)2008 Mary Emma Allen Share This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

People with dementia can often enjoy the past in the present

Carol Bradley Bursack's SharePosts — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:29:20 +0100

My sister works for Prairie Public, our PBS station here on - well, here on the prairie. Prairie Public religiously runs the old Lawrence Welk shows, which are nearly fought over by underwriters, as they are so loyally watched. Lawrence Welk was born in tiny Strasburg, ND and died in 1992 in Santa Monica, CA. He had a large national audience during his television years, comprised of many people now in their 70s, 80s and up. So, while his... (Source: Carol Bradley Bursack's SharePosts)

Alzheimer’s disease and the apoe gene diet.

Alzheimer's Notes — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:27:53 +0100

Since the 1990s, scientists have known about the Apo E gene and the role it plays in Alzheimer’s disease. But not much has been discovered on how to reduce the prevent or reduce the gene’s effects on not only Alzheimer’s Disease but also heart disease. Pamela McDonald, a leading integrative medicine nurse practitioner, has spent a number of years focusing on the Apo E gene in her practice and feels she has come up with specific nutritional plans, lifestyle changes, and environmental considerations that have the possibilty to reduce (and maybe even eliminate) the chronic symptoms relating to Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Her book, The ApoE Gene Diet: A Breakthrough in Changing, Cholesterol, Weight, Heart and Alzheimer’s Using the Body’s Own Gene , based on scientific research and colaborated by leading researchers, offers an individualized, personalized approach that takes into account each person’s genetic uniqueness. You can find out more at the Apo E Gene website. (source and image) Share This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

News from the journal of clinical investigation

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

clipped from www.medicalnewstoday.comOveractivation of proteins known as calpains, which are involved in memory formation, has been linked to Alzheimer disease. Ottavio Arancio and colleagues, at Columbia University, New York, have now shown that two different drugs that inhibit calpains can improve memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease (APP/PS1 mice), leading them to suggest drugs that target calpains might stop or slow down the memory loss that occurs as Alzheimer disease progresses.It is thought that dysfunctional signaling between nerve cells contributes to the impaired cognition experienced by individuals with Alzheimer disease.AUTHOR CONTACT:Ottavio ArancioColumbia University, New York, New York, USA.View the PDF of this article at: https://www.the-jci.org/article.php?id=34254 (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

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Grape seed extract may fight alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This is a second post on grape seed and MegaNatural AZ. If you want to look into this clip the link below. clipped from www.healthcentral.com A red grape seedextract that packs the punch of red wine -- without the alcohol --could help protect against memory loss due to Alzheimer's diseasePolyphenolic compounds are antioxidants naturally found in wine,tea, chocolate, and some fruits and vegetables. The mice in thestudy received levels of polyphenols equivalent to what a personwould consume with a daily glass or two of red wine.To sidestep the alcohol issue, Pasinetti and his teaminvestigated whether an extract of red grape seeds sold asMegaNatural AZ by Polyphenolics, a Madera, California-based grapeproducts supplier, might prevent the progress of the disease inmice. Polyphenolics helped fund the research. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Meditation, yoga might switch off stress genes

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

clipped from health.usnews.comThere's more on meditation at the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.Relax! Stress, if Managed, Can Be Good For YouYou're aiming for stimulated and focused—but not frazzled.Healthful Lifestyle Teaches Prostate Genes to BehaveLiving right—with a good diet, exercise, and low stress—brings out the best in your genes.Audio: Dr. Dean Ornish on How Diet Affects Genes (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Odds and ends

Dealing with Alzheimer's Blog — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Every time I finish a post I think of something else to write. Then, I forget it the next time I post! Guess it goes with the terriroty! Another promising drug for Alzheimer's that was in the final stages of clinical trials has failed to provide enough data to end up being marketed. Here is a link to the Alzheimer's website for more information. Last year, the same thing happened with (Source: Dealing with Alzheimer's Blog)

News from the journal of clinical investigation

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Grape seed extract may fight alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

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Meditation, yoga might switch off stress genes

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

clipped from health.usnews.comThere's more on meditation at the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.Relax! Stress, if Managed, Can Be Good For You You're aiming for stimulated and focused—but not frazzled. Healthful Lifestyle Teaches Prostate Genes to Behave Living right—with a good diet, exercise, and low... This is a summary of the content. Read the article in its entirety at the Alzheimer's Reading Room. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Flurizan, lipitor and alzhemed: negative study results

The Tangled Neuron — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

On Monday, Myriad Genetics Inc. announced the failure of Flurizan in Phase III trials. This news follows the results from the LEADe study showing the cholesterol drug Lipitor did not benefit Alzheimer's patients, and the failure of Alzhemed in Phase III trials last year. With all this disappointing news, it seems more important than ever for professionals, with input from patients and their families, to talk about new approaches to Alzheimer's research and care. Maybe implementing some of the ideas discussed at the National Institute on Aging 2006 conference would help. I'll be at ICAD (the International Conference on Alzheimer's disease) in late July - it will be interesting to see whether new approaches are widely discussed. (Source: The Tangled Neuron)

Mary's Place — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:29:00 +0100

Kathy drove us the Surgery Foundation this morning and David and Lori met us there. Dave went into surgery around 1:30 and was in surgery for a couple hours. Everything went just fine… We got home about 5:00 and soon after we got home our neighbors, Robert and Kim, brought us our supper. We have the best neighbors… David and Lori stopped in town to eat then came on out to keep an eye on Dave. Kathy had to leave and go into work… Dave has a large bandage over the eye and will keep that on until he sees Dr. Holloman next week. I am really tired tonight. Thanks everyone for your prayers. We both felt them… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma (Source: Mary's Place)

Worried about your memory?

I am an Alzheimer's Caregiver — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:38:38 +0100

You can obtain this free booklet by clicking the link in the clip. If you prefer paste this link into your browser. http://tinyurl.com/46r8h4 clipped from www.alzheimers.org.ukWorried about your memory? BookletThis booklet is designed to help you understand more about memory loss, so that if you are worried - either about your own or someone... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: I am an Alzheimer's Caregiver)

Lack of 'good' hdl cholesterol linked to memory loss

I am an Alzheimer's Caregiver — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:08:34 +0100

If you are predisposed to Alzheimer's by birth you might want to take a close look at this article and vdieo. My mother falls into this category so it does concern me. clipped from health.usnews.comNews today that low levels of the "good" HDL cholesterol raises a person's risk of memory loss and memory loss and dementia may send many folks... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: I am an Alzheimer's Caregiver)

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Flurizan’s failure leaves key alzheimer’s theory unresolved

I am an Alzheimer's Caregiver — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:52:52 +0100

A mid-year present for caregivers -- encouragement to exercise

Dorian Martin's SharePosts — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:59:22 +0100

As I was weeding a flowerbed one recent weekend, I saw my next door neighbors pull into their driveway. After hearing the car door slam, I heard Judy call out my name as she made her way across her front yard. Held hostage by our various hectic schedules, Judy and I hadn't talked to each other recently. We tended to wave at each other as we drove to our respective events. So it was good to catch up over a leisurely visit on the swing... (Source: Dorian Martin's SharePosts)

How do i manage an elder who demands all my time and attention?

Jacqueline Marcell's SharePosts — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:27:58 +0100

Always screen your calls and never pick up when your elder calls with a nasty demanding tone. If you never give in to moaning and groaning, they will eventually stop trying that approach. But if you eventually give in, you are teaching them that all they have to do is continue pushing harder and harder because you will eventually cave in. Never allow yourself to be manipulated. Set reasonable but strict limits of when you can be... (Source: Jacqueline Marcell's SharePosts)

Added value to drawing for finding the joy in alzheimer’s

Alzheimer's Notes — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:00:20 +0100

AlzheimersNotes.com Brenda Avadian, editor and publisher of Finding the Joy in Alzheimer’s, has added value to the drawing for a copy of this book. “What a GREAT IDEA to bring JOY to overwhelmed caregivers. As the editor and publisher of the Finding the JOY series, I’ll add even more value to your drawing and answer one question by the winner of your drawing.” So for a possible opportunity to have your question answered, as well as receive the book as a prize, go to the original announcement post and leave your comment, as well as your connection with Alzheimer’s. (Read the rules carefully for deadlines and details.) (Amazon image; click on image for details) (c)2008 Mary Emma Allen Tags: Alzheimer's book, Alzheimer's Notes, Alzheimers, Brenda Avadian, contest, dementia, drawing, Finding the Joy in Alzheimer's, health, Mary Allen, Mary Emma, Mary Emma Allen, memory-loss, men's health, women's healthShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

Flurizan’s failure leaves key alzheimer’s theory unresolved

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

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Lack of good hdl cholesterol linked to memory loss

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Alzheimer's: with increasing life expectancy, it's a fate that awaits more and more of us.

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

An interesting and thought provoking article. Clink the link in the clip to read more. clipped from www.nj.com It's a kind of good news-bad news situation: We live longer -- which gives us more time to get Alzheimer's. And women, who often live longer than men, account for the greater number of patients. Although age is the key risk factor for... This is a summary of the content. Read the article in its entirety at the Alzheimer's Reading Room. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Worried about your memory?

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

You can obtain this free booklet by clicking the link in the clip. If you prefer paste this link into your browser. http://tinyurl.com/46r8h4 clipped from www.alzheimers.org.ukWorried about your memory? BookletThis booklet is designed to help you understand more about memory loss, so that if you are worried - either about your own or someone... This is a summary of the content. Read the article in its entirety at the Alzheimer's Reading Room. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Flurizan’s failure leaves key alzheimer’s theory unresolved

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

clipped from blogs.wsj.comThough Myriad Genetics was hoping its experimental Alzheimer’s drug Flurizan would surprise naysayers in the scientific and investment communities, the company instead announced that its Phase III clinical trial did indeed fail.The company said Monday that the 18-month, 1,684-patient study – the largest Alzheimer’s-treatment study to date – showed Flurizan failed to improve cognitive functioning or activities of daily living, and added that Myriad is abandoning further efforts to develop the drug. This leaves Elan and Wyeth’s bapineuzumab and Eli Lilly’s gamma secretase inhibitor as the two leading candidates among disease-modifying Alzheimer’s drugs in development. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Lack of good hdl cholesterol linked to memory loss

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

If you are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's by birth you might want to take a close look at this article and video.My mother falls into this category so it does concern me. clipped from health.usnews.comNews today that low levels of the "good" HDL cholesterol raises a person's risk of memory loss and memory loss and dementia may send many folks rushing to their doctor for a cholesterol check. Indeed, the findings are pretty scary. Study participants with the lowest HDL levels—defined as less than 40 mg/dL—were 53 percent more likely to perform poorly on short-term memory tests compared to those with high HDL, defined as 60 mg/dL or greater. (These healthy participants were age 61, on average, experiencing the earliest signs of dementia that typically start in middle age.) Those whose HDL levels plunged over the six-year study also experienced a decrease in the number of words they were able to recall on the memory test, says study leader Archana Singh-Manoux, senior research fellow in epidemiology at the University College London.Video: Cholesterol: The Good and the Bad (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

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Alzheimer's: with increasing life expectancy, it's a fate that awaits more and more of us.

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

An interesting and thought provoking article. Clink the link in the clip to read more. clipped from www.nj.com It's a kind of good news-bad news situation: Welive longer -- which gives us more time to getAlzheimer's. And women, who often live longer thanmen, account for the greater number of patients.Although age is the key risk factor for Alzheimer's,family history and genetics, or heredity, are others.And, as with age, we can't change them. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Worried about your memory?

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

You can obtain this free booklet by clicking the link in the clip.If you prefer paste this link into your browser.http://tinyurl.com/46r8h4 clipped from www.alzheimers.org.ukWorried about your memory? BookletThis booklet is designed to help you understand more about memory loss, so that if you are worried - either about your own or someone else's memory - you can seek advice and, if necessary, get treatment and support. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Chris, david, lori, jenni, erin, kerry, madison and macey. this was taken on lori's birthday after dinner at the cheese factory

Mary's Place — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:05:00 +0100

(Source: Mary's Place)

Mary's Place — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:24:00 +0100

This has been a hard day knowing what we are facing tomorrow… We both have tried to keep busy… I did laundry, hosted the DASNI chat, Larry Rose came to chat this afternoon. I fed the flowers, tomato, and pepper plants and Dave vacuumed the furniture and sprayed it with Scotch Guard and he cleaned the wood flooring… Tonight I cooked our first mess of green beans from the garden. I added some new potatoes and fixed some yellow squash with cheese. Every evening we have a Cardinal bird come and entertain us while we are eating… Wesley, Lori, David, and Alfred called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma (Source: Mary's Place)

A drawing & a survey for minding our elders

Alzheimer's Notes — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:00:34 +0100

AlzheimersNotes.com Check out Carol Bradley Bursack’s blog and learn how to enter a drawing for her book, Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. You’ll need to take a survey about caregiving, but it’s easy and quick. Then your name will be entered into the random drawing for one of ten copies of Carol’s book. (c)2008 Mary Emma Allen Tags: Alzheimer's blogs, Alzheimer's book, Alzheimer's caregiver, Alzheimer's Notes, Alzhemers, caregivers, Caregiving, Carol Bradley Bursack, dementia, health, healthcare, Mary Allen, Mary Emma, Mary Emma Allen, men's health, Minding Our Elders, random drawing, women's healthShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

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Sportscaster jim nantz’s tribute to his father

Alzheimer's Notes — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:00:34 +0100

AlzheimersNotes.com Alzheimer’s can strike any family whatever the walk of life. Jim Nantz’s father developed this illness and has inspired the son to write a story as a tribute to his dad. The result is the book, Always By My Side - A Father’s Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other. At Alzhemer’s Weekly, you can see a video of Daryn Kagan’s interview of Jim Nantz. There’s also the transcript accompanying it. (Amazon image; click on cover for details) (c)2008 Mary Emma Allen Tags: Always By My Side, Alzheimer's Notes, Alzheimer's Weekly, Alzheimers, Daryn Kagan, Emma, health, Jim Nantz, Mary Allen, Mary Emma, Mary Emma Allen, memory-loss, men's health, sportscasterShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes)

This and that

Dealing with Alzheimer's Blog — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The weekend is over and ended with a huge thunderstorm. The wind blew over a tree about a block down the street and knocked down some power lines. We were without power for 6 hours. It was about 9:00p.m. when it happened. It was extremely warm in the house so we had to open all the windows. The bad part was that a fire truck was sitting idly in front of our house until the power company (Source: Dealing with Alzheimer's Blog)

Myriad to end development of flurizan

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

clipped from www.thestreet.comMyriad Genetics MYGN said Monday that it will stop development of its experimental Alzheimer's disease drug Flurizan due to the failure of a pivotal phase III study.The Flurizan study, which enrolled patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, did not achieve statistical significance on either of its two primary endpoints -- cognition or activities of daily living, the company said.While disappointing, the negative outcome from the Flurizan study was not unexpected, given the relatively poor results coming out of the drug's phase II study. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)

Myriad genetics reports results of u.s. phase 3 trial of flurizan™ in alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's Reading Room, The — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Flurizan Fails to Achieve Significance on Either Co-Primary Endpoint; Company Has Decided to Discontinue Its Development of Flurizan Myriad Genetics today announced results of the Act-Earli-AD trial, an 18-month Phase 3 study of Flurizan (tarenflurbil) in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. The study did not achieve statistical significance on either of its primary endpoints -- cognition and activities of daily living."We are disappointed that Flurizan failed to achieve significance in this study, and we will now discontinue development of this compound," said Peter Meldrum, President and Chief Executive Officer of Myriad Genetics, Inc. "The discontinuation of Flurizan will reduce our pharmaceutical development spend substantially and should enable Myriad to achieve profitability next year, ending June 30, 2009."During fiscal 2008, Myriad spent approximately $60 million on development of Flurizan. The remaining expenses to wrap up its Flurizan program are projected to be approximately $8 million in total, spread primarily over the next two fiscal quarters. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The)