Category Archives: News

A Bold New Attack on the Alzheimer’s Scourge

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What if a preeminent global health authority declared there’s a public health “time bomb” among us? What if he were the person most responsible for leading the coalition that turned HIV/AIDS from a certain death sentence into a manageable illness? And what if this expert also warned that this crisis was a scourge that, due to the tragic and cruel torture it inflicts on its victims, also demanded, on ethical grounds, to be elevated to a human rights issue?

And what if −- as we already know −- this health crisis was poised to become the fiscal nightmare of the 21st century?

Last week in London, Dr. Peter Piot made each of these declarations at the Alzheimer’s Disease International global meeting.

Read all about it HERE

visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

Is it Alzheimer’s or depression?

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Because symptoms of Alzheimer’s and depression are very similar, a wrong diagnosis can be costly.

“Chronic depression can cause a structure in your brain to shrink, and that structure is called the hippocampus and that structure is responsible for new learning and remembering,” said psychologist Dr. Shannon Gould.

While depression can be treated and often cured, Alzheimer’s can only be managed. An early diagnosis means early treatment. Neuropsychological evaluations can help determine if it’s dementia or depression.

“We are looking at attention, concentration, processing speed. I may have my patients read a short story and recall as much of that story as they can,” said Dr. Gould.

Depression is not always common in Alzheimer’s patients, but a deficit in their daily living is.

“Difficulty taking medication, maybe they are missing a dosage of medication here, or let’s say a person has always managed the finances, was impeccable with balancing the check book, now suddenly they have difficulty writing out a check properly,” said Dr. Gould.

Read all about it HERE

visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

Researchers find way to predict disease in people with a rare form

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Remembering family members who can’t remember themselves, Alexandra looks through pictures of several relatives struck with an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s disease.

The 35-year-old woman, who will be identified as Alexandra to protect her identity, lost her mother to familial Alzheimer’s. Her mother was diagnosed with the disease at age 42 and died in her early 50s.

“It’s sad, and the sadder part about it is she didn’t have a life that she should have deserved,” Alexandra said.

Like other relatives, Alexandra’s mother died from familial Alzheimer’s in her early 50s. Doctors say having the specific gene mutations predict with 100 percent certainty the carrier will develop the disease. While familial Alzheimer’s disease, or FAD, accounts for less than 2 percent of total cases, the disease process is similar to common forms.

Read all about it HERE

visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

‘Game plan’ key for Alzheimer’s patients to manage illness

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Pat Summitt talked about her “game plan,” one of those fundamental phrases from Coaching 101 class.

Summitt was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease last summer and revealed it during interviews in August.

This week, Summitt will lead the Tennessee Lady Vols into the NCAA Tournament, something she has done every year since 1982. She has won eight national titles. The Lady Vols won the SEC tournament for the third- straight time.

As one of the country’s most visible Alzheimer’s victims, the awareness Summitt has brought has been invaluable.

Read all about it HERE

visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

Alzheimer’s patients ‘should stay on drugs for longer’

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Thousands of patients with advanced Alzheimer’s disease could benefit from drugs, research suggests.

A study in the the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients who stayed on the dementia drug Aricept had a slower decline in their memory.

The drug tends not to be prescribed once sufferers progress beyond moderate symptoms.

Medicines regulator NICE said its guidelines supported continuing treatment where there were benefits.

The patent for the medicine Aricept, which is used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, expired recently. Much cheaper versions under the generic name donepezil are already available for about £12 a month.

Read all about it HERE

visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com

Chemical link revealed in Alzheimer’s study

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Alzheimer’s symptoms such as memory loss could be prevented by
targeting a chemical that dismantles brain connections, research
suggests.

Scientists have already started work searching for a drug that will block the mechanism, discovered in mice.

If successful, a treatment that effectively protects against the effects of Alzheimer’s could be available in the next 10 years.

It has long been known that the disease is linked to a build-up of toxic amyloid-beta protein in the brain.

Read all about it HERE

visit us at AlzheimerHeadlines.com