Alzheimer's

Cognitive impairment linked to low vitamin D levels In an article scheduled for publication in the Journal of Geriatric Psychology and Neurology , researchers from the Peninsula Medical School, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Michigan report an association between low levels of vitamin D and an increased risk of cognitive impairment in older men and women. Cognitive impairment has been shown to enhance the risk of developing dementia, a major cause of disability among older individuals. The current study included 708 men and 1,058 women aged 65 and older who participated in the Health Survey for England 2000. Neurocognitive testing revealed ... Read Full Story

Vascular dementia is a degenerative cerebrovascular disease that leads to a progressive decline in memory and cognitive functioning. It occurs when the blood supply carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is interrupted by a blocked or diseased vascular system. Vascular dementia generally affects people between the ages of 60 and 75. By Bob DeMarco Alzheimer's Reading Room Editor Vascular dementia is considered the second most common type of dementia. Vascular dementia occurs when blood vessels in the brain narrow, reducing the amount of blood flowing to the brain. In some cases, a blood vessel may be completely blocked, causing a stroke and vascular ... Read Full Story

. Alzheimer's is divided into four stages which progress from one into the next. They are classified as Pre-Dementia, Early Dementia, Moderate Dementia and Advanced Dementia. Pre-Dementia: The first symptoms are sometimes mistaken for ageing or stress. Detailed neuro-psychological testing can reveal mild cognitive difficulties as early as eight years before a person is officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The most noticeable early symptom is memory loss, which usually shows up as trouble remembering recently learned facts or an inability to remember new information. Subtle problems with attentiveness, planning, flexibility, and abstract thinking, or impairments in semantic memory (memory of meanings, and concept relationships), can ... Read Full Story

Scientific studies show that exercise significantly lowers your risk of dementia and your risk of Alzheimer’s, the most dreaded form of dementia. Swedish scientists found that those in the leisure physical activity at least twice week in middle age had 50 percent lower risk of developing dementia, and 60 percent lower ALZHEIMERS DISEASE RISK OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, compared with their more sedentary colleagues, according to study published in October 2005, in Lancet Neurology. But if youre in years, its not too late to start. The Nurses Health Study, which interviewed 18,766 American women aged 70 to 81 years showed that those who walked at ... Read Full Story

Alzheimer's Drugs Also Treat Behavioral, Psych Problems Therapy effective at same dosage used to improve cognitive impairment, study says WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs used to treat Alzheimer's patients' cognitive symptoms are also a safe and effective therapy for behavioral and psychological symptoms such as aggression, wandering and paranoia, according to U.S. researchers. They reviewed nine studies that examined the effectiveness of three popular cholinesterase inhibitors in managing Alzheimer's patients' behavioral and psychological symptoms, and found the drugs were effective at the same dosage used to improve cognitive impairment. The study was published in the December issue of Clinical Interventions in Aging ... Read Full Story

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a cluster of progressive diseases that affect the regions of the brain that control personality, behavior, language, and decision-making. Frontotemporal dementia is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric problem or as Alzheimer's disease. Frontotemporal dementia tends to occur at a younger age than does Alzheimer's disease, typically between the ages of 40 and 70. More than half the people who develop frontotemporal dementia have no family history of dementia. Frontotemporal dementia was once known as Pick's disease. Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email FTD is a disease of behavior and language dysfunction, while the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is loss ... Read Full Story

Vitamin B No Help for Alzheimer's Reducing homocysteine levels doesn't slow cognitive decline, study finds By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin B supplements don't slow cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds. The theory was that vitamin B might slow the progression of Alzheimer's symptoms because the nutrient lowers homocysteine levels, which are elevated in people with the disease. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced by the body and has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. "The results of the study indicate that we were successful in ... Read Full Story