Moderate drinking cuts risk of Alzheimer's - study

HDtv · Aug 18, 2011

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFN1E77F1PE20110818

This is very interesting article and i love how science keeps developing and we learn new stuff about the world. I wonder much will science advance and how many things will change in life.

Rapunzel · Aug 18, 2011

I've heard this before...interesting at least until they revoke it with another study...LOL...Be right back gotta go pour some wine...

Piscivorous · Aug 18, 2011

I've also heard that coffee aids in abating Alzheimer's also:

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/29/6968218-coffee-buzz-protects-brain-from-alzheimers

wopper stopper · Aug 18, 2011

Piscivorous said: ↑

I've also heard that coffee aids in abating Alzheimer's also:

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/29/6968218-coffee-buzz-protects-brain-from-alzheimers
Click to expand...

neither worked for my mom

Piscivorous · Aug 18, 2011

wopper stopper said: ↑

neither worked for my mom
Click to expand...

Did your grandparents on her side have Alzheimer's that you know of?

I'm convinced genetics is the key ingredient.

waltky · Aug 26, 2011

Granny says even moderate drinkin', if ya do it long enough'll make ya goofy...

MRI-like Scan May Help Identify Alzheimer's
August 26, 2011 - But researchers caution it's not for diagnosis

Alzheimer's disease normally gets a definitive diagnosis only after the patient dies, and an autopsy finds certain distinctive structures in the brain. Recently, though, scientists have been seeking some sort of biomarker - a characteristic that can be identified while the patient is still alive. Emerging research on Alzheimer's suggests that the underlying physical disease begins years - maybe decades - before any symptoms appear. Kejal Kantarci studies Alzheimer's at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "We wanted to investigate whether people who have normal cognitive function, but in their 70s and 80s, have any signs of Alzheimer's or other dementia-related pathology through imaging," she says.

In a new study, Kantarci and her colleagues put more than 300 older adults through some advanced imaging procedures. The participants had positron emission tomography, or PET scans to identify the level of amyloid-beta in the brain that may signal Alzheimer's. About one-third of them had significant amyloid-beta deposits. They also got a special kind of MRI scan to look for a biomarker that may indicate Alzheimer's. And those with significant amyloid-beta deposits tended to have high levels of the choline/creatine biomarker. They also scored lower on cognitive tests. "We found that there is a relationship between the biochemical changes in the brain that we measured and the cognitive performance in the individuals," Kantarci says.

The MR spectroscopy, which is the MRI-type scan, identified people who scored lower on various tests of cognitive function, and who may be at risk for developing Alzheimer's. The researchers caution that MR spectroscopy can not be used to diagnose Alzheimer's. But this work and other research suggests that it may soon be possible to identify people at higher risk of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia before they show any symptoms.

Kantarci admits that's not going to help patients now, because there are no effective treatments. "But when they come about," she says, "there will be a chance for us to identify those normally functioning individuals who will benefit most from preventive treatment." In addition, researchers trying to develop treatments may be able to use this biomarker in tests to assess how effective a new drug is.

Source
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wopper stopper · Aug 27, 2011

Piscivorous said: ↑

Did your grandparents on her side have Alzheimer's that you know of?

I'm convinced genetics is the key ingredient.
Click to expand...

my mom is the only known case in her family

waltky · Sep 14, 2011

Rev. Pat says its okay to divorce `em...

Pat Robertson says Alzheimer's makes divorce OK
Sep 14,`11 - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson told his "700 Club" viewers that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer's is justifiable because the disease is "a kind of death."

During the portion of the show where the one-time Republican presidential candidate takes questions from viewers, Robertson was asked what advice a man should give to a friend who began seeing another woman after his wife started suffering from the incurable neurological disorder. "I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her," Robertson said.

The chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, which airs the "700 Club," said he wouldn't "put a guilt trip" on anyone who divorces a spouse who suffers from the illness, but added, "Get some ethicist besides me to give you the answer." Most Christian denominations at least discourage divorce, citing Jesus' words in the Gospel of Mark that equate divorce and remarriage with adultery. Terry Meeuwsen, Robertson's co-host, asked him about couples' marriage vows to take care of each other "for better or for worse" and "in sickness and in health."

"If you respect that vow, you say `til death do us part,'" Robertson said during the Tuesday broadcast. "This is a kind of death." A network spokesman said Wednesday that Robertson had no further statement. Divorce is uncommon among couples where one partner is suffering from Alzheimer's, said Beth Kallmyer, director of constituent services for the Alzheimer's Association, which provides resources to sufferers and their families. "We don't hear a lot of people saying `I'm going to get divorced,'" she told The Associated Press. "Families typically respond the way they do to any other fatal disease."

The stress can be significant in marriages though, Kallmyer said, because it results in the gradual loss of a person's mental faculties. "The caregiving can be really stressful on a couple of levels," she said. "There's the physical level. There's also the emotional level of feeling like you're losing that person you love." As a result, she said, it's important for couples to make decisions about care together in the early stages of the illness, when its effects aren't as prominent.

Source
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waltky · Apr 26, 2014

Study Touts Moderate Physical Activity...

Exercise Could Stem Alzheimer's Onset
April 25, 2014 ~ Researchers have discovered yet another reason to hit the gym.

A new study of older adults who were at risk of developing Alzheimers disease claims that moderate physical activity can prevent shrinkage of the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and spatial orientation. It is also the first part of the brain that comes under attack from the devastating disease. "The good news is that being physically active may offer protection from the neurodegeneration associated with genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. J. Carson Smith, a kinesiology researcher at the University of Maryland School of Public Health who conducted the study in a statement. "We found that physical activity has the potential to preserve the volume of the hippocampus in those with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, which means we can possibly delay cognitive decline and the onset of dementia symptoms in these individuals, he said. Physical activity interventions may be especially potent and important for this group," Smith added.

For the study, Smith and his colleagues monitored four groups of healthy older adults ages 65-89." The subjects all displayed "normal cognitive abilities over an 18-month period." The volume of their hippocampus also was measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the start and finish of the 18 months. Researchers divided the subjects into four groups, those with high or low Alzheimers risk and low or high levels of physical activity. Alzheimers risk was determined by the presence of lack of presence of an apolipoprotein called E epsilon 4 allele.

This undated image provided by Merck & Co. shows a cross section of a normal brain (right) and one of a brain damaged by advanced Alzheimer's disease.

Only the group of high risk and no exercise saw a decrease in hippocampal volume over the 18 months, researchers said. All the other groups maintained hippocampal volume. "This is the first study to look at how physical activity may impact the loss of hippocampal volume in people at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Kirk Erickson, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh in a statement. "There are no other treatments shown to preserve hippocampal volume in those that may develop Alzheimer's disease, he added. This study has tremendous implications for how we may intervene, prior to the development of any dementia symptoms, in older adults who are at increased genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease," Erickson said.

Smith said the study provides additional evidence that exercise plays a protective role against cognitive decline. The Alzheimers Association, which seeks to promote Alzheimer's care, support and research, recommends physical exercise for maintaining good blood flow to the brain as well as to encourage new brain cells. Growing evidence shows that physical exercise does not have to be strenuous or even require a major time commitment," the association said. "It is most effective when done regularly, and in combination with a brain-healthy diet, mental activity and social interaction. Smith said the study suggests the need for more research on how physical activity may interact with genetics and decrease Alzheimers risk.

Smith had previously shown that walking improved cognitive function in patients already experiencing decline. He plans to do further research on the effects of exercise intervention on healthy older adults with genetic and other risk factors for developing Alzheimers to see how exercise might impact hippocampal volume and subsequent brain function. According to the Alzheimers Foundation of America, more than 5 million Americans suffer from the disease, a number they say will triple by 2050 as the population ages. The findings are published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

http://www.voanews.com/content/exercise-could-stem-alzheimers-onset/1901456.html
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waltky · Dec 18, 2015

Granny says Uncle Ferd's g/f always got him stressed out - dat's why he goes into dem hokey-pokey dances...

Study: Chronic Stress Can Lead to Early Alzheimer’s
December 16, 2015: For many people, the holidays are a time of stress, whether it’s caused by the anxiety of making a big meal for friends and family or spending time with grumpy relatives. Most of the time, the stress has no long-lasting effect; but if it becomes frequent and common over time, researchers say it could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Everyone experiences stress from time to time. It could be prompted by the death of a spouse or loss of a job; but, psychiatrist Richard Lipton says it could also be something much less traumatic, like getting a traffic ticket. “One person gets a speeding ticket and they think, 'This is horrible. My insurance premiums are going to go up and I’m going to get a $100 dollar fine," said Lipton. "This is a disaster for me.' And another person thinks, 'Hmmm. I shouldn’t have been speeding. I ’m going to be more careful in the future.'" While a great loss can be devastating and the effects long-lasting, it’s the person who perceives common situations as stressful - like the first driver Lipton described - who could be putting his or her psychological health at risk.

Lipton, who is with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, explains that 'stressing out' over the small hassles of everyday life can lead to mild cognitive impairment, which is a risk factor for a far more serious disorder. “People who have mild amnestic cognitive impairment go on to develop diagnosable Alzheimer’s dementia at the rate of about 10 to 15 percent per year. So, amnestic cognitive impairment is essentially most often an early form of Alzheimer’s disease before dementia develops," he said. In a study reported in the journal Alzheimer’s Disease and Associated Disorders, Lipton and colleagues administered a stress assessment test to just over 500 individuals ages 70 and older.

Patients with Alzheimer's and dementia are seen during a therapy session.

The test rated their level of perceived stress. None of the participants had signs of mild cognitive impairment or dementia at the start of the study, called the Einstein Aging Study. They were followed for an average of 3.5 years with a battery of neuropsychological tests and given physical exams. During the study, 71 participants were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. Those with the highest stress levels were two-and-a-half times more likely to develop the pre-Alzheimer’s condition.

Most were women with less education and higher levels of depression. Lipton says chronic stress has a number of negative effects on the body. “When stressful events happen and people perceive them to be stressful, there’s a whole series of physiologic changes that take place. Blood pressure goes up, pulse goes up, the stress hormone cortisol is secreted and, over time, chronic stress can produce wear and tear on the body and wear and tear on the brain and lead to long-term health consequences," he said. Lipton says that lowering levels of perceived stress – by engaging in activities such as yoga and meditation, for example - could help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

http://www.voanews.com/content/study-chronic-stress-can-lead-to-early-alzheimers/3105700.html
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See also:

Christmas Spirit, Bah Humbug Syndrome, Traced to Brain Activity
December 17, 2015 : For some people, Christmas is a magical time of year, filled with feelings of warmth, excitement and generosity. For others, Christmastime carries no particular significance, in some cases even causing annoyance or despair. Researchers have located the source of the feelings of Christmas joy or disgust to a number of regions in the brain that may explain reactions to this festive time of year.

Danish researchers believe they have traced the Christmas spirit – either feelings of warmth and joy or what they playfully call the “bah humbug” syndrome – to a number of areas of the brain. They assembled two groups of volunteers. One group, which they called the Christmas group, comprised ten ethnic Danes who celebrate Christmas. The second, non-Christmas group was made up of ten people, including individuals of Pakistani, Iraqi, Indian and Turkish descent, with no tradition of celebrating the holiday. Using high-tech fMRI imaging, researchers scanned the brains of all the subjects while showing them both holiday-inspired images and ordinary ones.

President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters Sasha, and Malia, and Michelle's mother Marian Robinson, react as they light the National Christmas Tree during the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at the Ellipse in Washington

In the first group, a “Christmas spirit network” appeared - five areas of the brain that lit up. That neural activity is associated with spirituality, experiencing emotions shared by other people and mouth actions suggesting pleasure in eating meals with loved ones. Similar responses were not seen in the non-Christmas group. Bryan Haddock is a medical physicist at a hospital affiliated with Copenhagen University. “When you have a reaction to Christmas and decorations are around you and the scenery you are looking at, there is definitely something that happens. We’re able to catch it on scanner. There is something that goes on in the brain when you see something that puts you in the Christmas mood," said Haddock.

The findings were published in the British Medical Journal. At this point, Haddock says it’s hard to generalize the study’s conclusions to other festive occasions. “Now that we’ve seen where it is in the brain, what can we say? Can we say that some people are missing something, can we say that some people have an extra something, can we say that this is the festive center, can we say that this is something unique to Christmas? These are questions that we actually can’t answer," he said. So for the time being… “Merry Christmas, however you take that.” “Yes. Merry Christmas to you.”

http://www.voanews.com/content/christmas-spirit-bah-syndrome-traced-to-brain-activity/3107205.html
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