Godspeed from the Yellow Wallpaper

clipped from yellowwallpaper.net My Mom died this afternoon at 2 PM My sister and I were fortunate enough to be with her when she stepped fully into the afterlife We noticed her hands becoming cool and her skin color changing.  Her breathing became shallower and shallower, and I knew she was on her way.  She took a last breath and was gone. That moment was like a window flying open.  My mother’s spirit took off and all the bottled-up feelings came loose.   There has been so much grieving over the past few years–in increments–that right now I only want to piece together the mother I had for the first fifty-two years of my life.  I’m heartbroken but relieved that she might now be able to understand the past few years–why she couldn’t stay in her home, why her mother never came to visit her. We each have to come to terms with death in our own way.  It’s not any nobler or braver to be an atheist than it is to believe in God.  The noble part is living by your beliefs.

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• 60 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
• Alzheimer's CareGiving -- Insight and Advice
• Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
• Communicating in Alzheimer's World
• Worried About Alzheimer's Disease -- You Should Be
• What is Alzheimer's? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?
• Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
• Alzheimer's Disease Statistics
• Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
• Ten Symptoms of Early Stage Alzheimer's
• Ten Tips for Communicating with an Alzheimer’s Patient

Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,810 articles with more than 92,100 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

The Alzheimer's Action Plan

300 Tips for Making Life Easier

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Allure of the Forever Stamp

On May 12 the price of a stamp is rising by one cent. (a 2.4 percent increase). Right now you have the opportunity to lock in the 41 cent price forever. Is there any doubt, given the cost of gasoline, that the price will be rising again soon?

The stamp is quite handsome as you can see.

clipped from thelede.blogs.nytimes.com Risky investments and rising prices seem to be everywhere these days For the past year, branches have been selling “The Forever Stamp” for 41 cents each “The stamp will be good for mailing one-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future — regardless of price changes,” the agency promises. As the penny increase of May 12 nears, the forever deal is proving irresistible to millions of Americans, according to today’s news release: In the past several weeks, Postal Service customers have been buying Forever Stamps at a rate of about 30 million per day, bringing the amount sold to more than 6 billion since they were first offered. The Associated Press further detailed the climb, reporting forever stamp sales of $267,696,023 in March, $207,900,132 in February and $115,303,031 in January When the standard stamp switches to 42 cents, so will the forever version, thus commencing a new round of forever stamp stockpiling.

Astellas, CoMentis Sign $760M Alzheimer's Deal

The mechanism of action of CTS-21166 centers around inhibiting one of the enzymes (beta-secretase) that clips off a part of a larger protein [APP] to form amyloid-beta, which comprises the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

Source

Astellas Pharma, Inc. (ALPMF.PK) and CoMentis, Inc. announced Friday that the companies have entered into an agreement to develop products from CoMentis’ beta-secretase inhibitor program, including the recently initiated, phase 2, lead candidate compound CTS-21166, an oral beta-secretase inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The agreement also includes a research collaboration to develop additional beta-secretase inhibitors.

Upon closing, CoMentis will receive an upfront payment of $80 million and an equity investment of $20 million. CoMentis has the opportunity to receive up to $660 million in development milestones and may also receive performance-based commercialization milestones. In addition, CoMentis has the right to receive development milestones for next-generation beta-secretase inhibitors discovered under the terms of the research collaboration. Astellas will fund 100% of the pre-Phase III global development costs and CoMentis will share the Phase III development costs. Astellas has exclusive worldwide commercialization rights while CoMentis retains the right to co-promote in the U.S., where profit will be shared. CoMentis will receive royalties on sales outside the U.S.

Not a bad day for CoMentis; $100M upfront is a nice chunk of change for any program, let alone one that barely cleared phase I and showed no cognitive improvements (they weren’t measured, go figure). The mechanism of action of CTS-21166 centers around inhibiting one of the enzymes (beta-secretase) that clips off a part of a larger protein [APP] to form amyloid-beta, which comprises the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. It is thought by reducing the amount of amyloid, the disease course may be reversed or, at least slowed; a treatment outcome that is not currently possible. There is a sort of chicken and egg game over the origin of these plaques in Alzheimer’s. Some believe the formation of these plaques is the origin of Alzheimer’s and others take the opposite tack saying the disease itself creates the plaque.

There is controversy however, as Derek Lowe points out on his blog In The Pipeline. A one year old PNAS paper shows that mice which over express APP but lack beta-secretase, actually do worse on cognitive tests than mice that only over express APP. In the clinical realm, bapineuzumab, a mAb targeting amyloid-beta from Wyeth (WYE) and Elan (ELN), is currently in phase 2 and 3 and has yet to release any data including the all important ADAS-Cog score. If these therapies do not reverse the cognition score (as measured by ADAS-Cog) the FDA might not approve them regardless.

Alzheimer's is a tough disease and eventually, given enough shots on goal, one or two will go in. If bapineuzumab is successful, CTS-21166, would potentially have an advantage long term due to the oral (or so they say, the ph1 was IV) dosing and I’m sure the BD people at CoMentis delightfully highlighted that fact. This proof of concept for the mechanism of action will come mid to late ‘08 when Wyeth releases results of the extended phase 2 of bapineuzumab. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled.

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers

Tackle the challenges of caregiving with this  football style "playbook" by Frank Broyles, former coach and Athletic Director of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. The Playbook is an engaging, how-to guide written for those who care for someone with Alzheimer's. Coach Broyles cared for his late wife Barbara, who had Alzheimer's disease. “My wife Betty is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. The minute I received the ‘Playbook,’ I sat down and read it word for word. What a huge blessing for me to find a straight forward, 'been there’ account of what lies ahead. Thank you!" John Cater Richmond, Texas Popular Google Searches Leading to the Alzheimer's Reading Room What is the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Tests) Problems with Balance, Walking, Falling an Early Sign of Dementia How Do Alzheimer's Patients Die? Answers to Your Questions About Alzheimer's and Dementia The First Sign of Alzheimer's Short Term Memory Loss 10 Things a Person Living with Dementia Would Tell You If They Could Communicating in Alzheimer's World The Seven Stages of Alzheimer's If I get dementia, I’d like my family to hang this wish list up on the wall where I live Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

Alzheimer’s Vaccine on Hold Amid Safety Investigation

clipped from blogs.wsj.com In another setback for the idea that a vaccine might be able to fight Alzheimer’s, two clinical tests of an experimental vaccine known as ACC-001 from Wyeth and Elan have been halted for the investigation of a potential safety problem. In March, one of 59 patients enrolled in studies in Europe and the U.S. was hospitalized after developing skin lesions on the fingers and toes. The patient developed side effects in March, was hospitalized and later released. A Wyeth spokesman told the Health Blog the patient is still being evaluated. The FDA put a halt on the U.S. trial and and the companies voluntarily stopped the European trial, ACC-001 isn’t related to bapineuzumab, an antibody against Alzheimer’s plaques now in phase III testing. Work on an earlier vaccine, called AN-1792, was stopped by the companies years ago after some patients in a clinical trial developed encephalitis.

Study Results Of GAMMAGARD S/D And GAMMAGARD LIQUID In Patients With Mild To Moderate Alzheimer's Disease Announced

clipped from www.medicalnewstoday.com New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) announced results of a six-month, placebo-controlled Phase II study of 24 patients treated with GAMMAGARD S/D and GAMMAGARD LIQUID [Immune Globulin Intravenous (IGIV) The study met the primary endpoint criteria favoring GAMMAGARD LIQUID and GAMMAGARD S/D over placebo on measures of cognitive function and global impression of change The study also met secondary endpoints that measured changes in beta-amyloid and anti-amyloid antibody levels in blood and cerebrospinal fluid Results show findings indicative of potential efficacy and tolerability Beta-amyloid is a substance thought to contribute to the degeneration of the brain in Alzheimer's disease. Clearing this substance from the central nervous system, therefore is hypothesized to help remove or reduce the building blocks of Alzheimer's. Baxter International Inc. http://www.baxter.com

Statins Linked to Reduced Dementia

Two new studies may have somewhat allayed concerns about cognitive dysfunction being a possible adverse effect of statins.

Statins Linked to Reduced Dementia

Antioxidant Therapy Shows Early Promise Against Alzheimer's Disease - Improved Blood Flow Boosted Cognition And Behavior In Mice With AD-Like Illn

Alzheimer's Reading Room

clipped from www.medicalnewstoday.com For the first time, new research demonstrates that curbing harmful antioxidant processes in the brain's vasculature can reverse some of the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease. findings published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers, led by Dr. Costantino Iadecola NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center The result: The formerly "demented" mice regained their healthy, exploratory behaviors, just as non-demented mice do. According to the authors, the findings suggest that neurological damage from Alzheimer's may not be permanent and might even be reversed through antioxidant treatment.

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• How the Loss of Memory Works in Alzheimer’s Disease, and How Understanding This Could Help You
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Bob DeMarco is the Founder of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The blog contains more than 2,390 articles with more than 272,100 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Incontinence Drugs May Hurt Memory

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

Several years ago I refused to allow my mother to be medicated with depression drugs. Instead, I decided to work very closely with her to try to bring her out of her "funk". Exercise, a good diet, lots of patience and fostering a "secure environment" worked.

Later I discussed my mother's incontinence with her doctor. He told me he could "prescribe" something. With Alzheimer's as a variable in the equation I decided against it. I tired to get my mother to visit the toilet as often as possible. While this was very trying and difficult, I was eventually able to get her into a pattern of going even when she did not feel it was necessary.

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It takes lots of patience and perseverance to accomplish these goals. I am not saying its easy. I do believe its possible to improve situations if you can get a new pattern of behavior established.

I did get lots of communication tips from The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with 'Alzheimer's-Type Dementia'



More About the Alzheimer's Reading Room

• 60 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
• Alzheimer's CareGiving -- Insight and Advice
• Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
• Communicating in Alzheimer's World
• Worried About Alzheimer's Disease -- You Should Be
• What is Alzheimer's? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?
• Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
• Alzheimer's Disease Statistics
• Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
• Ten Symptoms of Early Stage Alzheimer's
• Ten Tips for Communicating with an Alzheimer’s Patient

Bob DeMarco is the Founder of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,880 articles with more than 95,100 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

The Alzheimer's Action Plan

300 Tips for Making Life Easier

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Book buzz: Pausch's Last Lecture is a good one

The Last Lecture

clipped from www.usatoday.com Professor delivers 'Lecture': Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture makes its debut at No. 2 on USA TODAY's Best-selling Books list, but Pausch, who is dying of pancreatic cancer, says sales aren't the reason he wrote the book. "I personally only cared about the first three copies, which are for my kids," he says. The book, written with Wall Street Journal columnist Jeff Zaslow, builds on a "last lecture" Pausch gave in September at Carnegie Mellon. Many in the publishing world believe Lecture will be the next Tuesdays With Morrie, which became a publishing sensation. It, too, dealt with wisdom imparted by a dying professor. Hyperion has had nine printings; 2 million copies are in print. GALLERY: Pausch's life in photos

High Cholesterol Levels in Your 40s May Raise the Chance of Developing Alzheimer's disease

The study found people with total cholesterol levels between 249 and 500 milligrams were one-and-a-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those people with cholesterol levels of less than 198 milligrams.

High cholesterol levels in your 40s may raise the chance of developing Alzheimer's disease decades later, according to a study underscoring the importance of health factors in middle age on risk for the brain ailment.

The study involving 9,752 people in northern California found that those with high cholesterol levels between ages 40 and 45 were about 50 percent more likely than those with low cholesterol levels to later develop Alzheimer's disease.

The findings were presented on Wednesday at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Chicago.


"Alzheimer's disease does not happen overnight," Dr. Alina Solomon of the University of Kuopio in Finland, who helped lead the study, said in a telephone interview.

"Alzheimer's disease has a very long preclinical phase — a silent phase — when you don't see any signs of the disease, but the disease is there. The pathological changes in the brain can sometimes develop over decades."

The study found people with total cholesterol levels between 249 and 500 milligrams were one-and-a-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those people with cholesterol levels of less than 198 milligrams. People with total cholesterol levels of 221 to 248 milligrams were more than one-and-a-quarter times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia among older people, and researchers have been working to understand its causes and risk factors.

The findings come just weeks after another study showed that having a big belly in middle age may greatly increase one's risk of later developing Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia.

Rachel Whitmer of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California who led that study also was involved in the new one on cholesterol levels.

"Cholesterol is just one piece of the puzzle. There are other risk factors like hypertension and obesity. The more risk factors you have, the higher the risk gets," Solomon said.

Solomon said previous research had looked at the issue of high cholesterol levels in middle age as a risk factor for later development of dementia, but did not focus specifically on Alzheimer's disease.

The people in the new study underwent detailed health evaluations between 1964 and 1973 when they were ages 40 to 45, including blood cholesterol measurements. The researchers then looked at the cholesterol measurements of the 504 people in the study who developed Alzheimer's disease decades later.

High levels of cholesterol — a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in the body — in the blood can raise one's risk of heart disease. Physical inactivity, obesity and a fatty diet can contribute to high cholesterol.

"The association between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease is well known. What we know now is that minding heart health may protect your brain as well," Solomon said.

Exercise and eating more fruits and vegetables can lower cholesterol, and there are cholesterol-lowering drugs as well.

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Bob DeMarco is the Founder of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The ARR knowledge base contains more than 5,000 articles with more than 399,100 links on the Internet. Bob lives in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Most Early Onset Dementia Not Alzheimer's

"This is really a novel finding, because there hasn't really been a study that's looked at young-onset dementia in this way," said study author Dr. Brendan J. Kelley, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "And the message is that young-onset dementia is generally not related to Alzheimer's."

For a more detailed report on early-onset Alzheimer's, visit the U.S. Administration on Aging.

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HealthDay News -- The root cause of early-onset dementia is usually not Alzheimer's, but rather another neurodegenerative or autoimmune disorder, new research suggests.

The study authors acknowledge that -- age aside -- the most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and the brain damage-associated condition known as Lewy body dementia. However, their current work indicates that among patients below the age of 45, the problem is much more likely to be traced back to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Huntington's, lupus or HIV infection, among others.

"This is really a novel finding, because there hasn't really been a study that's looked at young-onset dementia in this way," said study author Dr. Brendan J. Kelley, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "And the message is that young-onset dementia is generally not related to Alzheimer's."

The work of Kelley and his team was expected to be presented April 15 at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, in Chicago.

The U.S. Administration on Aging highlights 2006 estimates released by the Alzheimer's Association, which indicate that between 220,000 and 640,000 American men and women currently suffer from early-onset dementia. The association specifically defines "early-onset Alzheimer's" as referring to cases that develop before the age of 65.

However, in their study, Kelley and his team focused exclusively on 235 patients diagnosed with a form of dementia diagnosed between the ages of 17 and 45 -- citing statistics suggesting that 12 in 100,000 people develop some form of early-onset dementia before the age of 45.

All the study patients had sought care at the Mayo Clinic between 1996 and 2006, and all had normal cognitive function prior to their dementia diagnosis.

A medical record analysis revealed that despite the fact that most adult dementia is a function of Alzheimer's, less than 2 percent of the cases among the under-45 group was attributable to that disease.

Kelley and his colleagues found that other neurodegenerative conditions -- such as frontotemporal dementia, a group of diseases commonly misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's -- were at play in almost one-third of the cases.

Autoimmune and inflammatory disorders -- such as MS -- accounted for just over 20 percent of the dementia cases. Metabolic abnormalities were cited in just over 10 percent of the diagnoses, while for another 20 percent, no cause for dementia could be established.

Kelley said his work is ongoing. And he added that he and his colleagues are now trying to identify specific disease markers for early-onset dementia to help physicians distinguish those cases prompted by causes other than Alzheimer's.

"Because some of the other disorders linked to early dementia have treatable profiles that allow targeting not just of the symptoms but of the underlying disease process," he noted. "So, we really should be looking to identify them quickly when they are the cause, because the research suggests that treatment could result in a direct improvement of the patient's cognition and behavior."

Greg M. Cole, associate director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, described the findings as "interesting, but not completely unexpected".

"We know that Alzheimer's gets rarer and rarer the younger you go," he said. "So, when you're focused as this study is on people between 17 and 45 -- really before middle-age -- it's more likely you'll find some other cause for the dementia, which can be a variety of different things."

"But if you're looking at these other autoimmune causes -- multiple sclerosis, lupus, HIV -- the real question is, can you treat any of this?," pondered Cole. "Because you can get lupus and MS to go into remission. So, in this case, if patients are getting dementia caused by either disease, can the dementia also go into remission? If they can get that to happen, that would be very interesting."

The Alzheimer's Action Plan Book

“Most of us will either get Alzheimer’s or care for a loved one who has" -- Dr Oz

The Alzheimer's Action Plan

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Alzheimer’s Action Plan:
"Evidence-based content, conversational writing, and a good dose of humor make this an outstanding addition to collections on aging and caregiving and an excellent companion to Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins's The 36-Hour Day. Highly recommended."
--Library Journal

"Dr. Doraiswamy has done a masterful job of communicating what the layman should know on the treatment, the care giving and, most important, the prevention of Alzheimer's. It was gratifying to learn about the mountain of evidence that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain."
--Arthur Agatston, M.D., cardiologist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The South Beach Diet

"Memory does matter. Adults across the life cycle are asking questions, many questions! The authors answer these questions for the educated public, family members who encounter memory loss in a loved one, and even adults who believe they are experiencing early memory loss. The answers are comprehensive and understandable, no small accomplishment given the plethora of new information available—information that at times is not only confusing but also conflicting."
--Dan G. Blazer, M.D., Ph.D., former Dean of Medical Education, Duke University School of Medicine; past President of the American Geriatrics Society

"If you and your family face the specter of Alzheimer's disease, run - don't walk - to get Lisa Gwyther's help. She combines many years of experience with empathy and respect for the patient. That results in the most sensible, compassionate, and practical advice….She is my hero."
--Naomi S. Boak, Executive Producer, Emmy Award-winning PBS special, "The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's"

"This book is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease. Whether you are a health care professional or have Alzheimer's in your family or are simply interested to living to an old age, this book is a must read."
--Deepak Chopra, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide

"I love this book! A powerful and vital resource for people who need it the most. Dr. Doraiswamy is that unique blend of medical expertise mixed in with warmth and compassion topped off with humility that makes him rare and wonderful."
--Leeza Gibbons, Emmy award-winning TV host and founder of Leeza's Place and the Memory Foundation

"Lisa Gwyther is a national treasure. She has been a pioneer in providing innovative care and education for Alzheimer’s patients and their families for many years. Lisa’s long experience helping families cope with the challenges of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease makes her uniquely qualified to co-author this book. Families experiencing the new world of memory loss and Alzheimer’s couldn’t ask for a better companion for the journey. Her warmth, compassion, and wisdom shine through, and will help light the way."
--Pat Lynch, Director of Communications, Alzheimer’s Center Program, National Institute on Aging

"The Alzheimer’s Action Plan provides a clear and compelling message that there is something we can all do about Alzheimer’s disease. The book presents accurate, up-to-date information and step-by-step recommendations that people with the disease, their families, and friends can use now to reduce the potentially devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease."
--Katie Maslow, M.S.W., Associate Director of Quality Care Advocacy for the Alzheimer’s Association and winner of the 2003 ASA Award from the American Society on Aging

"Most of us will either get Alzheimer's or care for a loved one who has. This action plan can empower you to make a difference."
--Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, You: The Owner’s Manual

"A readable, informative, and thorough guide to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. I highly recommend it."
--Peter Rabins, M.D., co-author of The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring For Persons with Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life
"Dr. Murali Doraiswamy, one of America's top memory and Alzheimer’s specialists, has packed this book with expert advice and compassionate wisdom, creating an indispensable guide for anyone concerned about their own memory or that of a loved one. Both accessible and comprehensive, this is a must-read not just for families, but for their doctors as well."
--Gary Small, M.D., Director, UCLA Center on Aging, and author of The Memory Bible and The Longevity Bible

"The authors speak authoritatively, providing sound evidence for the points they make that is based on current understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, but the language they use and the tone of the book will make their advice and guidelines for Alzheimer’s care and treatment readily accessible to the public….Bravo on a job so well done!"
--John Q. Trojanowski, M.D., Ph.D., William Maul Measey-Truman G. Schnabel, Jr., M.D. Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Center Co-Director and Director, Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center

Product Description

Is it really Alzheimer’s? How to find out and intervene early to maintain the highest quality of life

“Most of us will either get Alzheimer’s or care for a loved one who has. This action plan can empower you to make a difference.”---Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

What would you do if your mother was having memory problems?

Five million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, with a new diagnosis being made every seventy-two seconds. Millions more are worried or at risk due to mild memory loss or family history. Although experts agree that early diagnosis and treatment are essential, many people with memory loss and their families---and even their doctors---don’t know where to turn for authoritative, state-of-the-art advice and answers to all of their questions.

Now, combining the insights of a world-class physician and an award-winning social worker, this groundbreaking book tells you everything you need to know, including:

· The best tests to determine if this is---or is not---Alzheimer’s disease

· The most (and least) effective medical treatments

· Coping with behavioral and emotional changes through the early and middle stages

· Gaining access to the latest clinical trials

· Understanding the future of Alzheimer’s

Clear, compassionate, and empowering, The Alzheimer’s Action Plan is the first book that anyone dealing with mild memory loss or early Alzheimer’s must-read in order to preserve the highest possible quality of life for as long as possible.

Bob DeMarco is the Founder of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,880 articles with more than 95,100 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Larger hippocampus may ward off Alzheimer's

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com Scientists may have learned why some people retain sharp minds and clear memories despite having the so-called brain plaques and tangles that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. comparing the brains of these people to others who had all the memory-robbing symptoms of Alzheimer's, the researchers said on Tuesday they found those who avoided dementia consistently had a larger part of the brain called the hippocampus. Dr. Deniz Erten-Lyons of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, who led the study said the findings could inspire new ideas for combating Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia in the elderly. I think one of the important things of our study was emphasizing that there's other things that we need to focus on as well — other mechanisms that we don't know and do play a role in Alzheimer's disease The changes associated with Alzheimer's disease usually begin in the hippocampus, That's where the brain shrinkage starts in Alzheimer's disease

Study Suggests GAMMAGARD LIQUID May Target the Primary Pathway Involved in Alzheimer's Disease

Baxter and The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) group announced a decision to pursue a multi-center U.S. 

+Alzheimer's Reading Room

Phase III study evaluating the role of GAMMAGARD. The study design is undergoing review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the intention of initiating patient recruitment later in 2008. The trial is expected to include approximately 35 leading academic centers in the United States that are members of ADCS.


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• 10 Symptoms of Early Stage Alzheimer's Disease
• The Seven Stages of Alzheimer's

___________________________________

Study Suggests GAMMAGARD LIQUID May Target the Primary Pathway Involved in Alzheimer's Disease

Laboratory study shows naturally occurring antibodies contained in GAMMAGARD LIQUID may bind to the primary culprit for Alzheimer’s disease

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) today announced data from a laboratory study demonstrating natural antibodies contained in GAMMAGARD LIQUID [Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)] (IGIV), marketed as KIOVIG in the European Union, a
plasma-derived antibody replacement therapy indicated for primary immunodeficiency
disorders and being studied in Alzheimer’s disease, binds directly to multiple aggregated, or clustered, forms of the beta-amyloid peptide molecule. The beta-amyloid molecule may contribute to beta-amyloid plaques, which are thought to be the primaryculprit causing Alzheimer’s disease. The results of this in vitro (laboratory) study were presented by Dr. Brian O’Nuallain, assistant professor, UT Medical Center, Knoxville, University of Tennessee Health Science Center at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting.

Previous clinical studies suggest that antibody-based immunotherapy may boost the body’s own immune response to reduce beta-amyloid, the protein responsible for plaque formation commonly found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. In addition, recent laboratory research suggests that specific forms of beta-amyloid –oligomers and fibrils that are aggregates or clusters of beta-amyloid – may be toxic to the neurological system and lead to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. “IGIV therapy may contain antibodies that possibly have strong binding characteristics to several aggregated forms of the beta-amyloid peptide that are believed to cause Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. O’Nuallain. "These initial findings could be promising in Alzheimer's disease research using naturally occurring antibodies."

The oral presentation at AAN, entitled “Affinity Isolation and Characterization of
Abeta Conformer-Reactive Antibodies Contained in Human Immune Globulin (IVIG),”
showed that GAMMAGARD contains naturally occurring antibodies that directly bind to
different forms of beta-amyloid protein, including oligomers and fibrils.
“Observations from this study provide insight into how GAMMAGARD LIQUID
may be of potential clinical benefit for Alzheimer’s patients,” said Dave Morgan, director of Neuroscience Research, University of South Florida. “This study suggests that GAMMAGARD LIQUID may target the primary pathway involved in Alzheimer’s disease and justifies additional studies to evaluate whether GAMMAGARD LIQUID can effectively reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.2 million Americans
have Alzheimer’s disease, including one out of eight people age 65 and older, and the
number of new cases per year is expected to grow to 454,000 by 2010. No cure
currently exists that can halt or delay the brain deterioration associated with Alzheimer’s disease, but new research shows encouraging results. The study’s findings showed how the mechanism of action of GAMMAGARD may work on multiple forms of the beta amyloid peptide to protect the human brain from dementia and may facilitate the development of treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Additional GAMMAGARD Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease

At the AAN meeting, other studies will be presented on the use of GAMMAGARD in Alzheimer’s disease. One oral presentation scheduled for April 17 – “A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase II Clinical Trial of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) for Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease” – will discuss the evaluation of the efficacy, tolerability and safety of GAMMAGARD in the treatment of mild to moderate stage Alzheimer’s disease.

The oral presentation, “Intravenous Immunoglobulin Increases Brain Glucose
Metabolism in Alzheimer Disease,” will also be presented on April 17 and will discuss
the analysis of brain activity using imaging data. The brain metabolism results were
based on serial Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, an imaging technique
sometimes used in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Further, Baxter and The Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) group announced a decision to pursue a multi-center U.S. Phase III study evaluating the role of GAMMAGARD. The study design is undergoing review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the intention of initiating patient recruitment later in 2008. The trial is expected to include approximately 35 leading academic centers in the United States that are members of ADCS.

You are reading original content +Bob DeMarco , the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Vigorous Exercise Slows Aging

clipped from generationsandwich.blogspot.com Well, we knew it. Now the studies confirm it. Vigorous walking for an hour a day five times a week can chop a dozen years off the biological age of people 64 and older, according to Roy Shephard, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Toronto, reported online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. A review of recent studies in patients age 64 and older showed that such a regimen can boost maximal oxygen intake by about 25% within three months, effectively decreasing biological age by about 12 years. That sounds good to me!

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Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room