Scientists: 115-year-old's brain worked perfectly

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com A Dutch woman who was the oldest person in the world when she died at age 115 in 2005 appeared sharp right up to the end, joking that pickled herring was the secret to her longevity. Scientists say that Henrikje van Andel-Schipper's mind was probably as good as it seemed: a post-mortem analysis of her brain revealed few signs of Alzheimer's or other diseases commonly associated with a decline in mental ability in old age. That came as something of a surprise, said Gert Holstege, a professor at Groningen University, whose findings will be published in the August edition of Neurobiology of Aging. Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper was the world's oldest living person at the time of her death at age 115 in 2005. She is seen here the year before she died at de Westerkim, home for the elderly, in Hoogeveen, Netherlands.

Alzheimer's disease supersedes diabetes as sixth-leading cause of death in the United States

clipped from www.actionalz.org Alzheimer's disease is now the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics. The CDC estimates that 72,914 Americans died of Alzheimer's disease in 2006. With an unprecedented historic population shift of 78 million aging baby boomers in the country and this disease poised to strike 10 million boomers - it is clear this escalating epidemic must be addressed now. "The CDC's announcement that Alzheimer's disease jumped from the seventh to the sixth-leading cause of death should serve as a wake-up call to the nation," said William Thies, Ph.D., vice president of Medical and Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer's Association. "The fact that there are no effective treatments for Alzheimer's has allowed the disease to pass diabetes. It is vitally important that we increase Alzheimer's research funding to slow or stop the progression of this devastating disease."

Alzheimer's Society Comment On A News Strategy For Carers That Plans To Double The Amount Of Respite Care For Carers In England

clipped from www.medicalnewstoday.com The carers strategy is a good start in tackling the large set of problems faced by carers. Greater investment in respite is very good news. It could give thousands of carers the invaluable opportunity to recharge their batteries and access crucial support. However, it's important that this new money is used for short breaks and not only given to people when they reach crisis point. It's also not just about putting someone in a care home for a week, we need to get creative and provide support that fits people's individual needs. Alzheimer's Society The Alzheimer's Society provides a national help line on 0845 3000 336 and website http://www.alzheimers.org.uk. Please include this information in any publication that uses these comments.

Promising drug fights Alzheimer's in three ways

One GSM drug now being tested in people with Alzheimer's is Myriad Genetics's Flurizan, also called tarenflurbil.

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com A type of drug that may offer promise in treating Alzheimer's disease works in three ways to fight the formation of "plaques" in the brain that are a hallmark of the ailment, scientists said on Wednesday. The researchers looked at a kind of drug called a gamma-secretase modulator, or GSM, now being tested to see if it slows Alzheimer's disease progression. Results from a Flurizan study involving 1,600 people with Alzheimer's are expected this summer, Golde said.

Bright lights slow dementia patients’ decline

My mother often tries to sit in a dark room. I find that sunlight from windows and brighter lamps at night brighten her miood.

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com Brightening the lights for elderly people with dementia, in combination with a daily dose of the sleep hormone melatonin, improved their mood, sleep, and overall well-being, Dutch researchers said on Tuesday. "The strong point of our findings was that effects were so prominent over a wide range of measurements of different aspects of functioning, suggesting a very strong improvement of the quality of life," said Eus van Someren of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, in Amsterdam.

Gene variation linked to earlier onset of Alzheimer's symptoms

clipped from mednews.wustl.edu Investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a genetic variation associated with an earlier age of onset in Alzheimer's disease. Unlike genetic mutations previously linked to rare, inherited forms of early-onset Alzheimer's disease — which can strike people as young as their 30s or 40s — these variants influence an earlier presentation of symptoms in people affected by the more common, late-onset form of the disease. "We focused on this gene for two reasons: First, it codes for the tau protein that we find in neurofibrillary tangles, and secondly, some studies in the scientific literature show an association between the gene and Alzheimer's disease, while others do not," says principal investigator Alison M. Goate

Quick Quiz helps Doctors distinguish Dementia from forgetfullness

clipped from medschool.wustl.edu A 3-minute quiz that asks patients about recent changes in memory is helping physicians differentiate signs of mild dementia from plain forgetfulness, a new study shows. The quiz was developed by neurologist James Galvin. More  >