While, for most, the holidays are a joyful season spent together with loved ones, this time of year can create confusion and fear for people with dementia. Being adaptable and building an inclusive environment are key to creating dementia-friendly holidays and celebrations. Families caring for someone with dementia should consider the following steps to help… Read more »
Summer is in the rear-view mirror and fall is at our doorstep. Before transitioning to the blossoming season, it is helpful to reminisce upon summer and reflect upon our experiences. Stepping forward with wisdom often involves looking back as to where we’ve been and the lessons we’ve gleaned. In a personal reflection, I revisited memories… Read more »
For many years, there has been a growing recognition that art and music can contribute meaningfully to the quality of life of persons with Alzheimer’s. Music has been shown to reduce anxiety, depression, and to some extent, behavioral symptoms that when unmitigated often lead to the use of antipsychotic medication or other sedatives. Art therapies… Read more »
Vascular Dementia (VaD) is the second most common type of dementia, behind Alzheimer’s. While Alzheimer’s accounts for 60%-70% of cases of dementia, VaD accounts for 20%. Unlike Alzheimer’s, VaD is not marked by a buildup of protein plaques in the brain, rather it’s diagnosed by looking closely at how blood moves through the brain. VaD… Read more »
“Don’t tell lies.” It’s a lesson your parents likely taught you at a young age. And yet, compassionate communication when interacting with someone with memory loss sometimes necessitates the need for “therapeutic lying.” Therapeutic lying or fibbing, as it is sometimes called, is when you tell a fib or bend the truth to fit the… Read more »
Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is a disease process characterized by progressive atrophy of several different areas of the brain, particularly the frontal and/or temporal lobes. These areas control executive functions such as decision-making, personality, social behavior and language. FTD affects an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 Americans and about 40% of people with FTD have a family… Read more »
As a 501(c)3 organization, Alzheimers Coachella Valley (ACV) is dedicated to providing charitable services and support for persons with impaired cognition and their caregivers. It is in keeping with this mission that ACV is excited to announce the opening of a screening center for Alzheimer’s and other dementias on November 1. Staffed by a geriatric… Read more »
In 2017, The Lancet published a study that found nearly 3% of all Alzheimer’s cases may be caused by a lack of exercise. Since then, there is growing research identifying the protective effect of physical activity against aging-associated dementia. Some evidence also suggests exercise can increase the levels of neuroprotective growth factors, boost the generation… Read more »
Receiving news that you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be devastating. Some forms of dementia, like normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), can mimic AD, causing the patient to be misdiagnosed and live without proper treatment. While AD does not yet have a cure, NPH does, thus understanding the differences… Read more »
A study conducted in 2019 by the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH), an AARP-sponsored independent collaborative of experts in their fields, concluded that keeping heart and blood vessels healthy reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The study showed that risks associated with cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol… Read more »
Recovering from Alzheimer’s disease is complicated work. Dale Bredesen, MD shocked much of the world with his first book, The End of Alzheimer’s (2017). The science was clear and published in scientific journals, however, doing the protocol to reverse the disease was not spelled out clearly and was confusing. His second book, The End of… Read more »
It’s estimated about 6 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s. The causes are still not clearly understood, but new research has found a possible link between the debilitating condition and periodontal disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 50 percent of adults in the U.S. have some form of gum disease, and… Read more »
Over the years of partnering with patients on brain health and the prevention of dementia, I have seen amazing restoration of health and brain clarity. Through lifestyle changes and dedication to addressing whole-system health, it is possible to stop brain decline and continue active engagement in life. It has been a beautiful extension of this… Read more »
The 2017 book The End of Alzheimer’s by Dale Bredesen, MD caused a sensation. For the first time, there was scientific documentation on a wide scale of the reversal of cognitive decline using lifestyle factors. Bredesen, a research professor of neurology at UCLA and founder of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, first reported… Read more »
After several months of delay, in June, the FDA approved a new drug, aducanumab, for treating early-stage Alzheimer’s disease in the hopes of slowing – if not reserving – cognitive decline. This medication is the first drug in nearly 20 years that targets the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, not just the symptoms. Aducanumab will go… Read more »
Not surprisingly, mental health providers cite a marked increase in clients reporting depression, anxiety and stress during COVID-19. The pandemic has affected many of us in ways we have never experienced before. From being fearful of getting the virus, caring for someone who has COVID or other conditions such as dementia, being isolated at home,… Read more »
In February, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) requested additional testing and data for aducanumab, a promising new drug for Alzheimer’s disease. The FDA pushed the date to July 7, 2021, before making its decision to approve the new treatment. “If approved, aducanumab would be the first available treatment to potentially change the progression of Alzheimer’s,… Read more »
Dementia, one of the most debilitating diseases of humankind, is increasing in global prevalence with over 50 million patients.1-3 Dementia is a general term that describes the loss of cognitive ability, social functioning, and memory. There are many disease states that cause dementia representing divergent pathophysiologies, which are complex, multifactorial, ever-changing and not fully characterized. … Read more »
While some people may be reluctant or afraid to have a full medical evaluation for possible dementia, the benefits to an early diagnosis far outweigh the fears. In fact, an early accurate diagnosis may be a relief for the individual and family to know – including a possible treatable or reversible condition. Once a family… Read more »
As we age, it is common to experience memory loss. It’s also common to question whether these events are simply due to age or if dementia is setting in. Fortunately, assessments are available to help answer this question. Age-related changes in the brain can be documented on imaging such as changes in brain blood flow… Read more »
