There's a conference being held this week in Vancouver of the International Alzheimer's Association . One paper has focused on sleep and suggests we get no more or less than seven hours of sleep during any 24, whether long stretches at night or by napping if we want to keep our minds from declining. So wake up, couch potatoes and do something active, like answering emails, reading my blog or figuring out a puzzle.
In the beginning stage of my husband's illness he slept 14-16 hours each day which made me believe he was depressed, but then he was awake more and his anxiety increased. Now six years later, my husband takes only one short nap in the afternoon and he sleeps 6-7 hours each night. Perfect, with very reduced anxiety, but unfortunately his disease progresses anyway.
He still remembers to ask me to take him to the store so he can see tools; he even bought a set of chisels on Sunday, but he placed them in the back of the car and then totally forgot they were there.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
100 Words for Sunday, July 15, 2012
I understand; my life is surrounded by Alzheimer’s disease,
from the memory care center to the groups I lead and attend, to the stories
that inevitably come my way. But I also meet the disease in films I attend
unknowingly like Separation and today
in a book chosen at random from the literary fiction section at the Half-Price
Book Store. Beginning with ‘A’, I find a missed Allende novel and a trilogy by
Marge Anton, based on the lives of each of Rashi’s daughters. Why does the
author describe the grandmother in the eleventh century with symptoms of
Alzheimer’s disease?
There is much excitement in the scientific community this week due to the discovery that there is a gene that causes Alzheimer's disease by building up a protein that forms beta amyloid in the brain. They also found a protective gene mutation, which in some people protects them from ever getting the disease.The discovery of the protective gene mutation, a product of the revolution that has taken place in genetics, arose when researchers scanned the entire DNA of 1,795 people who live in Iceland.
. . About 1
in 100 had a mutation in the gene for a large protein that is sliced to form
beta amyloid. Then the investigators studied Icelanders who had been given an
Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and compared their DNA with a control group of people 85 and older. Those with the
mutation appeared to be protected from Alzheimer’s disease.Many questions remain, of course.Most people do not have the protective gene mutation, but as common as Alzheimer’s is, most people do not get it. It is not clear why. And most who develop Alzheimer’s do not have one of the rare gene mutations that cause it. The reasons for their disease are unclear.
The investigators, led by Dr. Kari Stefansson, chief executive at DeCode Genetics, an Icelandic company, looked at genomes of North Americans and found the gene mutation in only about 1 in 10,000 people. That indicates, Dr. Stefansson said, that the mutation arose relatively recently in Scandinavia. "Recently" in genetic mutation time is still a long, long time ago.
And the scientists have a long, long way to go too, but it is good to see they are working on it and are not concentrating on one idea only, but testing several hypotheses. Most middle aged people are concerned about developing Alzheimer's themselves, but the research is also showing that preventive measures may have to be taken in youth.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Tuesday's Science Times July 10, 2012
A clinical trial conducted in Europe has found that a nutrient mixture developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has the potential to improve memory in early-stage Alzheimer’s patients.
Alzheimer’s patients generally lose the synapses, or connections, between neurons in their brains. The supplement mixture seems to promote the growth of new ones.
Alzheimer’s patients generally lose the synapses, or connections, between neurons in their brains. The supplement mixture seems to promote the growth of new ones.
Developed by Richard Wurtman, professor emeritus of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT, the mixture is made up of three naturally occurring compounds: choline, uridine, and DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid. Choline is found in meats, nuts, and eggs; uridine is produced by the liver and kidney, and can be obtained from foods through RNA; and omega-3 fatty acids are located in a variety of foods including fish, eggs, and flaxseed. In order to be effective at promoting new synapses, all three nutrients need to be taken together.
The current study's findings confirm and expand on a previous study conducted on the matter.
The study included 259 people with early Alzheimer’s disease, with participants taking either the nutrient mixture or a control drink. It was the second study conducted on the mixture; the first took place in 2008, and studied 225 participants with mild Alzheimer’s over the course of three months. Both were led by Philip Scheltens, director of the Alzheimer Center at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. That 2008 study found that 40 percent of patients who took the nutrient mixture improved in a test of verbal memory; 24 percent of patients who received the control drink improved.
First the first three months of the latest study, both participants with the mixture and with the placebo showed improvement. But after three months, the patients who were receiving the placebo deteriorated, while participants who received the nutrient mixture continued to improve.
The trial is exciting because few studies have produced consistent improvement with Alzheimer’s disease. With memory loss being the most obvious and known symptom of Alzheimer’s, it makes sense that it has been the focus for many scientists.
It remains unclear as to when the drug, called Souvenaid, will be released, but by all indications, it will appear on shelves in Europe first. It is being produced by Danone, known in the United States as Dannon.
The results of the trial have been published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The current study's findings confirm and expand on a previous study conducted on the matter.
The study included 259 people with early Alzheimer’s disease, with participants taking either the nutrient mixture or a control drink. It was the second study conducted on the mixture; the first took place in 2008, and studied 225 participants with mild Alzheimer’s over the course of three months. Both were led by Philip Scheltens, director of the Alzheimer Center at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. That 2008 study found that 40 percent of patients who took the nutrient mixture improved in a test of verbal memory; 24 percent of patients who received the control drink improved.
First the first three months of the latest study, both participants with the mixture and with the placebo showed improvement. But after three months, the patients who were receiving the placebo deteriorated, while participants who received the nutrient mixture continued to improve.
The trial is exciting because few studies have produced consistent improvement with Alzheimer’s disease. With memory loss being the most obvious and known symptom of Alzheimer’s, it makes sense that it has been the focus for many scientists.
It remains unclear as to when the drug, called Souvenaid, will be released, but by all indications, it will appear on shelves in Europe first. It is being produced by Danone, known in the United States as Dannon.
The results of the trial have been published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Published by Medicaldaily.com
Saturday, July 7, 2012
(2) 100 word stories for Sunday, July 8, 2012
I feel so differently this birthday; many folks I hear about
or have met are dying and most are younger than I. The feeling is similar to
how I felt after my mother died and I became the oldest member of my family. The
feeling is internal; this pedestal holds no monument as elder and exerts little
influence over anyone. It hides a deep loneliness in not having an older
relative to look up to, to ask for an opinion, even if it were to see what the
older person thought so I felt justified in choosing my own way.
I feel grateful
to be alive and healthy at seventy-four, having climbed a mountain that many do
not reach whole. The feeling is one of pride and humility mixed, as not only
genetics, but conscious effort on my mother’s part to nurture me well and my
own lifestyle choices, plus a dose of random chance have brought me here. The
older generation’s superstitions leave me a bit fearful writing these words.
What if I don’t fear the evil eye? (tuy,
tuy) When I tore the red ribbon from
my hair, said my mother, I caught the measles and became amblyopic.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy Fourth of July
It is 6:15 a.m. on the Fourth of July in Mesa, AZ where my
smartphone tells me also that it is 80 degrees outside with light rain. I see
no sign of precipitation as I head out for my walk, protected by a light layer
of grey cloud. By 7 I turn to head back home as a jack rabbit scurries across
my path. A neighbor has warned me of rattlesnake sightings so I am watchful.
What I feel instead is a drop of water on my arm. I check my water bottle for a
leak. But no, another drop falls and another. I stretch my arms out to capture
as many drops as I can. As I cross the street the three drivers of the cars
that pass have not turned on their windshield wipers; not even that much energy
needs to be expended, but the drivers know that later, each drop will leave its
mark with a small circle of dust on the surface of the car.
The trip to the dentist went well yesterday, with Bob cooperating with the hygienist who provided a letter to remind the staff at the memory care center to brush Bob's teeth as his gums are tender and bleed easily, but he has no visible cavities. Immediately as we left the office, Bob decided he wanted to see some tools, so this time we went to a Sears store in the mall, entering directly by the huge ride-on lawn mowers and all of the bright red Craftsman tool displays. "I am overwhelmed," Bob exclaimed.
Steve steered Bob to the large wrenches and long screw drivers where there were several new non-electric handtools which had a "try me" tag. They explored happily for more than 30 minutes before Bob said he needed a restroom.
After spending another hour walking in the mall for exercise and sitting in the food court people watching, Bob had enough. Walking to the car was tiring and confusing as there are so many sources of stimulation and For Sale signs for Bob to ponder. He noted that the clothing "was all for children." When we returned to Sears to leave by the same entrance through which we arrived, we spent another 15 minutes in the tool aisle as Bob did not remember having been there before.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Science news July 2, 2012
Folks often ask me why we take my husband Bob out of his memory care center on trips to Wal-Mart or Home Depot or to the Airplane Museum since he doesn't remember going there and it is sometimes a hassle. This article quoted from the New York Times Well section today demonstrates my point.
"The prevailing view of people with Alzheimer’s is often a depressing one: the patient slumped in a chair or parked in front of a television set. But a new book and photo exhibition this month in New York show another side of the disease, one in which people with dementia can still be engaged, lead active lives and experience love and joy.
The book, “Love, Loss and Laughter: Seeing Alzheimer’s Differently,” was written by Cathy Greenblat, a professor emerita of sociology at Rutgers University who found a second career as a photographer. The exhibition has toured the world and is currently on display at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University in Manhattan.
“I wanted to show what many people don’t know about Alzheimer’s,” Ms. Greenblat said, “that there are ways we can take care of people that build on their remaining capacities instead of just protecting them from danger.”
“These photos are meant to challenge the way we think about Alzheimer’s,” said Ms. Greenblat, whose project was inspired in part by personal experience. Both of her maternal grandparents developed Alzheimer’s in their later years, as did her mother. “People look at some of these photos and say, ‘Oh, this person can’t have Alzheimer’s.’ But they don’t realize that they have a range of emotions. People don’t imagine that someone with Alzheimer’s can be smiling or happy and having a good time.”
In Wal-Mart last week Bob enjoyed looking in the different mirrors with me; he smiled, recognizing us both together. Yesterday we colored, built with blocks and went out for ice cream sodas. Today we are going to the dentist. I have to think up something to do afterward.
"The prevailing view of people with Alzheimer’s is often a depressing one: the patient slumped in a chair or parked in front of a television set. But a new book and photo exhibition this month in New York show another side of the disease, one in which people with dementia can still be engaged, lead active lives and experience love and joy.
The book, “Love, Loss and Laughter: Seeing Alzheimer’s Differently,” was written by Cathy Greenblat, a professor emerita of sociology at Rutgers University who found a second career as a photographer. The exhibition has toured the world and is currently on display at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University in Manhattan.
“I wanted to show what many people don’t know about Alzheimer’s,” Ms. Greenblat said, “that there are ways we can take care of people that build on their remaining capacities instead of just protecting them from danger.”
“These photos are meant to challenge the way we think about Alzheimer’s,” said Ms. Greenblat, whose project was inspired in part by personal experience. Both of her maternal grandparents developed Alzheimer’s in their later years, as did her mother. “People look at some of these photos and say, ‘Oh, this person can’t have Alzheimer’s.’ But they don’t realize that they have a range of emotions. People don’t imagine that someone with Alzheimer’s can be smiling or happy and having a good time.”
In Wal-Mart last week Bob enjoyed looking in the different mirrors with me; he smiled, recognizing us both together. Yesterday we colored, built with blocks and went out for ice cream sodas. Today we are going to the dentist. I have to think up something to do afterward.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
100 words for Sunday, July 1, 2012
The color of the desert in early summer ranges from pink to
purple as the various agaves send out their tall stems and blossoms to capture
the attention of the birds, the jacaranda trees bloom and the prickly pear
cactus fruit ripens. A cloudy morning permitted me, the jack rabbits, bunnies
and geckos to come out from our shelters for a long walk or a scamper. It is
surprisingly quiet in Mesa as not only the winter visitors, but many neighbors as
well, flee to the cooler climates of Prescott, Payson or Flagstaff, Arizona where they own homes or cabins.
Five members of the Arbor Rose Caregiver Support Group attended a memorial service yesterday for another member's husband who passed away on June 5th. The service, led lovingly by the chaplain of the East Valley Hospice was a celebration of Larry's life, shared by his mother, his siblings, his children and six grandchildren who travelled from Idaho, Iowa and North Carolina. Tears were shed, mostly by the children who miss their grandpa, but his wife shared that she had been losing her husband of 46 years to Alzheimer's disease for the past few years and has been mourning his loss each time his illness progressed. Now the end is more of a blessing, a relief from the worries and the pain of this devastating illness.
Another member of our support group who is a pastry chef baked a tableful of delicious chocolate confections for the event, as Pat revealed how much her husband Larry loved chocolate. John could not be present himself as he cares for his mother full-time and she can only attend the Arbor Rose Day Club on weekdays.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)