Alzheimer's of Central Alabama

Serving people with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and professionals in central Alabama through education, caregiver services and research grants.

ACA’s Weekly Email December 16, 2022

Merry Christmas & Happy new Year!

The Weekly Email will return January 6.

Alzheimer’s News:

Holiday Resources:

About one in 10 Americans has diabetes, a disorder of blood sugar control that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness and other life-threatening problems. Diabetes can also take a toll on the brain, increasing the risk of dementia. Adopt seven healthy lifestyle habits to promote brain health:

  • Getting regular physical exercise (at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate exercise or an hour and fifteen minutes of vigorous exercise a week)
  • Avoiding sedentary behaviors (watching TV less than four hours a day)
  • Getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night
  • Eating a heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish and low in processed foods and meats
  • Having frequent social contacts, including gathering with friends and family or engaging in social activities at least once a week
  • Drinking in moderation (no more than one drink a day for women or two a day for men)
  • Not smoking

Researchers found that 4% of the people complied with one or two, or none, of the healthy habits, while 11% followed three; 22% followed four; 30% followed five; 24% followed six; and 9% complied with all seven.   After adjusting for factors like age, education and ethnicity, the researchers found that people who followed all the healthy/recommended habits had a 54% lower risk of dementia than those who followed two or fewer. Each additional healthy habit that someone followed was associated with an 11% decreased risk of dementia. 7 Healthy Habits That Do Double-Duty | Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation (alzinfo.org)

People living with late-stage dementia often are not able to communicate. But sometimes they have moments when they can suddenly express themselves verbally or non-verbally. These are called “lucid episodes.” The UsAgainstAlzheimer’s A-LIST® is an online community of more than 10,000 people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, current and former caregivers, and those interested in brain health.  With your help they are learning more about why lucid episodes happen and how caregivers are affected. Read the new Pulse of the Community with results of their landmark study of how caregivers feel when their loved ones experience lucid episodes.  This research will help caregivers better prepare for these powerful moments.  102110-001_UsAgainstAlzheimers_A-listNewsletter_Dec2022_r2v2.pdf

Listen to this 19 minute episode of BrainStorm, on the phenomenon called paradoxical lucidity in dementia.  Meryl Comer speaks with Dr. Joan M. Griffin, Professor of Health Services Research at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, about the moments when people in the late stage of Alzheimer’s regain the ability to communicate. Listen as Dr. Griffin’s delves into her landmark study to understand these lucid moments, and how they affect family caregivers. Learn about some triggers and what these moments mean.  Joan M. Griffin, PhD – The Phenomenon of Paradoxical Lucidity | UsAgainstAlzheimer’s (usagainstalzheimers.org)

Caregivers report that although their loved ones are in a later stage of Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, there are instances where they react emotionally or with familiarity to certain events (i.e. a song, meeting a loved one, ect.) Take Being Patient’s 5 minute survey.  Being Patient Later Stage Survey (google.com)

Viruses can inflame and disrupt connections between the olfactory system, which governs the sense of smell, and the part of the brain associated with memory and learning, possibly accelerating the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.  One of the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease is losing the sense of smell.  A research team from the University of Colorado School of Medicine focused on the olfactory tract, olfactory bulb and the hippocampus, the area of the brain which manages memory and learning.  Their findings raise the possibility that viral infection and associated inflammation and dysregulation of myelination of the olfactory system may disrupt hippocampal function, contributing to the acceleration of familial Alzheimer’s disease.  https://neurosciencenews.com/olfactory-inflammation-alzheimers-22077/

Scientists at Scripps Research and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a clue to the molecular cause of Alzheimer’s—a clue that may also explain why women are at greater risk for the disease.  As reported in Science Advances, researchers  showed that estrogen—which drops in production during menopause—normally protects against the creation of complement C3, a particularly harmful, chemically modified form of an inflammatory immune protein, which is present at much higher levels in the brains of women who had died with the disease, compared to men who had died with the disease. Discovery Could Explain Why Women Are More Likely to Get Alzheimer’s – Neuroscience News

Drug companies and medical research centers around the country are testing dozens of new drugs and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. But a new study suggests they may have a hard time finding enough volunteers, as well as volunteers who are representative of the overall population, to complete those vital studies.  Only 12% of adults aged 50 to 64 who were surveyed said they would be “very likely” to enroll in a trial to test a new drug to prevent dementia. Although another 32% said they would be “somewhat likely” to join such a study, more than half remained “unlikely” to volunteer in such trials. Get info about joining a clinical trial:

Wanted: Volunteers | Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation (alzinfo.org)

Patients with dementia and active seizures experience faster cognitive and functional decline and have a greater risk of dying younger than people with dementia who don’t have seizures. Seizures in Dementia Hasten Decline and Death (medscape.com)

New research supports the benefit of maintaining a diet low in ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) to protect the aging brain.  Results from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), which included more than 10,000 people aged 35 and older, showed that higher intake of UPF was significantly associated with a faster rate of decline in executive and global cognitive function.  Ultraprocessed Foods Tied to Faster Rate of Cognitive Decline (medscape.com)

December/January Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/

Support ACA by using AmazonSmile!   Designate Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases. smile.amazon.com 

 

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