“We advocate, based on these findings, that the criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease should include MRI scans,” said Dr. Ranjan Duara, who was the lead author of a study by Florida’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. “By incorporating MRIs into the assessment of patients with memory problems, early diagnosis can be standardized and done far more accurately.”

Duara works at Miami’s Wien Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders at Mount Sinai Medical Center where he is medical director.

As the most common cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is often indicated by memory loss, disorientation, and deterioration of reading and speaking skills. Because other syndromes or disease’s share these symptoms, often the only way, previously, to confirm Alzheimer’s disease in a patient was by autopsy, which would show the affected brain area.

Previously doctors only used a brain scan to rule out other possible causes of the Alzheimer’s symptoms, such as a stroke.

Researchers studied 260 people in the Miami and Tampa, Florida, areas who were suffering some memory loss. The MRI showed atrophy in the brain regions commonly associated with Alzheimer’s and helped researchers accurately diagnose that the memory loss was from the disease and not from other sources.

Additionally, the study showed that MRIs can spot shrinkage in the brain of people not yet showing signs of Alzheimer’s. These patients began showing this signs as little as two years later, suggesting the scans can be an early predictor of the disease.

The study was funded in part by a National Institute on Aging grant.

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The ingredient, curcumin, is found in turmeric, which gives curry its yellow color.

“Indian communities that regularly eat curcumin have a surprisingly low incidence of Alzheimer’s, but we do not know why,” said Amrit Mudher  lead researcher on the project for the university. “Part of our research will investigate how curcumin may help protect the  brain and prevent the disease.”

The goal of the research will be to see if scientists can head off some of the changes that occur in the brain and which are commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease by using drugs with curcumin. The research will be conducted on fruit flies that have been geneticall altered to exhibit the brain changes seen in Alzheimer’s patients.

This won’t be the first time curcumin has been investigated for medicinal uses. It is already sold throughout the west as a dietary supplement. Additionally, scientists have researched it for possible effectiveness in preventing breast cancer from spreading to the lungs.

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“It is common for a person with dementia to wander and become lost, many repeatedly,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association. “In fact, over 60 percent of those with dementia will wander at some point.”

While the programs vary from state to state, all share the general concept of the Amber Alert that is used to find missing children. When a patient suffering from dementia wanders off, authorities are notified and the Silver Alert goes into effect.
According to the National Association of State Units on Aging and MSNBC, among states participating in the Silver Alert program now are:

• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• Virginia

As an example of how the plan works, when a Florida man went missing recently, the Silver Alert placed an automated phone call to everyone in multi-square-mile area around his home, and he was quickly found. The man was trying to get to Alabama, and trying to go such an improbable distance is a common problem.

“They don’t understand how far they are from home,” Christa Ksiezopolski of the Alzheimer and Parkinson Association of Indian River County, Florida, told The New York Times.

But implementing the program has not been without controversy. New York state officials determined not to set up a Silver Alert, fearing it would dilute the impact of the Amber Alert program, the NASUA said in a May 2008 survey of states.

That survey gives details on seven state programs. Other states fear privacy concerns with senior citizens, who, unlike missing  children, have the righs of an adult.

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Alznews.net recently wrote of things to consider for the holidays with an Alzheimer’s patient in your home, but the season is also a big one for travel. Similarly, there are steps you can take – and pitfalls you can avoid – to make a road trip the best experience it can be.

Remember, just as at home, over-stimulation and new situations and people can be stressful for one experiencing Alzheimer’s-related dementia. As a result, take the time to carefully plan your trip with your loved one’s special needs in mind.

Here are a few points for consideration:

· Keep it simple. Disorientation can be exacerbated by exhaustion. So don’t try to do more than one or two things a day.

· Try to get ready for tomorrow tonight. Consider choosing and setting out the clothes both of you will need for the one or two events coming up, and that will give you needed extra time to get ready in the morning.

· Bring along known, favorite possessions when going to a new place. This can be simple things such as a blanket or pillow.

· If you’re in a new place, chances are good it won’t be secured as your home is. Check for latches.

· As much as possible, stick to the schedule you have at home to create a sense of comforting continuity. This includes easy-to-plan activities such as meals and rest or sleep times.

· Make sure your luggage has wheels, you’ll need the extra hand, and be certain you keep all vital documents and possessions for both of you.

· If flying, advise the airline of your special needs. Their help will make the trip better for you and other passengers.

· Finally, your trip can be a great experience and a needed change of pace, but you’ll be doing the work of two. Rest before you go and plan time in your travel schedule for rest to keep you fresh.

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The Internet Movie Database

Emmy-winning actor Peter Falk is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and needs protection from being defrauded, according to published reports of court papers filed by his daughter.

Falk, 81, is well-known for his long-running television series Columbo, for which he won TV’s top acting award. In that series, he played a rumpled and seemingly-bumbling police detective who would frustrate crime suspects with his rambling, forgetful persona, always asking, “Just one more thing . . .”

Documents filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior court by Catherine Falk, the actor’s daughter, said he needs “constant care” and is suffering from dementia, according to media reports. The documents also are reported to say Falk “requires full-time custodial care” for his safety and because he can no longer guard himself from “fraud or undue influence.”

Neither Falk nor any representatives have commented.

Prior to his television success, Falk was twice nominated for the Academy Award in the films Pocket Full of Miracles and Murder, Inc.

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The build up of a certain plaque in the brain may provide an early indicator of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and give insight as to the causes of memory loss in elderly patients.

“Because of the promise of these therapies, we want to identify people who are at really high risk for the disease, but don’t have symptoms yet,” said William Jagust, a scientist at the University of California-Berkeley Lab’s Life Sciences Division. He was aided in the study by Berkley graduate student Elizabeth Mormino and other scientists. Their work has been published online in the journal Brain.

Their research revealed that the higher the levels of a type of plaque called beta-amyloid that is found in the brain, the more likely that brain is to have a smaller hippocampus. That part of brain is where new memories form. Additionally, a person in this condition will have a more difficult time remembering things connected to specific times and places. This is called “episodic memory,” and examples include recalling what a person had for lunch or where they put their sunglasses.

The presence of the beta-amyloid plaque doesn’t necessarily mean that person will become an Alzheimer’s patient. However, Jagust said when the plaque, episodic memory loss and a reduced hippocampus occur together, it should not be ignored.

“These changes in older people are not necessarily benign. When you start to cluster them together, it begins to sound like Alzheimer’s disease,” he said. “And this suggests that some of the changes we are detecting in normal older people may be indicative of the subsequent development of Alzheimer’s.”

The study was conducted on 20 elderly people who showed no indication of cognitive impairment, and the results conformed to other research on people already suffering from Alzheimer’s. The difference-maker in this project is that it was conducted on “cognitively normal” subjects.

“We wouldn’t say they have they have Alzheimer’s by any stretch of the imagination,” Jagust said. “But the fact that these things occur together makes us consider the possibility that this is a very early change in the brain that could be leading to Alzheimer’s disease.”

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NYU Asst. Prof. Lisa Mosconi

If your mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, researches say a brain condition that contributed to it may predispose you as well.

In findings presented to the 2008 Alzheimer’s Association Disease Conference, New York University Research Assistant Professor Lisa Mosconi, said her team found a reduction in glucose brain metabolism in subjects of the study who had a maternal – but not a paternal – history of Alzheimer’s. The results of the study also held true if the subject had no parental history with the disease.

“Our new study shows that subjects with a mother with Alzheimer’s show similarities with Alzheimer’s patients,” Mosconi said. “They have metabolic reductions in the brain regions . . . which worsen over time.”

Researchers tagged glucose in subjects of the study with a chemical that allowed them to trace it using a PET scan. There were 66 participants ranging in age from 52 to 58. Of the subjects, 20 had mothers with Alzheimer’s, 37 had no history and nine had paternal history.

The study followed an earlier, similar research project and adds two years of data. Mosconi said more research is needed. It’s primary contribution is that it sheds light on the role reduced brain metabolism might play in transmitting Alzehimer’s.

The study was conducted by New York University’s Langone Medical Center, Center for Brain Health.

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While the holiday season is most often associated with good times – friends, family, celebrations – it can be a time of challenge both for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

Three points to consider can help make your holidays all they can be.

• To enhance your experience and that of the Alzheimer’s patient, let them assist in some of the routines of the holidays, such as decorating a tree or setting out packages. (But be careful not to over-stimulate. Bright lights and large gatherings can add to an Alzheimer’s sufferer’s confusion. So keep things simple.)
• Be sure to pay attention to your needs as well. Don’t be so consumed with your loved one that you don’t make time to enjoy the season as well. “Try asking friends or family members to help watch your loved one so you can run errands or take time for you,” said Vicky Abdella, an aging services professional in Ohio.
• Finally, avoid dwelling on the past, on what was or what may have been lost because of Alzheimer’s-related dementia. “Don’t think about how much has changed,” Abdella told the Chillicothe Gazette.

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The survey of more than 2000 people over age 55 found that 80 percent wanted the Government to spend more resources on research. These “grey voter” as they’re termed vote more than younger people and this issue is a hot button item with them.

With the recent elections in the United States, one can only hope, although it was an election of primarily young voters, that the issues concerning the elderly will be pressed and supported by the newly elected members. What might happen to elder healthcare issues if the grey voters are outnumbered in this country?

[PublicNet]

David Allen of GTD fame tell us, of course, to just get it done. “Get your backlog to zero and keep it there.” Other consultants suggest the 5 day planner of things to do. “At least the next five workdays’ tasks”, says the WSJ.

Other suggestion include “researching your employers time-off polices and federal and state laws”. In and effort to do this all of us are reminded that it is the human resource manger that holds the key for us. But also, let us not forget the importance of our fellow employees. We should all, according to Rich Gee, a Stamford Conn, executive coach, make deposits in “your goodwill savings account”.

And finally the article reminds us to let go of those work duties which we have no control over. The bottom line is to stay on top of work, document the things you have to do, be aware and have all of your parents medical information, then just do the best you can.

[WSJ]