A visual recording tool, the SenseCam, offers great promise as a memory aid for patients with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

SenseCam automatically snaps pictures every 30 seconds to create and archive image sequences. Its fish-eye lens creates images similar to the wearer’s natural perspective. It is also capable of recording short videos. About the size of a deck of cards, SenseCam weighs just 3.2 ounces and stores up to 30,000 pictures.

“The small size of the recall device makes it possible to integrate it into common portable consumer products, such as MP3 players, purses, clothing, hats, backpacks, necklaces, collars, and other human-wearable products,” developers wrote in the patent.

The images primarily trigger episodic recall, memory of events and experiences. This is the most common form of memory loss for Alzheimer's patients.

Lyndsay Williams invented SenseCam for Microsoft Cambridge in 1999. The device has since been used to monitor diet, anxiety triggers and disaster response volunteers. Gordon Bell, 75, one of Microsoft’s lead researchers, has been using the SenseCam to record every detail of his daily life every day for the last ten years. “I capture everything that I can that is of value,” he says. “I think of my e-memory and bio-memory as one.”

SenseCam features a 24-hour battery life, and according to Bell it’s also extremely durable. His first SenseCam lasted 4 years. That’s over 420,480 pictures! Because so much information is recorded, Bell stresses the importance of a good filing system.

“We have a collections mechanism that gives as a by-product a more general file system beyond (an organizational) tree,  ability to collect stuff together and name it, keywords, taxonomies,” he says. “My favorite organizing principle is facets.”

Apart from day-to-day activity, Bell says it’s come in handy when meeting new people at tradeshows and conferences. He’s come to depend on and respect the system a great deal, too. “All of your life’s images have a strong impact on being able to refresh your life,” he says.

SenseCam shows great potential, but further research is needed to determine its full effect on memory recall. In the meantime, you can read more about Bell's experience in his book, Total Recall, or follow MyLifeBits until the official release date is set.

Visit Healia's Alzheimer's Community.

There may be added benefits to that diet you’re on—following a Mediterranean-style diet may put you at a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center found that individuals who adhered to a Mediterranean-type diet in addition to exercise were 60% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible degenerative disease affecting the brain, often causing severe memory loss (a result of damage to the hippocampus) and destroyed cognitive ability. Alzheimer’s, which typically begins around age 60, is the leading cause of dementia among the elderly.

Damage to the brain may begin as early as 20 years before any complications are detected. Alzheimer’s begins when neural tangles form in the entorhinal cortex. This causes the neurons to function less efficiently, and the neurons eventually die, causing these areas of the brain to shrink.

“We know that some part of Alzheimer’s is related to genetic changes and as time goes on we discover more and more of these changes,” explains lead author Nikos Scarmeas, M.D., and associate professor of clinical neurology at Columbia. “But it is also possible that non-genetic changes, including lifestyle and behavior, may also be affecting our brain health and our risk of developing brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.”

The study examined 1,880 multi-ethnic individuals, average age 77, from Northern Manhattan in New York City. The group was divided into two smaller groups, for which information on both physical activity and mental status was available. Participants did not show signs of dementia at the beginning of the study, and were followed from 1996 to 2006, measured every 18 months for neurological changes.

Participants were measured for physical activity level (no physical activity, light activity such as golfing, moderate activity like biking, or vigorous activity such as jogging) and how well they stuck to the diet (on a scale of 0-9). Diet scores were higher for individuals who consumed more fruits, vegetables, legumes and fish, and less meat, dairy and saturated fats.

“Often times people who exercise also follow a healthy diet and vice versa,” Scarmeas says. “We wanted to tease out which of these two behaviors may be associated with lower risk for AD, or if the combination of the two is associated with decreased risk even further.”

Individuals who had low physical activity had a 29-41% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who  were physically inactive, while individuals with “much” physical activity further decreased their risk by 37-50%. Strongly following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 40% risk reduction for Alzheimr’s. Individuals with high diet adherence and high activity individuals showed a much lower absolute risk than those with low diet adherence and activity status, reduced from 21% to 9%.

According to Scarmeas, this study emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle. "We need to understand and learn more about the exact biological mechanisms that may connect physical activity and diet with the biological changes of Alzheimer's disease," he says. "This study is important because it shows that people may be able to alter their risk of developing Alzheimer's by modifying their lifestyles through diet and exercise."

Learn more about Alzheimer's disease by visiting Healia's Alzheimer's Community.

Sunshine actually may put pep in your step and improve your thinking skills. A study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows that the amount of sunlight you are exposed to may boost your cognitive ability.

The study examined the seasonal role and amount of sunlight exposure (referred to as insolation) on patients’ energy levels and cognitive ability. Researchers hypothesized that greater insolation would boost both energy and mental functioning.

This was found to be very true for patients with depression. Sunlight plays a huge role in the body’s circadian (daily) rhythm. Alzheimer’s, for example, has been associated with low blood flow to the cerebrum, yet another of sunlight’s effects.

Individuals who got less sun exposure were more likely to experience an irregular circadian rhythm, similar to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression. Several studies have been conducted in the past to examine the effect of sunlight and seasonal changes on mood in people with depression, but this was the first to study the effects of both on thought processes.

"We think some of the same physiological mechanisms that affect depression also affect cognitive function,” says Shia Kent, author of the study and doctoral candidate at the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “These same hormone systems have been implicated in a number of mental disorders and cognitive disorders.”

One key to this relationship lies in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), a region of the brain responsible for processing information from the eyes and stimulating hormones.One of the SCN’s roles is to prevent the pineal gland from converting serotonin into melatonin, a hormone that triggers sleepiness.

The retina sends light information to the SCN, slowing the brain’s production of melatonin and serotonin—both associated with cognitive functioning—during the day or in a well-lit room. Without this process, the body’s natural rhythm is disrupted. Similar disruptions have been associated with sleep disorders and memory problems in otherwise healthy individuals.

Participants in the study hailed from an area of the United States known as the “stroke belt”—Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Nearly 14,500 men and women over age 45 (44% African-American, 56% white) with no history of a stroke included in the final model were questioned using the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study.

Cognitive functioning was measured via telephone interviews, while weight, height and blood pressure were measured in-home prior to the study. Participants were then followed for the next two weeks, while researchers measured insolation (with the help of NASA satellite and ground data) and thinking ability (using questionnaires).

Solar radiation was measured eight times daily, at 3-hour intervals. Typical insolation values were 25,000-30,000 KJ/m² in late spring and early summer, and 8,000-10,000 KJ/ m² in the central U.S. Short-term and long-term memory were measured using a six-question test. Answering four or less correctly indicated impairment. 

Based on their findings, researchers reported that low sunlight exposure was a higher likelihood of cognitive impairment for subjects with depression, including those who were prone to SAD. Roughly 18% of participants with any form of depression were classified as having impaired thinking in response to lower insolation, regardless of the season.

“This is speculation,” says Kent, “but those who have cognitive impairment could be helped with sunlight."

 

Learn more about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in Healia Communities.

In its 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report released this week, the Alzheimer’s Association notes that Alzheimer’s disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The report also points out that deaths from the disease are expected to rise precipitously in the next 15 years as the Baby Boom generation reaches their 70s. Deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease increased 47.1 percent from 2000 to 2006, while deaths attributed to heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., declined by 11.5 percent in that time.

The report also includes data on Alzheimer’s disease deaths in each state. Below is a list of the top 10 states with the lowest rate of deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease; the age-adjusted death rates per 100,000 state residents are shown in parentheses. Age-adjusted rates account for the effect of age disparities in the populations being examined, which allows for reliable comparisons among states. For example, Florida has a large number of elderly residents, and, without any rate adjustments, would have a much higher Alzheimer’s death rate than a state with a younger average population; age-adjusted rates remove this effect.

The top 10 states with the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease deaths are:

1. New York (age-adjusted death rate per 100,000 = 9.2)
2. Hawaii (11.4)
3. Connecticut (16.1)
4. Nevada (17.1)
5. Maryland (17.5)
6. New Jersey (17.6)
7. New Mexico (18.3)
8. Florida (18.4)
9. Rhode Island (18.8)
10. Pennsylvania (18.9)

If you would like to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, read the Healia Health Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease. To share your experiences with Alzheimer’s or as a caregiver of an Alzheimer’s patient, join the Healia Support Group for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Related blog post: Top 10 States for Alzheimer’s Disease Deaths

 

_{Source: Alzheimer’s Association, 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, 3/09. http://www.alz.org/national/documents/report_alzfactsfigures2009.pdf}

_{Photo: without you., Flickr, Creative Commons}

The Alzheimer’s Association today released a report entitled 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures which includes information on the prevalence and cost of this devastating brain disease. The report notes that Alzheimer’s disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and points out that deaths from the disease are expected to rise precipitously in the next 15 years as the Baby Boom generation reaches their 70s. Deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease increased 47.1 percent from 2000 to 2006, while deaths attributed to heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., declined by 11.5 percent in that time.

The report also includes data on Alzheimer’s disease deaths in each state. Below is a list of top 10 states for deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease, with the age-adjusted rates per 100,000 state residents shown in parentheses. Age-adjusted rates account for the effect of age disparities in the populations being examined, which allows for reliable comparisons among states. For example, Florida has a large number of elderly residents, and, without any rate adjustments, would have a much higher Alzheimer’s death rate than a state with a younger average population; age-adjusted rates remove this effect.

The top 10 states with the highest rates of Alzheimer’s disease deaths are:

1. Tennessee (age-adjusted death rate per 100,000 = 36.2)
2. Washington (35.9)
3. Louisiana (34.2)
4. Alabama (33.2)
5. South Carolina (32.4)
6. Arizona (31.3)
7. N Dakota (29.8)
8. N Carolina (29.5)
9. Idaho (29.4)
10. Maine (29.1)

If you would like to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, read the Healia Health Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease. To share your experiences with Alzheimer’s or as a caregiver of an Alzheimer’s patient, join the Healia Support Group for Alzheimer’s Disease.

_{Source: Alzheimer’s Association, 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, 3/09. http://www.alz.org/national/documents/report_alzfactsfigures2009.pdf}

_{Photo: *Ann Gordon, Flickr, Creative Commons}

Although stem cells may one day prove to be effective treatments against many of the most devastating medical conditions and their use in medicine may become commonplace, a new study reports that several “rogue” stem cell clinics are already making such premature claims about stem cell treatments on their Web sites. These clinics are portraying the therapies they offer as safe, effective, and ready for routine use.

In a report published in the December issue of Cell: Stem Cell, researchers caution that patients should be wary of stem cell clinics that make confident claims about their services without firm medical evidence to back it up, because the existing published research does not support that "overoptimistic" picture.

At least 19 different Web sites offer stem cell therapies at clinics in countries such as China, Mexico, and Russia where there are fewer restrictions on the use of stem cells than in the United States. The Web sites tout treatments for conditions including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, blindness, stroke, and heart attack.

In recent years, desperate patients with such conditions have visited overseas clinics believing them to be their last hope. While a review of published medical studies finds some encouraging evidence for the use of stem cells to treat such conditions, there is not yet any clear evidence of benefit from such treatment, and many studies cite the risk of serious side effects. In addition, the study notes the average cost of a course of such treatment was $21,500, excluding travel and accommodation for patients and care givers.

In the same issue of the journal, a report from the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) describes new research guidelines that condemn the marketing of unproven therapies. The society has posted a patient handbook on its Web site to help people who are considering stem cell therapy.

The guidelines say that in limited cases, doctors may be justified in trying an experimental treatment outside of a formal study for small numbers of seriously ill patients. The guidelines recommend standards for that situation, such as approval from a group of experts with no vested interest in the treatment and a commitment by those offering it to proceed to a formal study. Read the complete guidelines in the patient handbook on the ISSCR website. 

If you or someone you know is facing a serious condition that might benefit from stem cells, keep in mind that there are controlled studies being conducted in the Untied States to examine the use of stem cells to treat several diseases. While these studies are usually small, if you meet the criteria for such a study you may be able to receive stem cell treatment for free. Such studies will ultimately help researchers determine if the grand potential of stem cells is real. To find a clinical trial involving stem cells, search Healia Clinical Trials Search for stem cells, or search Healia Clinical Trials Search for a particular disease (e.g. Parkinson’s disease).

 

_{Photo: Daino_16, stock.xchng, sxu license}

A large study examining the effects of the medicinal herb Ginkgo biloba concludes that it does not prevent Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. The findings, presented in the Journal of the American Medical Association, cast serious doubt on the future of ginkgo as a preventative measure for dementia, a disorder that affects more than 5 million people in the United States.

The eight year long Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) Study involved over 3,000 patients age 75 and older, some of whom had a condition that can be an early harbinger of dementia called mild cognitive impairment. The results showed that among both healthy and mildly impaired participants, taking two 120 milligram doses of ginkgo a day had no effect on the development of dementia in general or Alzheimer’s disease specifically, which is the suspected cause of the vast majority of dementia cases.

Extract from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which suggested that it might help protect the brain from the processes that lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Earlier lab tests also demonstrated that ginkgo can protect brain cells from the same problems that occur in Alzheimer’s disease. Despite this, the study appears to demonstrate conclusively that ginkgo is not helpful in preventing Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.

While the study did not find any positive effects of ginkgo, there did not appear to be any significant negative effects either. Taking the supplement did not affect the rate of coronary artery disease, stroke, or mortality. The study did not examine this possibility that ginkgo could have an effect on the development of dementia if people started taking it earlier, such as in middle age. There may also still be role for ginkgo in treating, rather than preventing, dementia.

Earlier research on ginkgo and memory has provided mixed results. Still, annual sales of the supplement in the U.S. reached an estimated $107 million in 2007.

If you take Ginkgo biloba, it is a good idea to do so under the supervision of a medical professional. People on the blood thinner warfarin shouldn't take ginkgo because of the risk of increased bleeding. Previous studies have also suggests an association between ginkgo and increased risk of “mini strokes” known as TIAs.

For more information, see the Healia Health Guide on Alzheimer’s Disease or visit the Healia Health Communities for Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia.  You can also get answers to your questions about ginkgo at the Healia Health Communities for Dietary Supplements or the Healia Health Community for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

 

 ^{Photo (adapted): colros, Flickr, Creative Commons}

New research shows that people with Alzheimer’s disease who consume very high levels of vitamin E seem to live longer than those who do not. The findings stem from a 15-year study of the survival rates of 847 men and women already diagnosed with various stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Are high levels of Vitamin E safe? This has been a major research topic as some studies have suggested that high doses may also carry unwarranted health risks. The American Heart Association has stated that high amounts of vitamin E may be harmful for the average person and that taking 400 IU or more per day may increase the risk of death.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant. Antioxidants help protect the body’s tissue from damage caused by unstable substances called free radicals. Free radicals can harm cells, tissues, and organs. They are believed to play a major role in certain conditions associated with aging.

Do you have a question about vitamin E or Alzheimer’s disease? Ask an Expert at Healia Communities or connect with others in the Alzheimer’s Disease Community.

vitamin E Alzheimer’s Disease antioxidants

The Alzheimer’s Association released a report Tuesday stating that Alzheimer’s disease is now the seventh deadliest disease in the nation and that women are at greater risk of the disease than men. The report also predicts that an estimated 10 million American baby boomers (1 out of every 8) will develop Alzheimer's disease in their lifetime.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and fatal brain disease, and the most common form of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking, and behavior severe enough to affect work, life-long hobbies, or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, has no current cure, and is fatal.

This projected rise will make a huge impact on baby boomers' lives, their families, and the nation's health-care system. Most people with Alzheimer's are eligible for Medicare, so a high number of Alzheimer's patients will put a major strain on the federal health insurance program. The increase in Alzheimer's cases will also burden the long-term care system.

Researchers have found a connection between Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease. Diet, exercise, and blood-pressure control may help fight cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. To find out more information about Alzheimer’s disease, visit healia.com.

Alzheimer’s disease baby boomers dementia

Alzheimer’s is an expensive disease, in an emotional, physical, and financial sense. Currently, there are more than 5 million people in the United States living with this neurodegenerative disease, and that number is expected to grow as boomers age. The average lifespan of a patient diagnosed with this disease is 7 to 10 years, and is dependent on the stage of diagnosis and the other conditions that a patient may have.

There is no cure as of yet, but a tremendous advance has been delivered. Scientists from the New York University Medical Center have developed a vaccine that neutralizes tau (rhymes with “wow”) protein in the nervous system of lab mice.

Alzheimer’s is caused by the folding of beta-amyloid and tau proteins into plaques and tangles, respectively. The new potential vaccine worked by creating antibodies that bound themselves to the tau protein, preventing the protein from accumulating in the brain and causing damage.

To learn more about Alzheimer's disease, use Healia to search through an extensive collection of high-quality search results on this topic.

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