Julianne Moore won an Oscar last night for her heartbreaking portrayal of a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s in Still Alice. At Brain Matters, we hope the movie will raise awareness about Alzheimer’s research. In that spirit, here is an editorial by Alzheimer’s researcher Dr. Julie Harris, courtesy of the Huffington Post: “While the …
Scientists at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. have found that a specific molecule could slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In their study, the Brichos molecule, which occurs in the body naturally, prevented the buildup of beta-amyloid plaque in mice. Researchers believe that the early stages of Alzheimer’s begin when beta-amyloid …
Alzheimer’s disease affects over 5 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. The National Institute on Aging characterizes the illness as an “irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living.” Most people …
Making a home dementia-friendly protects the safety of your loved one and gives you a little more peace of mind. Do not wait for a safety problem to arise before acting; plan what changes you will need to make far in advance. In addition to cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s causes problems with spatial …
Since Alzheimer’s impairs a person’s reasoning and communication abilities, caregivers need to think strategically to meet daily challenges. In conjunction with self-care techniques, these four practical tips can help make a caregiver’s burden a little lighter: 1. Being logical won’t help: As humans, we tend to rationalize things that don’t make …
Alzheimer’s caregivers take on a heavy burden. Courtesy of the Alzheimer’s Association, this is Beverly’s caregiver story: “Ironically, my mother’s Alzheimer’s is teaching me that I do not need to remember every little painful specific, not in the manner I once remembered them. What a relief to draw the honest conclusion that I’m no longer …
Being an Alzheimer’s caregiver means taking on a lot of responsibilities. Sometimes you may be so preoccupied with caring for your loved one that you neglect your own health. Here are some tips to stay healthy as a caregiver: Visit the doctor: Visit the doctor at least once a year and report …
Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, recently wrote an impassioned editorial trying to get people involved in the fight to cure Alzheimer’s. Here are excerpts from that article, courtesy of the Huffington Post: “More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2014 Alzheimer’s Disease …
