Publications - Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

New Genetic Test Can Assess Alzheimer’s Risk, by Rick Nauert, PhD, Psych Central, Sep 25 2017.

“Researchers at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and University of California, San Diego explain that although the genetic variant APOE E4 has long been considered the strongest genetic predictor of whether someone is likely to develop Alzheimer’s, it is only carried by 10 to 15 percent of the population. Moreover, recent studies suggest its effects have been overstated.The new test calculates a polygenic hazard score (PHS), that provide risk estimates for the remaining 85 to 90 percent of people who do not carry at least one copy of APOE E4 but still have some combination of other genetic variants that put them at risk of Alzheimer’s...Autopsies of those who did develop Alzheimer’s showed that, even among those who did not carry a copy of the APOE E4 variant, a higher PHS was associated with a higher level of amyloid plaque — a protein aggregate that is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s — in the brain. ”

Vision loss associated with cognitive decline, dementia, by Carolyn Crist, Reuters, Aug 23 2017.

“Hearing impairment is already linked to a heightened risk of cognitive decline in old age, and a new study suggests that impaired vision may carry the same risk...Regular vision screening of older Americans could help to catch people at greater risk of cognitive problems and dementia, the study team writes in JAMA Ophthalmology. ”

Living healthily, learning more could cut dementia cases by a third, by Kate kelland, Reuters, Jul 20 2017.

“Learning new things, eating and drinking well, not smoking and limiting hearing loss and loneliness could prevent a third of dementia cases, health experts said on Thursday...These included staying in education beyond age 15, reducing high blood pressure, obesity and hearing loss in mid-life, and reducing smoking, depression, physical inactivity, social isolation and diabetes in later life. If all these risk factors were fully eliminated, the experts said, one in three cases of dementia worldwide could be prevented.    ”

Sleep disruption increases Alzheimer’s-related protein levels, by Anne Harding, Reuters, Jul 11 2017.

“Disrupting deep sleep boosts the amount of an Alzheimer’s disease-related protein called amyloid-beta in the fluid bathing the brain and spinal cord, new research suggests. And poor-quality sleep over time was associated with higher levels of tau, a different Alzheimer’s-associated protein, in the cerebrospinal fluid, Dr. Yo-El Ju of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and colleagues found. 'The worse someone’s sleep quality, the more their amyloid beta and tau increase, and both amyloid beta and tau are involved in Alzheimer’s over the long-term,' Ju told Reuters Health in a telephone interview. 'I don’t think people should worry about Alzheimer’s disease after one bad night. I do think chronic sleep disruption increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.' ”

PTSD Drugs May Hike Risk for Dementia in Vets, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central, May 10 2017.

“Research has shown that veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at greater risk for developing dementia. Some of this risk may come from other comorbid conditions that often go along with PTSD such as traumatic brain injury, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, among others...In a new study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers discovered that taking certain medications significantly increased veterans’ risks for developing dementia, whether or not they had PTSD, compared to those who didn’t take such drugs. ”

Dementia Risk Declines, And Education May Be One Reason Why, by Ina Jaffe, NPR, Nov 21 2016.

“Some encouraging news in the battle against Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia: The rate at which older Americans are getting these conditions is declining. That's according to a study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers say one reason for the improved outlook is an increase in education.  The study used data gathered in two snapshots, one in 2000 and another in 2012, that each looked at more than 10,000 Americans who were at least 65 years old. In the first snapshot, 11.6 percent of them had some form of dementia. In the second snapshot, it was 8.8 percent. ”

Doll Therapy May Help Calm People With Dementia, But It Has Critics, by Anna Gorman, NPR, Oct 3 2016.

“Doll therapy is catching on at nursing homes and other senior facilities across the country. It's used to help ease anxiety among residents with dementia, who can experience personality changes, agitation and aggression. But the therapy is controversial. Supporters say the dolls can lessen distress, improve communication and reduce the need for psychotropic medication. Critics say the dolls are demeaning and infantilize seniors. ”

Alzheimer’s Symptoms May Differ for Hispanics, by Rick Nauert PhD, Psych Central, Sep 27 2016.

“New research suggests the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may be different for Hispanics than other ethnic groups. Researchers explain that certain symptoms associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease affect Hispanics more frequently and severely than other ethnicities. The symptoms include agitation and depression, as well as other behavioral presentations.   ”

Test Of Experimental Alzheimer's Drug Finds Progress Against Brain Plaques, by Jon Hamilton , NPR, Aug 31 2016.

“An experimental drug dramatically reduced the toxic plaques found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, a team reports in the journal Nature.  Results from a small number of patients who received a high dose of the drug, called aducanumab, hint that it may also be able to slow the loss of memory and thinking. ”

Physical Functioning Tied To Alzheimer’s Risk, by Janice Wood, Psych Central, Aug 13 2016.

“A new study suggests a simple test of physical functioning may be able to help identify individuals who are at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and other common age-related neurological diseases. ”

Unmasking Alzheimer's risk in young adults, by Jacqueline Howard, CNN, Jul 6 2016.

“The risk for developing devastating Alzheimer's disease may be detectable in healthy adults younger than expected, and new studies reveal how. Tests already exist to determine a genetic risk for familial Alzheimer's disease, which is typically early-onset and less common than sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Both types cause dementia. However, identifying risk for the sporadic variety of Alzheimer's -- which accounts for about 95% of all Alzheimer's cases -- is not as simple. ”

Two minutes playing this video game could help scientists fight Alzheimer’s, by Sarah Kaplan, The Washington Post, May 7 2016.

“[Michael] Hornberger, a dementia researcher at the University of East Anglia in England, is the brain behind an unlikely effort to turn a video game into a tool for research. His game, “Sea Hero Quest,” is aimed at helping to spot early signs of dementia, and it debuted to great fanfare this week. It has already been downloaded some 150,000 times, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK, a nonprofit group that supported the project. If each person who downloaded plays for just two minutes, they’ll supposedly provide researchers with the equivalent of 70 years of lab data on human spatial memory and navigation. ”

Common medicines tied to changes in the brain, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Apr 20 2016.

“Commonly used drugs for problems like colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure and heart disease have long been linked to cognitive impairment and dementia. Now researchers have some fresh evidence that may help explain the connection. ”

Everything to Know for Family Caregivers, by Sherri Snelling, Money Geek, 2016.

“Millions of Americans coping with disabilities, illnesses, and chronic health conditions rely on family members, friends, and neighbors to get by. Caregiving is so much part of our national ethos, in fact, that an estimated 34 million adults have served as unpaid caregivers to someone age 50 or older in the previous 12 months, according to a recent study. ”

Aging in Place Your Guide to Staying Safely at Home, by William Leahy, Mary Languirand, and Michael Saunders, MoneyGeek, 2016.

“Many people are increasingly opting to live out their years in the comfort of their own home, perhaps with help from relatives or with in-home skilled nursing care, rather than move to a care facility. Aging in place enables older adults to remain independent and keep their own schedule. It is also less expensive than living in a facility, though it takes a coordinated approach to create a safe environment with home modifications and family or paid caregivers. ”