Click on the link to read an interesting article highlighting opposite study results from 2 groups of highly respected researchers. You decide-Alzheimer’s or longevity?
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Recognizing Signs of Alzheimer’s In Patients
Combination of two brain diagrams in one for comparison. In the left normal brain, in the right brain of a person with Alzheimer’s disease English: Diagram of the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s Disease English: Diagram of a normal brain Русский: Изображение нормального мозга и мозга при болезни Альцгеймера Nederlands: Vergelijking van normale hersenen (links) met die van een alzheimerpatiënt.(rechts) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Alzheimer’s disease is a common type of dementia that gradually gets worse over time. The main thing affected by Alzheimer’s is a person’s memory and cognitive abilities. There are 3 stages of Alzheimer’s disease: mild, moderate, and severe. Typically, a person will live 8-10 years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, but every case is different, and people can live much longer.
Here are some recognizing signs of Alzheimer’s in patients:
• Memory loss – Memory loss is the most common sign of Alzheimer’s disease, especially forgetting things that a person recently learned. If a person asks for the same information over and over, it is a sign of Alzheimer’s.
• Problem solving and concentration – If a person struggles with solving problems in his or her daily life or has problems concentrating with no prior history of such problems, this may be a sign of Alzheimer’s.If things take longer to do than they typically did before, this may be another sign.
• Hard time completing daily tasks – Frequently, a person with Alzheimer’s has a hard time completing daily tasks such as remembering a recipe that they have made many times before or balancing a checkbook.
• Vision problems – Vision problems can be one sign of Alzheimer’s disease in some people. Having a hard time reading or judging distances can be a sign.
• Time confusion – A person with Alzheimer’s disease may be confused about the time or the passage of time. Such a person may have a hard time determining when an event happened, whether it was immediately right before or a longer time in the past.
• Place confusion – One of the common signs of Alzheimer’s is if a person is confused where they are and how they got there.
• Lack of good judgment – One sign of Alzheimer’s in patients is lack of good judgment and a lack of good decision-making. Paying less attention to details such as personal grooming and eating right is a sign to look for.
• Speech problems – This is not having trouble speaking or not vocalizing. An Alzheimer’s patient may not be able to follow a conversation or may repeat something he or she has already said. Patients may also not be able to find the right word for something or may call things by the wrong name.
• Misplacing things – One sign of Alzheimer’s disease is misplacing things and being unable to find them or putting things in strange places where they do not typically belong.
• Mood changes – People with Alzheimer’s can experience mood changes from mild to severe. They can become more easily irritated because of what they are experiencing. Thus, they become frustrated and confused.
• Social withdrawal – Withdrawing from such things as hobbies, work, activities, and friends and family can be a sign of Alzheimer’s in patients.
It’s important to seek memory care right away when you see any warning signs.
You’re Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don’t | Documentary about Alzheimer’s | Independent Lens | PBS
Combination of two brain diagrams in one for comparison. In the left normal brain, in the right brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease English: Diagram of the brain of a person with Alzheimer's Disease English: Diagram of a normal brain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Interesting documentary into a woman’s personal struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Definitely worth watching and sharing!
Spring Brain Cleaning and Anagrams
Image via Wikipedia
Spring has sprung and is here in full force! Allergies, pollen, blossoms, and maybe even the spring cleaning bug. How about a spring cleaning for your brain? Get rid of those cobwebs that crowded your brain during your winter hibernation and return to the business of forming new brain pathways while building a cognitive reserve through neuroplasticity or brain plasticity. Let’s build a buff brain! Challenge yourself with something new or just do something differently or change the order of things in your daily, morning or evening rituals. Yes, it can actually be that simple-anything that causes or forces us to think differently is beneficial! It doesn’t matter if you are a senior, a baby boomer, a gen X or Y, approaching 50, 40, or even 30. We all need to embrace the concept of lifelong learning. It’s as simple as ABC-Always Brain Challenging-that is what we believe at BrainMasters!
Equally important to exercising the brain is the caring for the brain. This includes physical exercise and eating healthy brain foods. By engaging in physical exercise and consuming healthy foods we become active participants in the anti-aging, longevity, and anti-Alzheimer’s Disease campaign. I know everyone is busy-we all are. Surely, we all can allocate 30 minutes each day to exercise whether it is a walk, yoga, biking, or playing Wii Fit-just get moving! If you have a dog, then walk it; after all pets need exercise too!
Now that you are armed with this powerful new knowledge, it is time to exercise your brain and form new pathways! Here are some spring themed anagrams. Form as many new words as possible, and let us know how you do!
ALLERGIES
DOGWOODS
FESTIVALS
BLOOMING
GRILLING
FLOWERS
FLORAL
BLOSSOMS
NATURE
OUTDOORS
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program
Alzheimer's Disease (Photo credit: AJC1)
UCLA introduces a new Alzheimer’s and dementia care program that targets the needs of the patient as well as those of the caregiver who often is a family member.
The UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care program will have three main components: creation of a dementia registry; a needs assessment of patients listed in the registry; and individualized dementia care plans based on those assessments.
Click on this link to watch a short introductory video on this exciting program.
Want a Healthy Brain For Life?
If you are reading this, then you are committed to your brain health! As you know, we must not take our brain health for granted. Just like our bodies, we must properly care for and nurture our brains. This includes physical exercise, proper brain nutrition, social interactions, and of course brain exercises.
You do not have to be an athlete or have a health club membership to exercise. Walking is free and requires no special skills or equipment. Studies have shown some significant brain benefits just by walking 3x/week for 35 minutes! Individuals actually experienced an increase in the size of the hippocampus. You may ask, “What is a hippocampus?” The hippocampus is the area of your brain responsible for memory. That’s pretty important, don’t you agree? After all, who of us isn’t interested in improving our memory skills? So, get some exercise!
Eating a healthy diet is also crucial for good brain health. Foods like fresh fruits and vegetables-berries, apples, green leafy veggies, omega 3 fatty foods like salmon, nuts-walnuts and almonds, lean meats, green tea. Try to avoid sugar! Sugar just doesn’t have any health benefits. Several new studies are actually suggesting that Alzheimer’s is diabetes of the brain. Do yourself and your brain a favor and get rid of the sugar!
Social connections are an integral part of maintaining brain health. Do you actively participate in social groups? How about starting a book, movie, investment, or cooking club? Do you have any hobbies? How do you spend your time when not at work? What fun activities have you done lately? Be involved with people and remember that humans are social creatures.
The last crucial component necessary to maintain a healthy brain throughout your lifetime involves brain exercises. By engaging in new and challenging mental activities, you are able to form new neural pathways. Forming new pathways in the brain, helps improve our overall cognitive skills. So, if you are an expert at crossword puzzles or sudoku , it’s time for something new. Ever considered learning a new language or learning to play bridge? Both are excellent ways to exercise your brain. Of course, you can always enroll in a BrainMasters class where we will most assuredly exercise your brain!
Do You Know Your Family Health History?
Just how well do you know your family health history? I suspect many of us know bits and pieces but not the full picture of our genetic history. I strongly suggest you research and record your family health history during this holiday season. Since we celebrate with our families during the holiday season, it’s an excellent time to get your family health history. Grab the video camera, your smartphone, or an old school tape recorder and pose the following questions- “Does anyone in the family have a history of Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, thyroid disease, or any other chronic disease?” Did you know that with any of these diseases you have an increased risk for developing memory problems and other cognitive deficits?
By doing a little research into your genes, you have the ability to map out a healthier lifestyle. It’s never too late to make positive lifestyle changes whether you’re a senior, a baby boomer, in your 40’s or 30’s, or in college. I challenge you to do some research and discover the age of your oldest living blood relative. By the way, mine was 115 or 116. I find that truly amazing! Try to brainstorm as a family what this relative did to achieve such healthy aging and longevity. Don’t be surprised to discover that these relatives probably have some things in common. They were active and kept moving, stayed engaged and connected with people, and consumed a healthy diet. No junk food or fast food on a regular basis. Strive for that kind of lifestyle to achieve optimal health. Don’t forget to include regular exercise as a part of a healthy lifestyle! Why not take advantage of every possibility to lessen your chances of developing memory loss or suffering a cognitive decline? Remember, memory loss does not have to be a part of the normal aging process! Be in command of your health and your life!
So, take charge of your health! Engage your brain with challenging and fun brain fitness activities. Let’s build your cognitive reserve through some mentally stimulating activities. Learn a new game, learn a new language, enroll in a class, participate in a social group, and EXERCISE! Try some BrainMasters’ Brain Boosters! One of the secrets to longevity is to achieve a healthy balance between a healthy mind, body, and spirit!
Let us know the age of your oldest relative, too! Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza and Happy New Year! Now is the time for YOU commit to your health!
BrainMasters 