Recent Alzheimer’s research has taken a more holistic view on prevention.
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“Regular aerobic exercise could be a fountain of youth for the brain”, said cognitive neuroscientist Laura Baker of Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina, who reported some of the research at the Alzheimer’s Association global Conference.
Study co-author Tina Hoang, of the Northern California Institute of Research and Education (NCIRE) in San Francisco, and colleagues recently presented their findings at the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association global Conference (AAIC) in Washington, DC. For six months, they were randomly assigned to groups who underwent moderate to high-intensity exercise.
Currently, there exists no single diagnostic test that can predict a person’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. “Even once you have cognitive impairment, there’s still a benefit to physical activity”. A new study, however, suggested that a good night’s sleep may likewise contribute to the long term positive effects together with exercise in lowering dementia risk.
The benefits of exercise have been well-established over the years.
The new drug solanezumab is the first to slowed the rate at which the disease damages the brain.
Experts say they will be looking for such an easy-to-use, affordable option like the saliva test for the day when that magic pill or drug treatment becomes available.
Treating physicians recorded a working diagnosis and management plan for each patient that included planned diagnostic and neuropsychological testing, follow-up and referral visits, and any medications recommended to improve cognition.
Avoid Stress: Avoid too much stress in life.
Known as solanezumab, the drug is a monoclonal antibody that helps the brain clear amyloid-beta before it clumps together to form plaques that are implicated in Alzheimer’s, which affects 44 million people living with dementia worldwide, and has no effective treatment.
The exercisers had far less anxiety, irritability, and depression than those who didn’t work out. The memory function of women, attention span and abilities of problem solving all deteriorate faster, which suggests that gender might have an impact on how brains age. A group of 71 older adults with mild VCI were assigned to either a standard-care group or an aerobic exercise group that participated in three 60-minute sessions per week.
At the end of the study period, participants in the exercise group had significantly decreased levels of tau proteins in their cerebrospinal fluid, increased blood flow in areas of the brain associated with memory, and improved executive control.
Snyder and Baker said most seniors should be able to find some physical activity they can perform, even if they have some age-related infirmities. “It’s anything you can get your heart rate up to where you are panting and sweating”.
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On Tuesday, researchers from Duke University presented findings on a study of 141 women and 257 men, aged in their mid 70s, who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Together, she said, the new research emphasizes how “sleep is critical as we age”.
