Alzheimer disease

New test can recognize Alzheimer's disease early

2007-10-15T17:15:00.000+03:00

Today i found interesting news about Alzheimer's disease. Please, read it.

An international team of scientists has developed a blood test that could reveal which patients with mild cognitive impairment will go on to develop Alzheimer's disease.

If replicated and validated - and assuming the development of effective treatments against Alzheimer's in the future - such a test could open the door to medicating at-risk patients earlier and slowing or limiting neurological damage, explained Dr. Allan Levey, chair of neurology at Emory University, Atlanta.

"If it can be replicated, then we will find out how important [the study] really is," said Levey, who was not involved in the research.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's is a progressive, fatal brain disease that affects almost one in eight individuals over the age of 65.

Yet there currently exists no early diagnostic screen for Alzheimer's disease. Diagnosis today is based not on blood chemistry, but on a combination of psychological and imaging tests. Many of those who present with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), will ultimately develop Alzheimer's disease, but others never do.

"Currently, it's very difficult to know who will progress to Alzheimer's and who will progress to other diseases, or which won't progress at all," said Levey. "Ideally, one wants to be able to know at the stage of mild cognitive impairment, or even earlier, if someone is destined to get Alzheimer's disease."

In the new study, a group led by Tony Wyss-Coray, an associate professor of neurology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, analyzed 259 blood samples obtained from individuals with and without Alzheimer's disease. They focused on 120 proteins involved in cellular signaling and communication.

The team identified 18 proteins in particular whose abundance could distinguish those with Alzheimer's disease from those without it, for an overall accuracy of about 90 percent - that is, it correctly classified individuals who had been clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 95 percent of the time and classified as negative those without the disease 83 percent of the time.

This panel of proteins was equally effective when applied to another, completely separate set of patient samples, the researchers noted.

But "the home run of the paper," said Levey, was the finding that, when applied to blood samples collected from patients who were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment - a condition that often, but not always, precedes Alzheimer's - the panel could predict who would ultimately develop Alzheimer's with 81 percent accuracy, 30 months before clinical diagnosis, on average.

Calling the study "very interesting," Levey nevertheless noted two caveats. The first was its relatively small sample size. The other was its use of proteins that have no obvious relationship to Alzheimer's.

"The blood has thousands of proteins, and they started with 120 proteins that they could measure," he said. "I don't think if one were to try to make a biomarker for Alzheimer's that you would necessarily choose these 120 proteins."

Wyss-Coray agreed that the team's decision to focus specifically on signaling proteins might seem like "a bit of a crazy idea." But given the disease's target organ, it makes sense, he said.

"Cells receive input through hundreds of different receptors, and it responds with some output, usually a signaling protein," Wyss-Coray explained. "So, by thinking in terms of this output, we decided to look specifically at signaling proteins and see if there are changes between patients who are healthy versus those with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias."

Others have also made progress in the development of early diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's. At the Alzheimer's Association's International Conference on Prevention of Dementia, in June, for instance, one group described a candidate test based on gene expression levels in blood.

"It's exciting to see this sort of work progress," said Dr. Sam Gandy, chair of the Alzheimer's Association's Medical and Scientific Advisory Council. "The important next step is to be sure that the report can be independently replicated."

Should that happen, Gandy said, patients would not be the only beneficiaries; the drug-development industry could use this assay to help select patient populations for trials of drugs to prevent - as opposed to treat - Alzheimer's disease.

"Because we don't have a marker that predicts [Alzheimer's] right now, such a trial is almost prohibitively expensive," he said - "easily 10 times" the estimated $50 million required for standard clinical trials.

News by Forbes

Carу for Someone With Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's patch. Part 2

2007-05-27T00:50:00.000+03:00

Previous. Treatment for alzheimers disease

Personal Hygiene

Even something that we take for granted, such as personal hygiene, may become a chore for a person with Alzheimer's disease.

* Allow the person to continue his or her personal hygiene routine as much as possible. For example, if he or she brushes his or her teeth before bathing, encourage the continuation of this process. Routines can make the person with Alzheimer's disease more secure less confused about the process.

* If showering or bathing becomes too difficult, then sponge baths will work just as well. Also, the person does not need to be bathed daily; three to four times a week is fine.

* Bathing is a private activity. Allow the person as independence as possible--however, do not leave him or her unattended. A shower chair, available through medical supply companies, may allow the person to bathe privately while keeping them out of danger.

* To facilitate dressing, lay out the person's clothes in the order of how they go on. Use comfortable, easily manageable clothing such as sweatpants and button-less tops so that the person may be able to dress independently.

Sleep

Alzheimer's disease often throws off a person's "internal clock" thus causing restlessness at night. There are certain things you can do to help make their nights calmer. Do what you can to help maintain a regular schedule and reduce frustration when such confusion occurs.

* Scheduling is often the key to producing positive results in the person's behavior. Schedule a time for naps and a time for bed and stick with the routine.

* To help calm the person down before bedtime, do a sedate activity such as reading, doing a puzzle, listen to calming music. Even getting the person into his or her bed clothes may help the calming process.

* Make sure the person has gone to the bathroom before going to bed.

Advice for Caregivers

Caring for someone who has Alzheimer's disease or another illness involving dementia can be very difficult, time-consuming, and stressful. Here are some more things a caregiver can do to help the person with Alzheimer's disease while also reducing the substantial burden that comes with caregiving:

* Stay Informed - Knowledge equals power. The more you know about Alzheimer's disease or any other dementing disease, the better you can prepare yourself to deal with problems that may arise.

* Share concerns with the person - A person who is mildly to moderately impaired can assist in his/her own care. Memory aides and other strategies can be created by the person with dementia and the caregiver together.

* Solve problems one at a time - A multitude of problems may occur that may seem insurmountable at the time. Work on one specific problem at a time -- you do not have to solve every problem all at once.

* Use your imagination - One of the keys to handling this disease is your ability to adapt. If something can't be done one way, try another. For example, if the person only uses his or her fingers for eating, do not keep fighting; just serve as many finger foods as possible!

* Establish an environment that encourages freedom and activity within limits Try to create a stable, balanced schedule for meals, medication, etc. but also encourage activities that the patient can handle such as taking a walk or visiting an old friend. Remember, the person with AD is not the only one whose needs must be taken into consideration. You as a caregiver have needs and desires that must also be met. First, try and find some time for yourself. Even though this suggestion may seem like an impossibility, find some time during the week where you can have someone else watch the patient -- be it a relative, friend, or neighbor -- and do something for yourself.

* Avoid social isolation - Keep up contacts with friends and relatives. Its easy to get burned out when it seems like you have no one to turn to. Another way to establish contacts is by joining the Alzheimer's Association or other such support groups. Talking with other families who share many of the very same problems can be reassuring as it helps you know you are not alone in your round-the-clock struggles.

Carу for Someone With Alzheimer's Disease...

2007-05-27T00:41:00.000+03:00

People with Alzheimer's disease have special needs and offer special challenges to those who care for them. Alzheimer's Disease often forces a family to restructure their lives. While each person is different, the following list offers some tips to make everyday living a little more manageable.

Home Safety

As the person's symptoms worsen, even common household items and furnishings can become dangerous.

* Get rid of the "clutter" around the house, such as piles of papers, throw rugs etc. Also, furniture should be simple and clear pathways should be established.

* Put locks or install child-proof latches on any cabinets that contain potentially harmful items such as guns, liquor, matches, household cleaners, medicines, knives, etc.

* Install handrails throughout the house, especially around the bathtub and toilet, since coordination and balance may deteriorate.

* If the person you are caring for wanders, put locks on doors leading outside. Also, place an identification tag in the person's wallet or purse or on a necklace in case he or she does wander off and become lost.

* Remove the door locks that are operated from the inside-- as in bedrooms and bathrooms-- so that the person will not lock himself or herself in.

Eating

Eating sometimes can become difficult for a person with Alzheimer's disease. He or she might forget to eat, or forget that he or she has already eaten. For instance, sometimes people forget what to eat and consume a bag of candy for lunch.

* Make eating easier by having ready-to-eat food (sandwiches, soup) or by enlisting the help of a meal-delivery service, like Meals on Wheels.

* If the person you are caring for constantly eats, have some low-calorie foods around such as carrots, celery, crackers, or butter-less popcorn. Then if he or she wants to eat, these low-calorie, healthy snacks can be given without much hassle.

* If the person you are caring for does not eat, do the opposite and provide high-calorie snacks such as a milkshake, cheese and crackers, or a diet-supplement shake.

part two. Something about Personal Hygiene, Sleep, Advice for Caregivers

Simply Pre-Symptom of Alzheimers disease

2007-05-27T00:29:00.000+03:00

Alzheimer's affects about one in 10 Americans over 65 and nearly half over 85. The degenerative brain disease usually begins gradually, causing a person to forget recent events or familiar tasks. How rapidly it advances varies from person to person, but the disease eventually leads to confusion, personality and behavior changes and impaired judgment. Communication becomes more difficult as the disease progresses, leaving those affected struggling to find words, finish thoughts or follow directions. Eventually, most people with Alzheimer's disease become unable to care for themselves.

Because there's presently no remedy and just several drugs that can assist stave away the destructive symptoms when taken early in the disease, earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's is a region of investigation generating alzheimers care. At this moment, Alzheimer's can simply be definitively diagnosed by examining the mind after the patient has died. Diagnosis in living patients is mostly done through a protracted procedure of elimination--with MRI (magnetic rapport imagery) scans, psychological evaluations and blood and urine tests performed to govern away new potential causes of dementia.

Some of the most recent studies have found that verbal memory tests are the best overall predictor of pre- and early-symptom Alzheimer's in the elderly, beating out the imaging tests and several other mental evaluations such as constructing objects, connecting dots, figuring out mazes and executive function tests, which assess ability to plan ahead. Researchers are suggesting that the California Verbal Learning Test, in which volunteers were read a list of 15 words several times and then asked to recall them 20 minutes later, was nearly 100% accurate in predicting who would go on to eventually develop AlzheimerÂ’s.

Other verbal memory tasks, such as recalling categories of words or being able to remember terms for a short period of time, also proved useful, pinpointing the patients who would go on to develop Alzheimer's at least 80% of the time.

In addition to offering patients the chance to gain from drugs that wait symptom onslaught, knowing you are in the pre-symptom or early-stages of Alzheimer's allows a person to get a best opportunity to intend their lives, for example, organizing their fiscal affairs and, if they have something they've ever wanted to make, knowing they likely seek to make it earlier quite than subsequently. Additionally, there is comprehensive current investigation being done on disrupting the disease's advancement, then knowing how to diagnose it early before the permanent harm occurs could someday be of extreme value.

You can try to test again here

Alzheimer's patch. Could It Be Alzheimer's?

2007-05-27T00:18:00.000+03:00

It's normal to every once in a while forget a phone number, the day of the week, or what you just came in to a room to do. Memory changes, confusion, and disorientation associated with Alzheimer's, however, grow progressively worse over time. The early-stage warning signs may develop gradually and go unnoticed, or, in many cases, they're initially mistaken for the normal aging process.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alzheimer's is the 11th leading cause of alzheimers disease diagnosis is still uncertain, researchers agree that the risk of developing the condition increases as a person ages.
It's normal to every once in a while forget a phone number, the day of the week, or what you just came in to a room to do. Memory changes, confusion, and disorientation associated with Alzheimer's, however, grow progressively worse over time. The early-stage warning signs may develop gradually and go unnoticed, or, in many cases, they're initially mistaken for the normal aging process.

It's estimated that 4 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease and, unless a cure or significant treatment is found, it's predicted that as many as 14 million will have the disease by 2050. To better help ourselves and/or our loved ones, all of us can benefit from knowing what the most common early-stage warning signs of Alzheimer's are. Treatment

Could It Be Alzheimer's? 10 Possible Early Warning Signs:

If you or someone you love experiences any of the symptoms listed below, see your physician. A medical examination is the first and most important step if you suspect you or someone close to you might have Alzheimer's.

1. Recent memory loss that impairs the person's ability to complete routine assignments at work and/or function effectively at home: May frequently forget names, phone numbers and work tasks and have trouble remembering them even when reminded.

2. Problems with language: May progressively forget simple words, substitute inappropriate words, and/or make statements that don't make sense.

3. Disorientation in time and space and getting confused or lost in a familiar place: May leave their home and then forget where they intended to go, could become lost on a nearby street and not know how to get home.

4. Difficulty completing familiar tasks: May, for example, prepare a meal but forget to serve it--or even forget that they ever made it.

5. Distorted judgment: May dress inappropriately, completely forget what they've set out to do mid-task, or forget key routine tasks, such as keeping set appointments or caring for their pet.

6. Problems with abstract thinking: May have trouble with simple mathematical calculations such as balancing a checkbook or remembering a familiar, often-used phone number.

7. Misplacing things: May put things in inappropriate places, such as putting their keys in the microwave, toothbrush in the kitchen cabinet, or their briefcase in the refrigerator.

8. Repeated and sudden changes in mood and behavior: May begin exhibiting out-of-character rapid mood swings for no apparent reason.

9. Changes in personality: May start to act in ways that are counter to their usual personality style, for example, acting suspicious, fearful, or confused.

10. Loss of initiative to do things: May become passive, unresponsive, express little interest in previously enjoyed activities and require real encouragement to get involved.

Studies indicate that as many as one in ten cases of dementia-like symptoms may actually be caused by something less serious and more reversible, such as medication or depression.

When testing for Alzheimer's, a doctor will perform a physical exam and do tests to analyze memory and reasoning skills. No individual's Alzheimer's progresses with the same symptoms or at the same rate. For instance, some people with Alzheimer's become paranoid and combative, while others remain placid; some like to wander; still others change their waking and sleeping hours.

Early Diagnosis

People with Alzheimer's can live for another ten or even twenty years after the onset of their disease. Early diagnosis can make it easier for both sufferers and their families to weigh their options early on and to prepare for the changes that come as the disease progresses. But most important is learning to see the disease for what it is, changing your expectations of what someone with Alzheimer's will be like, and remembering that this can take time prevalence.

Getting Professional Support

Alzheimer's is a healthful procedure and progresses over moment. Early diagnosis can assist individuals and their loved ones have as more moment as potential to make the better they can with circumstances that are beyond their command. Working with a healer can offer data and backing for the entire household. Therapy can offer critical insight into what to next predict, how better to grapple day by day, and ways to go through the unavoidable mixture of emotions, including departure, ire, promise, intensified passion, frustration, isolation, helplessness, sorrow, and a deepened consciousness of both the ability and the fragility of the human experience.

Parkinson's disease

2007-05-22T01:00:00.001+03:00

Parkinson's disease, a disorder of older persons, most commonly develops between the ages of 70-80 years. Unfortunately, in recent decades, the disease has "younger", and therefore it is not unusual for a parkinsonizma the sixth decade of life, or even sooner.

The disease progresses slowly over many years, and some patients still works for 15-20 years after onset. Parkinson's disease : causes disease Cause of the disease so far unknown. The disease is manifested by the loss of brain biologically active substances (mediators), responsible for motor function, and their deficit is the result of cell death of certain brain structures.

The first symptoms begin to emerge only in the deaths of 80% of these cells, which further proves how robust is the human body. Because of lack of these mediators all traffic patient parkinsonizmom are "poor", homogeneous, more primitive lost individuality propulsion capabilities, so at some stage, patients with this disease are very similar to each other.

Parkinson's Disease : signs of the disease first signs of illness are constraints and jitter, and must say that their combination is optional. Usually these feelings arise in the same hand, often on the right. The patient remarked that a hand shake at rest, and in this hand feel embarrassed hardly subtle movement : it becomes difficult locking buttons, eyes, count coins, etc. To a large extent, affected voice-it is small, illegible. Ambient may notice a slight change in terms of : it is becoming less expressive "losing face" glamour, looking more directly blink less often. Often when the disease emotional changes; But reducing motor disability loses motivation for any activity, even very interesting before the disease develops depression.

Parkinson's disease : The nature of treating the disease medication to be used at different stages depends on the clinical forms of the syndrome parkinsonizma, clinical features paintings and its dynamics, age, gender, somatic condition of the patient and opportunistic diseases. Treatment parkinsonizma polisistemny must take into account the nature of its manifestations in the form of propulsion, vegetative, mental, sensory, dissomnicheskih, neuroendocrine and other violations. The most comprehensive therapy should be based on an understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis and symptomatic treatment. Selecting a particular type of medication depends on the patient as well as the form of the disease and its manifestations.

Despite the fact that most current drugs in Parkinson's disease are at any stage of the disease, there are medications that are used only at some stage. The basic principle of choice is to maximize the benefits while minimizing complications from the treatment.

Memory and emotions

2007-05-22T00:55:00.000+03:00

Alzheimer's Disease (dementia) - genetic disease develops in the second half of life, more often in women.

Clinical manifestations of the amount to many millions and neurological disorders. There are as a result of brain cortex lesions, predominantly in temple and skull shares. The so-called atrophic cortex with the disease results in the violation of acetylcholine, an important mediator responsible for the transfer of impulses in the nervous system.

The disease gradually, quietly. Usually, neither the patients nor their relatives may not accurately indicate the beginning of the disease. Most initially breach short-term memory : the patient forgets where to put glasses, shut the light, took the food. Widening the defect leads to a decline in memory, names of loved ones, their outward appearance, the names of objects and words. At the same time, human memories are beginning to make headway speech disorder : patients have difficulty finding the right words, has difficulty accepting meaning fault.

The behaviour of the patient becomes the template, stereotypical, indifferent. It may persist long enough skills to emerge for years. The patient can be kept for some time at work, despite the remarkable development of signs of illness. In the later stages of the disease, in a few years, -mood disorders. Thus, there is variability, irritability, Gita, episodes of emotional arousal, the rotating apathy and indifference.

Perhaps the emergence of seizures, as well as nonsense and hallucinations. Delirium and hallucinations are so-called "small scale", that is, reflect the real situation household-long quarrel with neighbours, the usual conflicts in the subway or pharmacy political developments in the news on TV or in newspapers that patients interpret in terms of deliberate harm. In the later stages of the disease may disorder attractions-swallow - who often mistakenly considered the patient's relatives than as symptoms of the disease, and as an expression of no peculiar features of the character.

Alzheimer's Disease belongs to the group of mental illnesses older and clinical manifestations often combines or very similar to the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and Pick's disease. However, the disease has its own special treatment, which should begin as soon as possible.

Early adequate therapy can prevent or significantly delay the development of symptoms and allow patients for a long time to function normally, without any care and control. It is not a secret that such patients to the development of dementia and serious memory disorder, are fully cared for others. In recent years, the treatment and diagnosis of Alzheimer's are big changes in the development of new drugs and the development of rehabilitation. * First it is considered necessary to avoid prolonged hospitalizations for such patients, but rather encourage them to do whatever it could work.

This contributes to a longer preservation skills and labour, and a slowdown in the course of the disease. * Second, the major groups of drugs for treatment are psychotropic drugs to the operation of the exchange of acetylcholine - , tranquilizers, antidepressants, as well as preparations to effect on memory and emotions.

Lower memory

2007-05-22T00:53:00.000+03:00

Lower memory is the most frequent manifestation of the normal mental aging. As the falling speed of mental processes, deteriorating ability to concentrate, have trouble individual names, names, memory new information.

These violations do not prevent everyday memory and social life of people aged patients remained unchanged, all personal and social characteristics. In the case of adverse enhanced mental age of memory more pronounced and pose significant difficulties in everyday life.

They complain of forgetfulness, they are often overlooked, which put a thing could not recall the names of familiar people forget individual dates, face difficulties in counting money at the supermarket. They are trying to compensate for memory impairments through records, drills and repetition of new information. Finally, memory in old age may be the first and most visible manifestation of a serious disease, dementia (senile dementia).

The most frequent causes of senile dementia, disease and Alzheimer's disease. In the case of dementia of memory are never isolated, and always accompanied by changes in other mental functions and conduct as a whole. Individual orientation, first in time, then at the space. Patients impairment can call date, confused time of the year, can get lost in a familiar place. In more severe cases, forgotten home, their age, the facts of his own life, and sometimes do not recognize themselves in the mirror. Roughly violated expense.

Gradually, patients lose their usual skill, can not get dressed. Forgotten events in the story are supplanted patients false memories. Gradually, it is violated, understanding environment, the phrases are becoming increasingly short, meaningless. There are currently surveying techniques to make the correct diagnosis. The effective means to prevent and treat human memory, developing and reinforced during normal ageing, as well as dementia.

Alzheimer's disease staging

2007-05-22T00:47:00.000+03:00

Alzheimer's Disease staging is one of the most frequent causes of dementia (dementia) in elderly patients. Dementia is characterized by pronounced decline in intellectual functions rights violations power to a proper understanding of the environment and act independently. Disease cited by the name of A. Alzheimer's, this form of the disease in 1906. Untreated, the disease steadily progresses and leads to the destruction of all mental functions. Causes of Alzheimer's finally clarified. There is a lot of evidence of hereditary nature of disease. However, there are cases which do not involve inherited predisposition, especially with a later start of the disease. Alzheimer's Disease can begin over the age of 50 years, but more frequently after 70 and particularly after 80 years.

Alzheimer's develops slowly, subtly. The first manifestation of the disease are of memory and attention. New information was digested getting worse. Man becomes scattered, current events in his experiences supplanted recovery memories of the past. Typically, in early stage disease suffers orientation in time. Breached idea of a temporary sequence of events. In other cases, the disease begins with changes in the older person. He became rude, selfish, apathetic, erased earlier inherent personality characteristics. Finally, the first manifestations of Alzheimer's can be delirium or hallucinations, as well as prolonged depression. In the early stages of Alzheimer's patients rarely get to a doctor, especially if there is no impairment.

Typically, relatives are considering human memory and the changing nature of the natural aging. Meanwhile, health care begun in the early stages of Alzheimer's, most effectively. Currently, there are methods and tools survey of making correct diagnosis in the early stages of Alzheimer's. In further signs of the disorder Alzheimer's dementia becomes apparent. Individual orientation in time, space, environment. Patients do not know the date, month and year can be lost in a familiar place, not always understand where people are not told friends and loved ones. Gradually violated orientation and personal.

Patients can call their age, forget key facts of life. Often there is a "shift in the past : they consider themselves to children or young people, say that their long-deceased parents are alive. Breached the usual skills : patients lose the ability to use appliances, unable to get dressed. The conscious action supplanted stereotypical mean and senseless collecting things. Breached the ability to account letter. Is it. Initially, much vocabulary.

Current events in the rhetoric of the patient supplanted false memories. Gradually, it is increasingly losing its meaning, making patients become stereotyped phrases, piecemeal words and syllables. As far coming stages of Alzheimer's patients lose the ability to be completely without help, voice and mobility limited activity meaningless shouting and stereotypical movements in the bed. Currently, drugs whose effectiveness in treating Alzheimer's disease confirmed in clinical trials. Use of these drugs can significantly delay the progression of the disease, prolong the lives of patients, partially offset already broken mental functions, improve the processes of thinking and social functioning of patients and facilitate care. The effectiveness of treatment is substantially enhanced with the appointment of preparations being primary or moderate dementia.