Saturday, April 23, 2011

Alzheimer's Blog:

Taking care of a loved one with this disease is devastating. Do you ever question yourself about the decisions you make or how you talk to someone whether with a nice tone or not.  I remember getting angry with Grandpa Joe, and I would not want to talk to him. It wouldn't take long before the guilt would control me and make me remember that he does not know what he is doing. I would have to remind myself, it is not his fault.

Yet there were times I think I would see in his eyes, that he was lying to me, or he would be sneaking around quietly trying to get into something that I put off limits.  It is so hard to know if at times he was being deceitful or just didn't know.

One day at the day care that I dropped him off at, my concerns came into reality. One day Grandpa Joe talked the owners husband into opening the outside door a little bit saying he couldn't breath and needed some air. As soon as the door opened a crack, Dad took off. Yes this time Dad did know what he was doing.

It was a bit of relief to know that someone else could confirm that sometimes Dad would lie and be sneaky. That still doesn't help me always know the difference but it made me aware that I didn't have to be so hard on myself.

Please remember that you are only human, and you will make mistakes. But also remember that you love the person that you are taking care of and you would never intentionally try and hurt them. You are only looking out for them and their safely.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Alzheimer's Blogging:

SEATTLE, Wash. — The Allen Institute for Brain Science has released the world’s first anatomically and genomically comprehensive human brain map, a previously unthinkable feat made possible through leading-edge technology and more than four years of rigorous studies and documentation. The unprecedented mappings are the foundation for the Allen Human Brain Atlas, an online public resource developed to advance the Institute’s goal to accelerate understanding of how the human brain works and fuel new discovery among the global research community.

In developing the Allen Human Brain Atlas, the Allen Institute has now thoroughly characterized and mapped the biochemistry of two normal adult human brains, providing opportunities for scientists to study the brain with new detail and accuracy. The data reveal a striking 94 percent similarity between human brains, establishing strong patterns as a critical foundation for translational and clinical research. In addition, data analysis from the two human brains indicate that at least 82 percent of all human genes are expressed in the brain, highlighting its tremendous complexity while also providing an essential genetic blueprint to understand brain functionality better and propel research in neurologic disease and other brain disorders.

“Until now, a definitive map of the human brain, at this level of detail, simply hasn’t existed,” said Allan Jones, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science. “The Allen Human Brain Atlas provides never-before-seen views into our most complex and most important organ. Understanding how our genes are used in our brains will help scientists and the medical community better understand and discover new treatments for the full spectrum of brain diseases and disorders, from mental illness and drug addiction, to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, multiple sclerosis, autism and more.”

Similar to a high-powered, multi-functional GPS navigation system, the Allen Human Brain Atlas identifies

1,000 anatomical sites in the human brain, backed by more than 100 million data points that indicate the particular gene expression and underlying biochemistry of each site. Scientists can use the Allen Human Brain Atlas to explore the human brain and identify how disease and trauma, including physical brain injuries and mental health disorders, affect specific areas of the brain. This powerful resource makes it possible to pinpoint where a particular drug acts anatomically in the brain, to ultimately better control the successful outcome of numerous therapies.

“The Allen Institute is a powerful force in modern science,” said Dr. Edward Jones, neuroscientist at the University of California, Davis. “They’ve applied an industrialized approach and high-output technology to accomplish what no other lab has ever done. The original data produced for the mouse brain revolutionized neuroscience and now the Allen Human Brain Atlas delivers extremely rare and essential information that most researchers could not otherwise access. They are truly paving the way for the future of research.”

Previously, as its inaugural initiative, the Allen Institute for Brain Science completed mappings of the adult mouse brain in 2006, similarly making the data available free to scientists. Overall, those data have led to a number of significant research advances around the world, including the publishing of over 500 peer-reviewed papers citing the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas to support research conclusions.

To watch the video please log onto http://alzheimersweekly.com/content/55000000-brain-atlas-offers-new-clues

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

ALZHEIMER'S BLOGGING:

ABDOMINAL OBESITY AND ALZHEIMER'S


ST. PAUL, Minn. – People with larger stomachs in their 40s are more likely to have dementia when they reach their 70s, according to a study published in the March 26, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study involved 6,583 people age 40 to 45 in northern California who had their abdominal fat measured. An average of 36 years later, 16 percent of the participants had been diagnosed with dementia. The study found that those with the highest amount of abdominal fat were nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than those with the lowest amount of abdominal fat.

“Considering that 50 percent of adults in this country have an unhealthy amount of abdominal fat, this is a disturbing finding,” said study author Rachel A. Whitmer, PhD, a Research Scientist of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, CA, and member of the American Academy of Neurology. “Research needs to be done to determine what the mechanisms are that link abdominal obesity and dementia.”

Having a large abdomen increased the risk of dementia regardless of whether the participants were of normal weight overall, overweight, or obese, and regardless of existing health conditions, including diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Those who were overweight and had a large belly were 2.3 times more likely to develop dementia than people with a normal weight and belly size. People who were both obese and had a large belly were 3.6 times more likely to develop dementia than those of normal weight and belly size. Those who were overweight or obese but did not have a large abdomen had an 80-percent increased risk of dementia.

A large belly in mid-life has also been shown to increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, and coronary heart disease, but this is the first time researchers have demonstrated that it also increases risk of dementia.

In the study, women were more likely than men to have abdominal obesity, along with non-whites, smokers, people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, and those with less than a high school level of education.

As with all observational studies, it is possible that the association of the abdominal obesity and dementia is not driven by the abdominal obesity, but rather by a complex set of health-related behaviors, for which abdominal obesity is but one part.

“Autopsies have shown that changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease may start in young to middle adulthood, and another study showed that high abdominal fat in elderly adults was tied to greater brain atrophy,” Whitmer said. “These findings imply that the dangerous effects of abdominal obesity on the brain may start long before the signs of dementia appear.”

Check this article out and more on Alzheimer's Weekly at http://alzheimersweekly.com/content/larger-belly-mid-life-increases-risk

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/

Monday, April 18, 2011

ALZHEIMER'S BLOG:

CHICAGO - Memantine goes by the brand names Namenda® or Ebixa®. An analysis of studies involving the drug memantine finds a lack of evidence for benefit when the drug is used to treat patients with mild Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment. This is according to a report posted online today that will appear in the August print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

"Memantine, indicated for moderate to severe Alzheimer disease (AD), is frequently prescribed off-label [for uses other than those approved by the FDA] either alone or with a cholinesterase inhibitor for mild AD and mild cognitive impairment," the authors write as background information in the article. Cholinesterase inhibitors are drugs like Aricept®, Exelon® and Razadyne®. They increase levels of a brain chemical called acetylcholine. Increasing acetylcholine levels appears to slow mental decline in people with AD.

Lon S. Schneider, M.D., M.S., of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, and colleagues systematically searched manufacturer-sponsored meta-analyses, registries, presentations, and publications for randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trials of memantine in patients with mild to moderate AD. Three trials were identified that included 431 patients with mild AD and 697 patients with moderate AD. Using several different scales, the researchers assessed cognition, global change, functional activities, and behavior.

"There were no significant differences between memantine and placebo on any outcome for patients with mild AD, either within any trial or when data were combined," the authors report.

Among patients with moderate AD, there was no significant difference between memantine and placebo in any individual trial, although there was a significant effect when the three trials were statistically combined.

"Despite its frequent off-label use, evidence is lacking for a benefit of memantine in mild AD, and there is meager evidence for its efficacy in moderate AD," the authors conclude. "Prospective trials are needed to further assess the potential for efficacy of memantine either alone or added to cholinesterase inhibitors in mild and moderate AD."

Read this and more of Alzheimer's Weekly Magazine: http://alzheimersweekly.com/content/namenda-only-helps-middle-stages  

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/

Saturday, April 16, 2011

ALZHEIMER'S BLOG:

Alzheimer’s Medications

Health professionals often divide the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease into “Cognitive” and “Behavioral and Psychiatric” categories.

Cognitive systems affect memory, language, judgment, planning, ability to pay attention and other thought processes.

Behavioral and psychiatric systems affect the way we feel and act.

DONEPEZIL (ARICEPT)- approved to treat all stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Side effects: nausea, vomit, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements.

RIVASTIGMINE (EXELON)- approved to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Side effects: nausea, vomit, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements.

GALANTAMINE (RAZADYNE)- approved to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Side effects: nausea, vomit, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements.

These drugs support communication among nerve cells by keeping acetylcholine levels high. On average delay worsening of symptoms for 6 to 12 months for about half the people who take them.


MEMANTINE- approved to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. Side effects; headaches, constipation, confusion, and dizziness. This drug works by regulating the activity of glutamate, a different messenger chemical involved in learning and memory. It temporarily delays worsening of symptoms
for some people.

TACTINE (COGNEX)- was approved to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, but now one of the least popular medications. Side effects; possible liver damage, nausea, vomit, and diarrhea.

I hope this helps:
Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/ 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Alzheimer's Blogging:

What happens when your loved one with Alzheimer’s decides not to eat?

This is a very common problem. The real question is, how aggressive should we be in treating our loved one in the late stage of Alzheimer's. Do we authorize medical treatment for our loved one as their minds go away, yet their bodies live on. Alzheimer's patients can not speak for themselves about their care. Some family members argue that intense treatment in late stages of Alzheimer's is inappropriate, even cruel, and the costs are excessively high. For some family members the cost are not an issue, so when their kidneys fail, they get dialysis, and infections are treated with intravenous antibiotics. We want guidance and want to be told what is appropriate.

There is the unspoken concern that if treatment is stopped, we will be judged by family, friends, and church. We need support groups and counseling about the loss of the ability to eat and drink, and to know that now the loved one has entered into the terminal phase of the illness. We should let our loved ones die peacefully. The Alzheimer's Association guidelines on patients in the final stages of the disease say that it is ethically permissible to with hold feeding tubes and that spoon feeding should be continued if needed for comfort.

Daily Tip!
A lesson that I have learned is to not put off what you can say or do today, because tomorrow may not come. Don’t put off any kindness that you can show today. Share your love with the world! You never know how you may benefit them!

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

ALZHEIMER'S BLOGGING:

What causes Alzheimer’s:
Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory,
thinking skills and the ability to carry our the simplest task of daily living. Alzheimer's Disease is
the most common cause of dementia among older people, but not a normal part of aging.

Scientist don't fully understand what causes Alzheimer's Disease. Genetics play a role in some
people. Offspring have a 50 - 50 chance of developing Alzheimer's Disease if one of their
parents had it. Research also suggests that other risk factors can be our life style. A nutritious
diet, exercise, social engagement, and mentally stimulating pursuits may help to reduce the risk
of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's Disease.

Cognitive impairment is a condition in which a person has memory problems greater than those
expected for their age.

We cant' control some risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease such as age and genetic profile. But
scientists are studying a number of other factors that could make a difference. Hopefully further
research will tell us whether health, lifestyle and environmental factors can help prevent
Alzheimer's Disease. The only definite way to diagnose Alzheimer's Disease is with an autopsy,
which is an examination of the body after death.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/