Tag Archives for Alzheimer’s

University Study Seeks to Unlock Secrets of Alzheimer’s

Published in Pawtucket Times on December 8, 2003

 Planning bingo, finding that right word for the crossword puzzle you are working on, reading The Times or the latest bestselling book and even dancing might just be the right mental stimulation to help slow down the ravaging advances of Alzheimer’s.

Boston University researcher Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D., is seeking Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts research participants to determine if the theory “use it or lose it” is fact or fiction.

“The brain never stops growing, especially in an enriched learning environment,” said Lombardo, who said science has shown the brain can actually replace neurons and grow connections between them.

Lombardo’s current research study is looking to prove that the brain’s ability to adapt, through cognitive training therapies can help persons who are already have Alzheimer’s disease slow down and even regain some of the cognitive losses they are experiencing.

Lombardo said that even with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, over the last decade researchers have found you can still exercise your brain, reap the benefits of improved short-term memory and experience a better quality of live.

These studies suggest keeping the mind active can help explain how some people can delay the onset of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease symptoms for years.

In one study, research B.P. Sobel found that playing bingo improved short-term memory, Lombardo noted.  In another study, H. Wang reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology that staying active in social and leisure activities is associated with a decreased risk of memory loss, she said.

An Albert Einstein College of Medicine study even reported in a recent issue of the New England Journal of  Medicine that “reading, playing board games, playing musical instruments and dancing were associated with a reduced risk of [memory loss].”

Lombardo, serving as principal investigator at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, told All About Seniors about the BEST (Brain Enhancement Strengthening Treatment) study.  This study is currently examining whether fun, combined with a challenging set of cognitive exercises, can be performed in a home setting to sharpen up the cognitive abilities of a person diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s.

The BEST study, based on the work of Lynn Lazarnus Seper, Ed.D. – who serves as the co-principal investigator with Lombardo – is working with early-stage Alzheimer’s participant and their care partners over a six-month period.

Serper used many of these same techniques in her successful self-recovery from a major debilitating stroke. She has also experienced successful results in her clinical practice with persons with Alzheimer’s, as well as those with stroke and other brain injuries.

Lombardo’s study is currently seeking early-stage Alzheimer’s participants in Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts, ages 58 to 85, who will meet over 26 weeks in their own homes with cognitive educator Ann Lewis.  Lewis has received rigorous training from Serper and other researchers on the BEST team.

Eligible participants, who must have at least a two-year college degree, must have a diagnosis of probably Alzheimer’s disease.  Additionally, they  must be taking one of the three medications – Aricept, Exelon or Reminyl.

Finally, they must reside within a 40-minute drive of Newton, or Billerica, Mass. Or Newport, Rhode Island.

Study participants will work on mental exercises aimed at their prior and current interests/hobbies as well as current local and world news.

The format turns theses everyday activities into brain therapy. The cognitive educators will also assist participants in developing strategies for social and conversational situations.

The Best Of…Music Reduces Alzheimer’s Patients’ Agitation

Published August 19, 2002, Pawtucket Times

        After not being home for two years, I traveled to Dallas to visit my family and to celebrate my 88-year old father’s birthday party last week.

        My trip was a bittersweet experience for me as I reconnected with my parents and siblings.  It was great to spend time and catch up with everyone, but I saw firsthand how Alzheimer’s Disease had ravaged, both physically and mentally, my 80-year-old mother, and I saw the impact the disease had on my family.

        My mother, who is in the mid-to-late stage of Alzheimer’s was largely unaware of recent events or even to who I was.

         There was no recognition of my brother or sisters, and many times she did not even recognize my father, who has been her husband for the past 60 years.

         My mother could not tell time on her watch,was not aware of what day it was or even where she lived.

         Moreover, the staff warned me of my frequent mood swings and that she could get agitated very quickly.

         However, some say “music calms the savage beast.”

         That may be true, and it’s most certainly true for victims of Alzheimer’s disease — soothing music can reduce agitation.  While Alzheimer’s robs a person of their memory or cognitive abilities, a timeless tune can reduce agitation and can have calming positive effects on Alzheimer’s patients, too.  This point was driven home to me following my visit to my mother’s 28-bed Alzheimer’s unit at Dallas-base Marriott Brighton Gardens.

         On Friday afternoons, Carrie A. Johns of Blue Rose Entertainment keeps things hopping in the Alzheimer’s unit’s television room with her music therapy program.

        Popping CDs into a compact disc player, Johns plays a continuous string of popular tunes from the early 1900s to the 1960s.  That day, about 20 songs were played, ranging from golden oldies to country and western and Broadway tuns.

       Johns chooses from 8,000 songs in her CD collection, and she often selects songs during her one-and-a-half-hour program that reflect memorable happy periods in the residents’ lives.

       Johns, who raises Arabian horses on a 12-acre ranch in Mabank, Teaxa, has a client list of more than 500 nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and senior centers in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex region.

       Swaying, Johns sings the Andrews Sisters’ 1942 hit “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company C” into her microphone, residents Rose Grimes, Helen Webb and Francis  Donathan dance up a storm with Ashina Jackson, a personal care assistant, big smiles lighting up all of their faces.

       “It is a joy to make these residents happy when their families are not here,” Jackson tells me.  “I like to see their expressions when they remember the tunes. It’s like I’m going back to their time.”

         To the beat of the 1920s tune “in’t She Sweet,” Activity Director Dave Mandt dances with my mother.

         She belts out the song remembering all the words, not even missing a beat.

          Jane Atobajeun, special care manager, says music helps to calm the residents down.  While residents with Alzheimer’s disease don’t remember recent events — what they ate for lunch, for instance — they will remember songs that were once popular in distant eras, since they can retain long-term memory.

       “Music makes them laugh,” adds Atobajeun, noting that it “touches their very being and also triggers me memories and emotions.”

       According to Atobajeun, throughout the day residents can get frustrated if they can’t remember things.

       But singing makes them very happy because they remember the words.  Dancing can also get the residents up and moving, she adds, noting that even wheelchair-bound residents are assisted to stand and move.

       Throughout the program my father and I traded off dancing with my mother.  Several times, my smiling mother goes up to the microphone, and dances with Johns.

       You guessed it — she automatically knows every word of the song.  When the music ends, I say goodbye to my mother.

       knowing the challenges she faces with Alzheimer’s, I at least know that there is a brief period of pleasure in her life — at least twice a week when she attends the Alzheimer’s unit’s music program.

        Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer covering aging, health care and medical issues.  This article was published in the August 19, 2002 Pawtucket Times.

Alzheimer’s News often Confusing to Interpret

Published in Pawtucket Times on March 26, 2001

Everyday hundreds of thousands of caregivers scan newspapers, senior papers, Time, Newsweek, Modern Maturity or even National Enquirer in hopes of learning a little more about new, effective treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Oftentimes it is confusing to determine which treatments are promising and which ones that are not, due to the diverse opinions in the research community. For instance, one article might report on Vitamin E; others might state how Ginko really improves your memory and is good for Alzheimer’s patients to take. Others might describe studies that indicate that estrogen replacement therapy is not really an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease for some women. Or some might even warn the reader “Don’t eat off of aluminum plate

s” because research seems to indicate that an accumulation of heavy metals, such as aluminum, in the brain may surely cause Alzheimer’s.

Here are some helpful tips for unraveling the mysteries of Alzheimer’s Disease as reported in media.

Beware of glitzy headlines. Time limitations keep people from reading every article in their daily, weekly or monthly newspapers. As a result, many readers just quickly scan the headlines for information. Don’t judge an article by its glitzy title. The content of an article is much more balanced than the headline that is catchy and written to draw the readers in.

Look for authoritative commentary. You can consider an article more credible when it provides multiple quotes on the indications of an Alzheimer’s treatment. The reporter has done a good job in reporting if there is authoritative commentary on the significance of the study.  Two likely sources might be staffers from either the National Alzheimer’s Association  or the National Institutes of Health, a major funder of Alzheimer’s research studies.  Remember that the National Alzheimer’s Association’s point of view tends to be less biased and a more reliable opinion that those of researchers that have ties to a pharmaceutical company that issued the press release.

Disputes on findings. Keep in mind that even if a research study is reported there might be those persons who believe that the study is not well designed or has major research flaws. On the other hand, the study might just be accepted by the scientific community as a solid study. However, there might still be serious disagreements about how to interpret the results or how to classify it. Some researchers might consider it a major study while others would categories it as a minor one.  A well-researched article will include the quotes of those who oppose the findings.

Are you still confused by how to cull articles for tips on safe and effective treatments for Alzheimer’s? Where do we go from here? Caregivers should view any articles written about new Alzheimer’s treatments as informational in nature. The article can open the door to the researcher community and it now becomes your responsibility to do homework and find out more details about what the research findings indicate.

If the article describes the results of an actual published research study, obtain the scientific journal with the published study and carefully read it. If the findings are reported from a presentation at a conference, attempt to track the researcher down for more information.  Finally, cruise the Internet and check out the official Web sites of the Alzheimer’s Association or the National Institute of Aging to determine if they can provide information about a reported new treatment.

Finally, don’t hesitate to call your local chapter or the National Alzheimer’s Association to solicit their comments. They will gladly share all the information they have. Remember these groups closely monitor research studies and their implications for treatment.