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All Memory Alerts
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The High Cost of Information Overload
The early part of the 21st century may eventually be described by historians as the 'era of distraction.' Life has speeded up and often we find ourselves trying to do several things at the same time. Unfortunately, we often become distracted, lose focus, and sometimes struggle to complete tasks. In extreme instances -- for example, while driving a car -- a high level of distraction can lead to death. More...
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Keep Your Friends, Keep Your Memory
Although memory impairment is common as we age and usually is not a sign of a serious neurological disorder, it can be frustrating and socially embarrassing. The minor memory lapses that occur with age-associated memory impairment can't be eliminated completely; however, a number of strategies can improve overall memory at any age. More...
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Rember: The Latest Alzheimer's Drug
Alzheimer's researchers are pushing forward to find treatments that will forestall or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. One new drug in the pipeline is Rember. A reader asks: I have been hearing about a new Alzheimer's medication called Rember. What is your opinion of this drug? More...
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When Is It Time To Stop Driving?
It's no surprise that taking away a patient's driving privileges is among the most difficult and potentially divisive decisions for the Alzheimer's caregiver. In this Health Alert, Dr. Peter V. Rabins, Medical Editor of The Johns Hopkins Memory Bulletin, answers questions about driving and the Alzheimer's patient. More...
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Caregiving from Afar
More than 30 million Americans currently provide care for elderly relatives, many of whom have Alzheimer's disease and may be unaware of any problems, resistant to care, and perhaps even irritable and unreasonable even under the best of circumstances.
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Steps to Help You Avoid Medication Mistakes
When you consider how many different medications many of us take every day, it's not surprising that mistakes happen. According to a report from the Institute of Medicine, some 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events occur in the United States every year. As dire as this sounds, there is much you can do to avoid medication errors. Here are some tips from Johns Hopkins. More...
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3 Practical Strategies To Cope With Wandering
Wandering is a common behavior in people with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. Many dementia patients will simply get up and walk away from their homes for the same reasons that healthy people do -- to release pent-up energy. In this excerpt from a recent article in the Johns Hopkins Health After 50 newsletter, experts provide practical advice to help caregivers cope with wandering. More...
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Sleep, Memory, and the Brain
When you're sleep deprived, cognition is one of the first functions to decline. Shortchange yourself on sleep by staying up late, continue this night after night, and you ultimately shortchange your memory. And if the problem is not resolved, your memory -- and your brain -- will not be functioning in the best way possible. In this excerpt from our Johns Hopkins Memory Bulletin, neurologists Marilyn Albert, Ph.D. and Guy McKann, M.D. answer questions about sleep and how it affects the brain and memory. More...
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How to Recognize Symptoms of Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease
What kinds of behaviors should you expect from a loved one who has just been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease? Johns Hopkins discusses 10 common symptoms of early Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's disease is progressive, meaning it worsens over time. It is also terminal, meaning all who develop it will eventually succumb to it. As Alzheimer's rides its course, it renders those who suffer from it increasingly dependent on the care of others. This is true for all… More...
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Red-Flag Changes in Mental Functioning
How can you tell if a friend or family member is beginning to exhibit signs of early dementia – or merely age-appropriate forgetfulness? In this health alert, Johns Hopkins provides six red-flag symptoms of early dementia.
Dementia refers to a significant intellectual decline that persists over time and affects several areas of cognition. Memory loss is a universal feature of dementia, but other functions are impaired as well, such as abstract thinking and language. … More...
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Dr. Rabins' Walking Prescription
In this excerpt from the Johns Hopkins Memory Bulletin, Dr. Peter V. Rabins provides readers with his personal formula for walking to preserve memory.
The benefits of exercise for health are not a new discovery: More than two millennia ago, Hippocrates said that when the body is unused and left idle, body parts become susceptible to disease and the body as a whole ages quickly. … More...
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Keeping Your Mind Sharp With Stress Reduction
Now there's another good reason to reduce the stress in your life: researchers have found that elevated levels of stress hormone are linked to a decline in cognitive function.
Add stress reduction to the list of steps you can take to keep your mind sharp. Johns Hopkins researchers have linked high levels of the stress hormone cortisol with a decline in cognitive performance in older individuals. … More...
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The Link Between In-Hospital Delirium and Dementia
Delirium commonly strikes after surgery, when patients are woozy from the lingering effects of anesthesia and pain medication. Johns Hopkins' specialist, Dr. Michele Bellantoni provides practical advice on minimizing in-hospital delirium.
The connection between delirium and dementia is still not fully understood, although doctors have known for quite some time that people who experience an episode of delirium and recover are more likely to go on to develop dementia. … More...
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Detecting Hospital Delirium
The connection between delirium and dementia is still not fully understood, although doctors have known for quite some time that people who experience an episode of delirium and recover are more likely to go on to develop dementia. In this Health Alert, Dr. Michele Bellantoni talks about the signs of hospital delirium. … More...
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Questions About Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Question 1 – Where can I get the best medical evaluation for my wife?
Q. My wife's doctor thinks she may have an early form of Alzheimer's disease. It's been a week since he gave us that devastating news, but I now feel able to gather my wits and do whatever I can to help get her the best care. We are retired, 78 years old, and able to travel to any center that… More...
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Dr. Rabins Talks About Long-Term Care
Many people admit that this is one of the hardest things they will ever do. That's how I once described the distress and despair that caregivers of dementia patients confront when they begin to ask themselves -- Has the time come to move my loved one into a residential care facility? In this excerpt from the Memory Bulletin, acclaimed Johns Hopkins professor Peter V. Rabins, M.D. discusses a caregiver's most difficult decision. More...
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Aging and Emotional Stability
Are you mellowing as you get older? A recent study shows that while memory function may decline as we age, our emotional stability actually increases.
The brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons. A common misconception is that tens of thousands of neurons in the brain die each day. In reality, few neurons die over a person's lifetime, but they do shrink. This shrinkage may partially explain why mental functioning slows in middle and older age. … More...
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New Frontiers -- Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease With A Skin Test
In recent studies, researchers have identified chemical changes that occur in Alzheimer's disease, opening the door to a possible skin test to diagnose Alzheimer's in the not too distant future.
Although only an autopsy can prove the presence of Alzheimer's disease, the clinical diagnosis is usually accurate. The current approach to establishing the cause of memory loss involves ruling out some potential causes and finding evidence to confirm the presence of others. Once other conditions, such… More...
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Behavioral Changes and Alzheimer’s
Serving as the primary caregiver to someone with Alzheimer's disease can take a heavy toll and lead to burnout. In this Q & A from a recent issue of the Johns Hopkins Memory Bulletin, Dr. Peter V. Rabins gives advice to a worried wife.
Question. My husband was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease when he was 59; he is now 65. He had been doing really well and I've been able to keep him home. However,… More...
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What to Do About Question Repetition and Cursing
Dr. Peter V. Rabins and his team of psychiatrists and neurologists at Johns Hopkins answer questions about common behaviors of patients with dementia.
Question. My husband (82 years old) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight months ago. He has now reached the stage where he asks the same question repeatedly, sometimes for several hours. I try to be patient and give him a real response to the same query, but it has gotten to the point where I can say just about anything and it really makes no difference what I say. Is there any “proper” way I should handle this behavior, or is there a medication that may reduce this type of behavior? More...
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Understanding How the Brain Stores Memories
Johns Hopkins researchers discover a new mechanism for memory storage in the brain, according to a recent Johns Hopkins Medicine Press Release. Our experiences -- the things we see, hear, or do -- can trigger long-term changes in the strength of the connections between nerve cells in our brain, and these persistent changes are how the brain encodes information as memory. As reported in Neuron, Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a new biochemical mechanism for memory storage, one that may have a connection with addictive behavior.
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Calming Dementia-Related Agitation
Peter Rabins, M.D., Director of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry at Johns Hopkins offers advice to families caring for a loved one with dementia.
Agitation is common in people with dementia -- it occurs roughly 50% of the time, more often in the middle or later stages of the disease. In fact, managing agitation and other behavior problems account for roughly 30% of all the money spent on treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. … More...
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Detecting Alzheimer's with Pittsburgh Compound B
The brain guards its secrets well. Encased in the skull and protected by the blood-brain barrier (a membrane that filters out many substances), it resists some of the scanning techniques that have illuminated the heart and other organs. But recent advances in brain imaging are now offering scientists remarkable new views of the brain. More...
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The Six "R's"
People with dementia often exhibit behaviors that are frustrating, embarrassing, and sometimes even dangerous to the caregiver and others. These may include angry outbursts, agitation, aggression, wandering, vocalizations, hoarding or hiding things, and inappropriate sexual behavior. For many caregivers, these difficult behaviors are the most challenging and exhausting aspect of caring for a person with dementia. Unfortunately, the available medications to treat Alzheimer’s disease have little effect on behavioral problems. More...
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Predicting Dementia Risk
Recent data from Scandinavian researchers suggest a way to predict dementia risk by looking at the synergistic effect of multiple risk factors.
An increasing amount of research is being directed at finding ways to prevent dementia. But even a treatment that simply delays the onset of dementia would represent an important step forward. Potential strategies for preventing or delaying dementia focus heavily on reducing cardiovascular risk factors but include other brain-protective lifestyle measures as well. The… More...
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The Stress of Caring for a Loved One With Alzheimer's
With an illness such as Alzheimer’s, the most neglected person in the family is often the caregiver. Studies report that 46% of all caregivers are depressed, experience anger, frustration, and helplessness.
The long-term care provided by family members to people with Alzheimer’s disease is a central component of our health care system. At present, about 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, with the number expected to range between 11 and 16 million by 2050. Dementia is… More...
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Untangling the Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease
Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are the structural hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Although plaques and tangles can be seen only at autopsy, they must be present to make a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. It remains unclear whether these abnormal brain deposits are the cause of Alzheimer’s or simply a byproduct of some other causative agent, but researchers now have a better understanding of how plaques and tangles are formed in Alzheimer's disease. More...
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Research on Dementia Biomarker
Researchers at Yale and at Johns Hopkins, led by Barry Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of Therapeutic Cognitive Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins, have found that a simple blood test to measure uric acid, a measure of kidney function, might reveal a risk factor for cognitive problems and dementia in old age. Of 96 adults age 60 to 92 years, those with uric-acid levels at the high end of the normal range had the lowest scores on tests of mental processing speed, verbal memory, and working memory. More...
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Dementia With Lewy Bodies
Dementia with Lewy bodies accounts for 5% to 15% of cases of dementia and shares characteristics with both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Proper diagnosis and treatment can help relieve symptoms and slow cognitive loss. More...
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9 Coping Strategies for Alzheimer's Disease Behavioral Problems
Some people with Alzheimer’s disease experience a worsening of agitation and confusion in the afternoon and early evening. Here are some practical strategies you can try.
Becoming agitated in the late afternoon or early evening is a common phenomenon among people with Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, a special word -- “sundowning” -- is used to describe this behavior. Sundowning can take the form of behaviors not seen during other times of day, or it may… More...
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New Research on Alzheimer's Disease
Genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease becomes “less risky” over time.
Having a parent or sibling with Alzheimer’s disease becomes less predictive of developing dementia with age and with the age of Alzheimer’s onset in the affected relative, according to a new study reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry (May 2005). Researchers have known that having a relative who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at a younger age (before age 65) is a significant risk factor.… More...
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Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease
While there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, early diagnosis offers many benefits. Johns Hopkins doctors review the current diagnostic tools available for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
If you’re worried about Alzheimer’s disease, the first step is to talk to your primary care physician about any symptoms you’ve been experiencing. Because diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease is primarily a process of elimination, your medical history and any recent health changes you’ve noticed might point to an explanation… More...
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Memory Lapses -- Normal Aging or Something More Serious?
Johns Hopkins doctors explain how cultural attitudes and failure to pay attention may contribute to age-related memory loss.
The brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons (nerve cells). A common misconception is that tens of thousands of neurons die each day. In reality, few neurons die over a person’s lifetime, but they do shrink. This shrinkage may partially explain why mental functioning slows in middle and older age. Serious memory loss does occur when whole clusters… More...
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Should Patients Be Told They Have Alzheimer's Disease?
Peter V. Rabins, M.D., M.P.H, Codirector of the Division of Geriatric and Neuropsychiatry at Johns Hopkins, offers advice on this difficult decision.
Most Americans expect that their doctor will inform them of all medical findings and that they will be able to make their own decisions about their health care. Alzheimer's disease, however, presents two unique problems. First, many patients are unaware that they have a memory problem and, even when informed, are not able to… More...
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Men's Testosterone Levels Tied to Alzheimer's Disease Risk
But is testosterone replacement therapy the answer?
Low testosterone levels may make men vulnerable to developing Alzheimer’s disease, a long-term study in the journal Neurology (January 27, 2004) suggests. Researchers found that, in a group of U.S. men followed for decades, those with low blood levels of free testosterone had an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Free testosterone is a form of the hormone that is not bound to a protein in the blood and… More...
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A First Step to Clearing up Memory Loss -- Check Your Medications
In geriatric clinics, the most common cause of reversible dementia including memory loss is an adverse reaction to medications.
Although older adults make up only 12% of the population, they receive about 30% of all prescriptions written in the United States. Unfortunately, as people age, natural changes within the body make adverse effects, such as memory loss, more likely from medication: The kidneys may not remove drugs from the bloodstream as quickly as in younger adults, drug metabolism in the liver may be slowed, and a greater ratio of fat to muscle increases the time it takes to eliminate some drugs from the body. More...
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