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Link: Does Gingko Biloba Affect Memory?.
"One of the most pressing public health problems facing our society is the rapidly growing number of people who, due to their age alone, are at high risk of developing dementia. The potential to delay or prevent this is of great importance. Further studies are needed to determine whether gingko biloba has any benefits in preventing cognitive decline and whether it is safe."
Link: Daring to Think Differently About Schizophrenia - New York Times.
Dr. Schoepp and other scientists had focused their attention on the way that glutamate, a powerful neurotransmitter, tied together the brain’s most complex circuits. Every other schizophrenia drug now on the market aims at a different neurotransmitter, dopamine.
The Lilly results have fueled a wave of pharmaceutical industry research into glutamate. Companies are searching for new treatments, not just for schizophrenia, but also for depression and Alzheimer’s disease and other unseen demons of the brain that torment tens of millions of people worldwide
Link: Chronic pain makes life tough for seniors.
"Severe pain alone can promote feelings of distress and depression but it's more often than not the report of losing the ability to do things, the independence, the relationships. Losing that is a killer," said Tripp, a professor in psychology and anesthesiology.
Contrary to widespread belief, the prevalence of cognitive impairment among older Americans decreased by almost 30% from 1993 through 2002, investigators here reported today.
However, for those who developed significant cognitive impairment, the mortality risk remained elevated, Kenneth Langa, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan, and colleagues said in the February issue of Alzheimer's and Dementia.
Link: Fighting Bedsores With a Team Approach - New York Times.
Awareness of decubitus skin ulcers or "bed sores" is critical not only for health professionals but for families caring for bed bound or immobile older adults.
Link: Peril found in moderate-stage Alzheimer's (phillyBurbs.com) | Courier Times.
The accident left Lorraine Jackson with a fractured collarbone and ribs and a wrecked car. It left her daughter Marjorie Jackson with more nagging questions.
Her mom was driving alone to the hair salon when she turned left in front of a car headed in the opposite direction. Police at the scene couldn't explain how the crash happened. Lorraine, then around 72 years old, said she didn't know either.
The back-road shortcut was one her mom had traveled for years. The accident happened during the day. Where and when her mom had decided to turn didn't make sense.
The accident was the first of two wake-up calls that fueled Marjorie's deepening concern about the increasingly odd behaviors she had first noticed in her mom a few years earlier.
Link: abc30.com: Tracking Alzheimer's Patients 2/08/08.
A GPS type device is giving peace of mind to many families of Alzheimer's patients.
Link: Rehab and Long Term Care : Long Term Care Daily.
For those of us who want to stay in our homes as long as possible and "Age in Place," it might be a good idea to check into rehabilitation and/or home modification companies and start to understand the who, what, when, where and whys of it.
