Alzheimer’s Advance: Gene Could Help to Clear Brain Plaques Responsible for the Disease
Getty Images / Getty Images Mapping out how an Alzheimer’s gene works could lead to new treatments. So far, nearly two dozen genes scattered across four chromosomes have been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. But identifying such genetic risk factors doesn’t mean that researchers fully understand how they contribute to the cognitive [...]
Forgetfulness may not mean dementia
Many believe that forgetfulness, regularly misplacing objects and repeating the same stories in old age mark the start of a spiral to dementia. But researchers who examined more than 200 people aged over 70 with mild cognitive problems such as these found one quarter had returned to normal brain functioning two years later. Those who [...]
Cost of dementia set to hit $83b over 50 years
Dementia is the third leading cause of death in Australia and is forecast to affect almost 1 million people by 2050, yet research into the disease is critically under-resourced, says Alzheimer’s Australia. National Health and Medical Research Council figures show $26 million was allocated to dementia research in 2012-13, compared with $183 million for cancer [...]
Mental health study identifies dementia carers’ suffering
Photo: Researchers are now looking at the disparity in support for carers in rural and regional areas. (Reuters: Michaela Rehle – file photo) A Queensland study has found people who care for dementia sufferers are more likely to contemplate suicide than the general population. About 300,000 Australians suffer from dementia and more than 65 per cent [...]
Korea’s elderly turn to suicide as family bonds fray
South Korea has a reputation for economic dynamism and top-notch women golfers, but there is at least one thing it is not doing very well these days: looking after its elderly citizens. Asian family values built on Confucianism are breaking down under the pressures of a highly competitive society focussed on economic performance and personal [...]
Potential target for age-related cognitive decline identified
As the elderly age, their ability to concentrate, reason, and recall facts tends to decline in part because their brains generate fewer new neurons than they did when they were younger. Now, researchers reporting in the February 7th issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Stem Cell have discovered a molecule that accumulates with age [...]
Dementia care services: an interview with Sue McLean
Interview conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, BA Hons (Cantab) Please could you give a brief introduction to dementia? The term ‘dementia’ is used to describe symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Bodies or Korsakoff’s syndrome. Dementia affects a person’s ability to remember, [...]
Mental health needs of the elderly neglected
Photo: An author of the biggest health study of ageing men in Australia says there is a need for better strategies to manage older people with depression. (ABC TV) A West Australian medical researcher says the largest study of ageing men in Australia highlights the need for better strategies to identify and manage mental illness. The [...]
Coordinated care can address disabled adults’ high rates of emergency
Working-age adults with disabilities account for a disproportionately high amount of annual emergency department visitors, reports a comparison study from National Institutes of Health researchers. As emergency department care may not be the best to address non-urgent concerns and is higher in cost, finding a way to decrease these visits is of interest to many [...]
Late-life depression associated with prevalent mild cognitive impairment, increased risk of dementia
Depression in a group of Medicare recipients ages 65 years and older appears to be associated with prevalent mild cognitive impairment and an increased risk of dementia, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology, a JAMA Network publication. Depressive symptoms occur in 3 percent to 63 percent of patients with mild [...]
