This New York Times article provides a good synopsis on new research efforts to find a method for curing Alzheimer’s, or at least radically slowing down the disease progression. The new research avenues fall into into two main categories: 1. Slow beta amyloid clearance in older brains. The historical research focus on overproduction of amyloid… Read More »
A common theme I heard at the Society for Neuroscience conference last week was the easy availability of preventive steps that can be taken now to reduce the rate of new Alzheimer’s cases. Two of these preventive steps that have strong research evidence are lifestyle choices: 1. Moderate aerobic exercise (30 minutes) a few times… Read More »
The Society for Neuroscience is conveniently holding its annual conference here in my hometown of San Diego this week. Earlier this afternoon, US Representative Patrick Kennedy gave a very honest and personal speech on how brain illnesses have affected his family, including his father’s (Senator Ted Kennedy) death from brain cancer, his own struggles with… Read More »
(Author note: This article discusses cognitive screening for memory complaints and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that can lead to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.) A final thought on the National Academy of Neuropsychology conference last month: health care reform and Medicare fee reductions are fundamentally changing the way cognitive testing and assessments will be… Read More »
The Alzheimer’s Association released its updated report on the cost of global dementia care, with a whopping headline number of $604 Billion. The report also predicts an 85% increase in dementia care cost during the next 20 years, which means over $1 Trillion by 2030. The developed world will absorb much of this price tag… Read More »
Interesting work being done with field-ready, portable EEG systems that are being tested as TBI triage units in hospital emergency departments. The software algorithms that drive these EEG systems are becoming so sophisticated that a lightweight, simple EEG test is nearly as accurate as a traditional (and expensive/heavyweight) CT scan for TBI related cognitive impairment.… Read More »