MUST READS

A July 5, 2018 EurekAlert! public release looked at the role of ‘skinny fat’ (sarcopenic obesity - combination of low muscle mass and strength, with high fat mass) in cognitive decline for older adults. The coexistence of skinny fat and obesity poses an elevated threat of reduced cognitive performance. According to James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H. of Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine, “Sarcopenia has been linked to global cognitive impairment and dysfunction in specific cognitive skills including memory, speed, and executive functions. Understanding the mechanisms through which this syndrome may affect cognition is important as it may inform efforts to prevent cognitive decline in later life by targeting at-risk groups with an imbalance between lean and fat mass."

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

According to a July 5, 2018 Technology Networks article, German scientists created an experimental stem cell-based model system that reproduces features of human brain tissue and mimics Alzheimer's disease mechanisms. They were able to kick-start neuronal regeneration repair processes. "Neural stem cells are the progenitors of neurons. They occur naturally in the brain and as such they constitute a reservoir for new neurons. However, in Alzheimer's neural stem cells lose this ability and therefore cannot replace neurons lost due to the disease. Our results suggest that modulating the immune system can unlock the potential of neural stem cells to build new neurons,” said Dr. Caghan Kizil of the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden at the TU Dresden. 

A July 1, 2018 Indy Star article spotlighted the work of IU Media School doctoral candidate Kelsey Prena, which shows that gamers (playing video games for at least five hours per week) have better short-term memory and increased ability to process new information than non-gamers. A memory boost can be achieved by decreasing GABA, which is an effect of playing video games. Dopamine is released while playing reward-based games, which leads to better memory performance. 

CAREGIVING CORNER

A Being Patient Voices blog post by Jean O’Connor penned her experience putting her father, who has dementia, in hospice care. She writes, “Although it may depend on what area you live in, we found that hospice offers more than in-home care or even in-facility care. His home health aids only came once a week, but hospice aids came to our house three times per week and my dad saw the same people each time. In addition to his nurse, shower aids came to help him with his personal care two or three times per week. In contrast, the home health aids switched each week. It was important to us that my dad had some type of consistency.”

DEMENTIA AND THE ARTS

A July 5, 2018 The Athens News article spotlighted the “Art Interprets Alzheimer’s” exhibition from the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve, showcasing the works of artists Herbert Ascherman, Jr. and the late George Roby. Potter, sculptor and teacher Roby was caregiver for his wife, who had Alzheimer’s disease, and his pieces chronicle his experiences. Ascherman, renown for his portraiture and photography, depicts relationships between family members and people living with AD. According to the article, “The exhibition has toured extensively since its launch in 2012 as part of a continued effort to spread awareness and promote continuing understanding through research.”