MUST READS

A May 22, 2019 Arizona Public Media article spotlighted new research which identified a pattern in brain dysfunctions related to Primary Progressive Aphasia, which could aid in the treatment and early detection of dementias. According to the article, “When lead author Aneta Kielar of UA looked at relevant brain areas while subjects performed language tasks, she found their MRIs looked normal. “It looked normal structurally. But then, during the language task, we can only see that on the functional scan that it was abnormal,” Kielar said. That loss of function likely came from other areas in the language network degenerating, disconnecting and “dropping signal,” thereby causing delays in information processing. This relationship between structure and function could aid in early detection of dementias.”

OPINION

A May 23, 2019 The Guardian anonymous opinion piece, from the perspective of a dementia care worker in Australia, urged the aged care royal commission to examine the current system of dementia care, which is underfunded and short staffed. According to the author, “My colleagues and I feel that these time restraints due to the lack of staff funding mean that dementia residents across Australia are being treated like objects. Under our funding and management models they are seen as a task, not as a person… The carers are doing the best they can, but under the pressure of having to provide care for so many people within such a small timeframe, there is just not the time to make dementia patients feel at ease for their new day and then for the rest of their day… Unless we are able to provide additional staff, their quality of care and their quality of life will stay like this. Until they die."

BRAIN HEALTH

A May 22, 2019 Being Patient article looked at the effects of Mayo Clinic’s HABIT (Healthy Action to Benefit Independence and Thinking) program, testing behavioral interventions on people with mild cognitive impairment and their caregivers. The program incorporates memory support, yoga, support groups, cognitive exercises and wellness education. According to the article, “Wellness education had a greater effect on mood than computer learning games. Yoga showed a greater impact than support groups on memory-related daily activities… The study confirms past research that wellness education offers significant mood benefits, while exercise improves memory-related activities.”

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

A May 21, 2019 Bloomberg article spoke with scientist Koichi Tanaka, who won a Nobel prize for developing a predictive blood test for Alzheimer’s disease, which he terms a ‘double-edged sword.’ Without a cure, a dementia diagnosis may produce anxiety, but it may also identify patients to enroll in clinical drug trials. According to the article, “…Tanaka and colleagues showed it was possible to use a novel biomarker discovered by his lab to accurately quantify minute traces of amyloid-beta from a teaspoonful of blood, and gauge the progression of Alzheimer’s -- allowing identification of people likely to develop dementia over the coming decades.”

CAREGIVING CORNER

A May 23, 2019 The Conversation article examined the phenomena of resilience (the process of negotiating, managing and adapting to significant sources of stress or trauma) in relation to dementia caregivers. According to the article, “Research shows that resilient dementia carers are more likely to be protected from depressive symptoms – dementia carers are typically more depressed and have lower levels of well-being than non-dementia carers. Resilient carers are also less likely to admit their loved one into residential care prematurely… By promoting resilience and the positive and rewarding aspects of care-giving, we can help to improve the day-to-day lives of both carers and the people they care for.”