The Tangled Neuron

CAA, Microbleeds and Dementia: A New In-Depth Report

In the three years since my father died, I’ve often felt like there’s been little progress in dementia research.  This week, I was reminded that the complexity of the topic sometimes hides the progress that has been made.

A good example of this is the research on the cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and microbleeds Dad had.  When he died, awareness about CAA and microbleeds was low, even among doctors.  Lately, though, I’ve been getting more emails from people whose family members have those conditions, and new research shows they are much more common than we thought.

Given the new interest in the topic, I thought I’d do a quick update.  I found so much new information that my quick update grew into a longer report (see CAA, Microbleeds and Dementia:  An Update). 

We still don’t know how to prevent or treat CAA or microbleeds – some of the new information brings more questions than answers.  But it’s still progress.

Head Injuries and Alzheimer's in Football Players

CNN has an interesting article today on the link between head injuries and Alzheimer's in [American] football players.  It makes you wonder how many cases of dementia could be prevented if we paid more attention to avoiding head injuries in the general population.

New Lewy Body Dementia Publication

 A new publication, "Introduction to Lewy Body Dementia," is now available from the Lewy Body Dementia Association.  Written for people newly diagnosed with Lewy body dementia as well as for those who don't yet have a diagnosis, this brochure covers symptoms, treatments, prognosis and frequently asked questions.

The Association has also developed a Medical Alert Wallet Card to alert medical professionals to sensitivity to certain medicines in people with Lewy body dementia.

Finding Caregiver Help: Don's Experience

My friend Don Moyer has a great post up about the logistics of finding and keeping caregivers for his wife Jenny, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  Don and Jenny stay active and healthy, even though her cognitive challenges have increased.  Don's new post shows how hard he works to make this happen.

New NIA Progress Report on Alzheimer's Disease

When my father started to have problems with his memory, my understanding of Alzheimer’s was that it was a single and identifiable disease, and that we were close to finding a cure.  The 2007 version of the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) Progress Report on Alzheimer’s Disease presents a more open-ended and nuanced view of memory loss.

Exercise, Blood Sugar and Memory Loss

Summary:  Physical exercise helps you maintain normal blood sugar levels, and may reduce your risk of memory loss.

In my last post, I wrote about how reduced blood flow to aging brains decreases the amount of glucose available to brain cells.  This may trigger a series of events contributing to Alzheimer’s.  But just as too little glucose is a problem, too much can also be harmful.

Scott A. Small, MD

A new study by Dr. Scott Small and colleagues at Columbia University links age-related increases in blood sugar [glucose] to damage in an area of the brain called the dentate gyrus.  The dentate gyrus is part of the hippocampus, an area thought to be involved with short term memory.  The researchers think this may explain how high blood sugar, even in people without full-blown diabetes, can contribute to “normal” age-related memory loss.