Bright Lighting Could Improve Dementia Symptoms In Elderly

A modest improvement in symptoms of dementia has been associated with the use of bright light in daytime, in an effort to improve their circadian rhythms, according to a study released on June 10, 2008 in JAMA. Additionally, the use of melatonin resulted in improved sleep.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

2008 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

PDF File:

10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's disease.

43 pages.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Engaging People with Early Stage Alzheimer's Disease in the Work of the Alzheimer Society

This report was the result of research conducted in 2005, motivated by The Alzheimer Society of Canada's desire to identify strategies that promote the active participation of people with early-stage dementia in our organization and our work, particularly policy, research, and service delivery.

Drawing from related literature, the experiences of people with the disease, Alzheimer Society staff, and key informants, this report examines the factors that influence individuals to volunteer and the barriers that may limit their participation.
http://www.alzheimer.ca/docs/EarlyStagesEng.pdf

Reversal Of Alzheimer's Symptoms Within Minutes In Human Study

An extraordinary new scientific study, which for the first time documents marked improvement in Alzheimer’s disease within minutes of administration of a therapeutic molecule, has just been published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation.

This new study highlights the importance of certain soluble proteins, called cytokines, in Alzheimer’s disease. The study focuses on one of these cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF), a critical component of the brain’s immune system. Normally, TNF finely regulates the transmission of neural impulses in the brain. The authors hypothesized that elevated levels of TNF in Alzheimer’s disease interfere with this regulation. To reduce elevated TNF, the authors gave patients an injection of an anti-TNF therapeutic called etanercept. Excess TNF-alpha has been documented in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer’s.

The new study documents a dramatic and unprecedented therapeutic effect in an Alzheimer’s patient: improvement within minutes following delivery of perispinal etanercept, which is etanercept given by injection in the spine. Etanercept (trade name Enbrel) binds and inactivates excess TNF. Etanercept is FDA approved to treat a number of immune-mediated disorders and is used off label in the study.

The use of anti-TNF therapeutics as a new treatment choice for many diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and potentially even Alzheimer’s, was recently chosen as one of the top 10 health stories of 2007 by the Harvard Health Letter.

Evercare Unveils Details Of Nation's First Alzheimer's Disease Special Needs Plan In Phoenix

Evercare, one of the nation's, and Arizona's, largest health care coordination programs, today unveiled the details of the first-ever Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan designed exclusively for people with Alzheimer's disease and chronic dementia. Residents of Maricopa County, Ariz. will be the first in the country to have access to this innovative health plan with tailored benefits and services, including special prescription drug coverage and the Alzheimer's Association Safe Return® program. Evercare Care Managers will collaborate with memory disorder specialists from the prestigious Phoenix-based Banner Alzheimer's Institute, with the goal of enhancing Evercare's innovative model of care.