According to the National Institute on Aging, heart attacks and strokes are the biggest risks for senior citizens, but the disease seniors fear most is dementia. By far the biggest cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. What happens when a person has Alzheimer’s dementia is an irreversible and progressive loss … Read More
The human brain is a truly remarkable and highly complex organ. Neurons are the brain cells that carry messages throughout the brain, nervous system, and body. It’s estimated that healthy adults have around 100 billion neurons, each connecting to 10,000 other neurons—an impressive network indeed! Brain atrophy "is a common … Read More
Despite decades of research and promising developments, there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. One or more of the drugs currently being tested may offer hope, but the results of those studies are still a few years away. In the meantime, there are Alzheimer’s treatment options that can help … Read More
The critical difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia is that Alzheimer’s is a specific disease and dementia is a term used to describe symptoms that can be caused by a number of different diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). So, is there a difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia? The answer is both … Read More
Reseachers are hard at work trying to figure out what causes dementia. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), they're trying to learn the process associated with the condition's onset. What are they learning? That there's a multifactorial process associated with AD, and that it's triggered by a combination of … Read More
We all want to live as many years as possible. And, ideally, we’d like to grow old with physical independence and a lucid mind. Many of us will succeed, with only minimal forgetfulness, but others will suffer a devastating and progressive deterioration of their mental faculties that will, ultimately, lead … Read More
What is vascular dementia? It refers to a spectrum of cognitive impairments resulting from damage to blood vessels in the brain. Stroke, either a significant singular stroke or multiple smaller strokes, is a major cause of vascular dementia (VaD), but any disease process that damages blood vessels in the brain … Read More
Alzheimer’s disease treatment is, in many respects, still a question in search of a definitive answer. No Alzheimer medication can halt the forward progress of the disease or prevent its ultimate devastation on the lives of those who have it. Yet Alzheimer dementia medications are available that can help relieve … Read More
It is well documented in scientific literature that aging is associated with certain cognitive changes. As we get older, we experience some gradual decline in conceptual reasoning, memory, and processing speed, but these changes don’t keep us from going about our normal activities. Dementia, on the other hand, can significantly … Read More
Some of the most commonly prescribed dementia medications are cholinesterase inhibitors, like donepezil. And while they can provide some modest improvements for people with dementia, they have some serious risks as well. One of the major donepezil side effects is risky weight loss. Unintentional weight loss in older people can … Read More
