We constantly read about the need for mental stimulation to enhance the efficiency of our brains. The current catch word is “neural plasticity.” This process involves the elaboration of brain function by activity. We learn to speak, to walk, to ski, to golf because of our brain’s innate ability to learn from experience. This is true for those of all ages. Indeed one of the essential ingredients in treating progressive memory loss is keeping engaged in doing and learning. The subject doesn’t matter. It is in the doing that counts. This principle even applies to those with “early Alzheimer’s disease” or “mild cognitive impairment.” The key to successful treatment of dementias — keep engaged. No matter what stage of memory loss, human beings need to be active in the world. They need stimulation for their brain as much as the […]
Archive for February, 2010
I have believed for years that Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders are present for decades before a medical diagnosis can be made. A newly published study confirms my belief. The study focused on healthy, independently living persons 40 years or older who were cognitively normal. Nearly 80 percent of the participants expressed concerns about decline in their memory (“Worriers”); the rest reported that they felt they had normal memory (“Nonworriers”). The two groups were similar in education and ratio of men to women. The average age of participants was about 65. Interestingly, all participants did very well on the Mini-Mental State Exam. The exam is very commonly used in research and clinical practice to screen for dementia and memory loss and has a perfect score of 30 points. Participants average score was 29 (a score that can lead to false […]
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with accelerated cognitive decline in the elderly. This includes increased risk for mild cognitive impairment (often seen as short-term memory loss that is either subjective or confirmed by rigorous memory tests) as well as dementia (moderate to severe short-term memory loss that causes a lack of independence). A recent study indicated that type 2 diabetes also accelerated the rate at which those with mild cognitive impairment progress to a diagnosis of dementia. The dementia may be either caused by Alzheimer’s disease, vascular disease or both. Individuals with both mild cognitive impairment and diabetes are at greater risk of becoming more seriously and cognitively impaired over time. As is true of most studies, the studied population consisted of mostly whites of European decent and the design of the study was retrospective or epidemiological. As there […]
What Improving Your Memory When Thursday, March 18, 2010 10:00am – All Ages Where FGCU Renaissance Academy (map) 1010 5th Ave S # 100 Naples, FL, USA 34102 Other InfoJoin Dr. Dill as he discusses ways to improve your memory on March 18th, 2010 in Naples Florida at the FGCU Renaissance Academy. « Back to the calendar
