seniors

More evidence of the benefits of B vitamins in fighting cognitive decline

September, 2011
  • High daily doses of B-vitamins significantly slowed cognitive decline and brain atrophy in those with MCI, especially if they had high levels of homocysteine.

In a small study, 266 older adults with mild cognitive impairment (aged 70+) received a daily dose of 0.8 mg folic acid, 0.5 mg vitamin B12 and 20 mg vitamin B6 or a placebo for two years. Those treated with B vitamins had significantly lower levels of homocysteine at the end of the trial (high homocysteine is a known risk factor for age-related cognitive decline and dementia). Moreover, this was associated with a significantly slower rate of brain shrinkage.

However, while there were significant effects on homocysteine level, brain atrophy, and executive function, it wasn’t until results were separated on the basis of baseline homocysteine levels that we get really dramatic results.

It was the group with high homocysteine levels at the start of the study who really benefited from the high doses of B vitamins. For them, brain atrophy was cut by half, and there were clear benefits in episodic memory, semantic memory, and global cognitive function, not just executive function. Among those with high baseline homocysteine who received the placebo, significant cognitive decline occurred.

The level of B vitamins in the supplements was considerably greater than the recommended standard. However, caution must be taken in dosing yourself with supplements, because folic acid can have negative effects. Better to try and get your diet right first.

A longer and larger follow-up study is now planned, and hopefully that will tell us if such treatment can keep MCI developing into Alzheimer’s.

Reference: 

[2502] de Jager, C. A., Oulhaj A., Jacoby R., Refsum H., & Smith D. A.
(Submitted).  Cognitive and clinical outcomes of homocysteine‐lowering B‐vitamin treatment in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial.
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Source: 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/sep/13/b-vitamins-alzheimers

Topics: 

tags: 

tags development: 

tags lifestyle: 

tags problems: 

Memory loss in old age the price we pay for a large brain & a long life?

September, 2011
  • Chimpanzee brains don’t shrink with age as humans’ do. It may be that cognitive impairment and even dementia are our lot because we work our brains too hard for too long.

Comparison of 99 chimpanzee brains ranging from 10-51 years of age with 87 human brains ranging from 22-88 years of age has revealed that, unlike the humans, chimpanzee brains showed no sign of shrinkage with age. But the answer may be simple: we live much longer. In the wild, chimps rarely live past 45, and although human brains start shrinking as early as 25 (as soon as they reach maturity, basically!), it doesn’t become significant until around 50.

The answer suggests one reason why humans are uniquely vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease — it’s all down to our combination of large brain and long life. There are other animals that experience some cognitive impairment and brain atrophy as they age, but nothing as extreme as that found in humans (a 10-15% decline in volume over the life-span). (Elephants and whales have the same two attributes as humans — large brains and long lives — but we lack information on how their brains change with age.)

The problem may lie in the fact that our brains use so much more energy than chimps’ (being more than three times larger than theirs) and thus produce a great deal more damaging oxidation. Over a longer life-span, this accumulates until it significantly damages the brain.

If that’s true, it reinforces the value of a diet high in antioxidants.

Reference: 

[2500] Sherwood, C. C., Gordon A. D., Allen J. S., Phillips K. A., Erwin J. M., Hof P. R., et al.
(2011).  Aging of the cerebral cortex differs between humans and chimpanzees.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 108(32), 13029 - 13034.

Source: 

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-brain-differences-humans-chimpanze... http://the-scientist.com/2011/07/25/chimp-brains-don%E2%80%99t-shrink-wi... http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/07/the-incredible-shrinking-h...

Topics: 

tags: 

tags development: 

tags problems: 

Alzheimer's disease symptoms more subtle in people over 80

September, 2011
  • A new study shows that, among the very old, it’s harder to distinguish between normal brain atrophy and cognitive impairment and that indicative of Alzheimer’s.

A study involving 105 people with Alzheimer's disease and 125 healthy older adults has compared cognitive function and brain shrinkage in those aged 60-75 and those aged 80+.

It was found that the association between brain atrophy and cognitive impairment typically found in those with Alzheimer’s disease was less evident in the older group. This is partly because of the level of brain atrophy in healthy controls in that age group — there was less difference between the healthy controls and those with Alzheimer’s. Additionally, when compared to their healthy counterparts, executive function, immediate memory and attention/processing speed were less abnormal in the older group than they were in the younger group.

The finding suggests that mild Alzheimer’s in the very old may go undetected, and emphasize the importance of taking age into account when interpreting test performance and brain measures.

Reference: 

[2503] Stricker, N. H., Chang Y. - L., Fennema-Notestine C., Delano-Wood L., Salmon D. P., Bondi M. W., et al.
(2011).  Distinct profiles of brain and cognitive changes in the very old with Alzheimer disease.
Neurology. 77(8), 713 - 721.

Source: 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/aaon-sad080211.php

Topics: 

tags development: 

tags problems: 

More ways exercise can help seniors fight memory loss

September, 2011

A recent study finds that cognitive decline is greater in older adults who have a high salt intake —but only if they’re not physically active. Another finds that older rats who exercise are protected from memory loss caused by bacterial infection.

A three-year study following 1,262 healthy older Canadians (aged 67-84) has found that, among those who exercised little, those who had high-salt diets showed significantly greater cognitive decline. On the bright side, sedentary older adults who had low-salt consumption did not show cognitive decline over the three years. And those who had higher levels of physical activity did not show any association between salt and cognition.

Low sodium intake is associated with reduced blood pressure and risk of heart disease, adding even more weight to the mantra: what’s good for the heart is good for the brain.

The analysis controlled for age, sex, education, waist circumference, diabetes, and dietary intakes. Salt intake was based on a food frequency questionnaire. Low sodium intake was defined as not exceeding 2,263 mg/day; mid sodium intake 3,090 mg/day; and high sodium intake 3,091 and greater mg/day. A third of the participants fell into each group. Physical activity was also measured by a self-reported questionnaire (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly). Cognitive function was measured by the Modified MMSE.

And adding to the evidence that exercise is good for you (not that we really need any more!), a rat study has found that aging rats that ran just over half a kilometer each week were protected against long-term memory loss that can happen suddenly following bacterial infection.

Previous research found that older rats experienced memory loss following E. coli infection, but young adult rats did not. In the older animals, microglia (the brain’s immune cells) were more sensitive to infection, releasing greater quantities of inflammatory molecules called cytokines in the hippocampus. This exaggerated response brought about impairments in synaptic plasticity (the neural changes that underlie learning) and reductions in BDNF.

In this study, the rats were given unlimited access to running wheels. Although the old rats only ran an average of 0.43 miles per week (50 times less distance than the young rats), they performed better on a memory test than rats who only had access to a locked exercise wheel. Moreover, the runners performed as well on the memory test as rats that were not exposed to E. coli.

The researchers are now planning to examine the role that stress hormones may play in sensitizing microglia, and whether physical exercise slows these hormones in older rats.

Reference: 

[2497] Fiocco, A. J., Shatenstein B., Ferland G., Payette Hélène., Belleville S., Kergoat M-J., et al.
(Submitted).  Sodium intake and physical activity impact cognitive maintenance in older adults: the NuAge Study.
Neurobiology of Aging.

[2488] Barrientos, R. M., Frank M. G., Crysdale N. Y., Chapman T. R., Ahrendsen J. T., Day H. E. W., et al.
(2011).  Little Exercise, Big Effects: Reversing Aging and Infection-Induced Memory Deficits, and Underlying Processes.
The Journal of Neuroscience. 31(32), 11578 - 11586.

Source: 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/bcfg-oaw082211.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/uoca-sao080911.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/sfn-ale080511.php

Topics: 

tags: 

tags development: 

tags lifestyle: 

tags memworks: 

Whether couple’s collaborative dialogue helps spouse's memory

September, 2011

A small study suggests that middle-aged couples are more likely to be effective than older couples in helping fill in each other’s memory gaps, but effective collaboration also depends on conversational style.

In my book on remembering what you’re doing and what you intend to do, I briefly discuss the popular strategy of asking someone to remind you (basically, whether it’s an effective strategy depends on several factors, of which the most important is the reliability of the person doing the reminding). So I was interested to see a pilot study investigating the use of this strategy between couples.

The study confirms earlier findings that the extent to which this strategy is effective depends on how reliable the partner's memory is, but expands on that by tying it to age and conversational style.

The study involved 11 married couples, of whom five were middle-aged (average age 52), and six were older adults (average age 73). Participants completed a range of prospective memory tasks by playing the board game "Virtual Week," which encourages verbal interaction among players about completing real life tasks. For each virtual "day" in the game, participants were asked to perform 10 different prospective memory tasks — four that regularly occur (eg, taking medication with breakfast), four that were different each day (eg, purchasing gasoline for the car), and two being time-check tasks that were not based on the activities of the board game (eg, check lung capacity at two specified times).

Overall, the middle-aged group benefited more from collaboration than the older group. But it was also found that those couples who performed best were those who were more supportive and encouraging of each other.

Collaboration in memory tasks is an interesting activity, because it can be both helpful and hindering. Think about how memory works — by association. You start from some point, and if you’re on a good track, more and more should be revealed as each memory triggers another. If another person keeps interrupting your train, you can be derailed. On the other hand, they might help you fill you in gaps that you need, or even point you to the right track, if you’re on the wrong one.

In this small study, it tended to be the middle-aged couples that filled in the gaps more effectively than the older couples. That probably has a lot to do with memory reliability. So it’s not a big surprise (though useful to be aware of). But what I find more interesting (because it’s less obvious, and more importantly, because it’s more under our control) is this idea that our conversational style affects whether memory collaboration is useful or counterproductive. I look forward to results from a larger study.

Reference: 

[2490] Margrett, J. A., Reese-Melancon C., & Rendell P. G.
(2011).  Examining Collaborative Dialogue Among Couples.
Zeitschrift für Psychologie / Journal of Psychology. 219, 100 - 107.

Source: 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/isu-seh082911.php

Topics: 

tags: 

tags development: 

tags problems: 

Possible treatment for working memory decline with age

September, 2011

A study has successfully countered reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex seen in older monkeys. Clinical trials are now investigating whether the drug can improve working memory in older humans.

A study comparing activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in young, middle-aged and aged macaque monkeys as they performed a spatial working memory task has found that while neurons of the young monkeys maintained a high rate of firing during the task, neurons in older animals showed slower firing rates. The decline began in middle age.

Neuron activity was recorded in a particular area of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex that is most important for visuospatial working memory. Some neurons only fired when the cue was presented (28 CUE cells), but most were active during the delay period as well as the cue and response periods (273 DELAY neurons). Persistent firing during the delay period is of particular interest, as it is required to maintain information in working memory. Many DELAY neurons increased their activity when the preferred spatial location was being remembered.

While the activity of the CUE cells was unaffected by age, that of DELAY cells was significantly reduced. This was true both of spontaneous activity and task-related activity. Moreover, the reduction was greatest during the cue and delay periods for the preferred direction, meaning that the effect of age was to reduce the ability to distinguish preferred and non-preferred directions.

It appeared that the aging prefrontal cortex was accumulating excessive levels of an important signaling molecule called cAMP. When cAMP was inhibited or cAMP-sensitive ion channels were blocked, firing rates rose to more youthful levels. On the other hand, when cAMP was stimulated, aged neurons reduced their activity even more.

The findings are consistent with rat research that has found two of the agents used — guanfacine and Rp-cAMPS — can improve working memory in aged rats. Guanfacine is a medication that is already approved for treating hypertension in adults and prefrontal deficits in children. A clinical trial testing guanfacine's ability to improve working memory and executive functions in elderly subjects who do not have dementia is now taking place.

Reference: 

[2349] Wang, M., Gamo N. J., Yang Y., Jin L. E., Wang X-J., Laubach M., et al.
(2011).  Neuronal basis of age-related working memory decline.
Nature. advance online publication,

Source: 

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-memory-lost-.html

Topics: 

tags development: 

tags memworks: 

tags problems: 

Coffee and a healthy diet reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s

August, 2011

Recent studies show why a low-fat, low-carb diet, and caffeinated coffee, help protect against developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Dietary changes affect levels of biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's

In a study involving 20 healthy older adults (mean age 69.3) and 29 older adults who had amnestic mild cognitive impairment (mean age 67.6), half the participants were randomly assigned to a high–saturated fat/high–simple carbohydrate diet (HIGH) and half to a low–saturated fat/low–simple carbohydrate diet (LOW) for four weeks, in order to investigate the effects on biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s.

For the healthy participants, the LOW diet decreased the level of amyloid-beta 42 in the cerebrospinal fluid, while the HIGH diet increased its level. The HIGH diet also lowered the CSF insulin concentration. For those with aMCI, the LOW diet increased the levels of amyloid-beta 42 and increased the CSF insulin concentration. For both groups, the level of apolipoprotein E in the CSF increased in the LOW diet and decreased in the HIGH diet.

For both groups, the LOW diet improved performance on delayed visual recall tests, but didn’t affect scores on other cognitive measures (bear in mind that the diet was only followed for a month).

The researchers suggest that the different results of the unhealthy diet in participants with aMCI may be due to the diet’s short duration. The fact that diet was bringing about measurable changes in CSF biomarkers so quickly, and that the HIGH diet moved healthy brains in the direction of Alzheimer’s, speaks to the potential of dietary intervention.

Why coffee helps protect against Alzheimer's disease

Support for the value of coffee in decreasing the risk of Alzheimer’s comes from a mouse study, which found that an as yet unidentified ingredient in coffee interacts with caffeine in such a way that blood levels of a growth factor called GCSF (granulocyte colony stimulating factor) increases. GCSF is a substance greatly decreased in patients with Alzheimer's disease and demonstrated to improve memory in Alzheimer's mice.

The finding points to the value of caffeinated coffee, as opposed to decaffeinated coffee or to other sources of caffeine. Moreover, only "drip" coffee was used; the researchers caution that they don’t know whether instant caffeinated coffee would provide the same GCSF response.

There are three ways that GCSF seems to improve memory performance in the Alzheimer's mice: by recruiting stem cells from bone marrow to enter the brain and remove beta-amyloid protein; by increasing the growth of new synapses; by increasing neurogenesis.

The amount of coffee needed to provide this protection, however, is estimated to be about 4 to 5 cups a day. The researchers also believe that this daily coffee intake is best begun at least by middle age (30s – 50s), although starting even in older age does seem to have some protective effect.

Weirdly (I thought), the researchers remarked that "The average American gets most of their daily antioxidants intake through coffee". Perhaps this points more to the defects in their diet than to the wonders of coffee! But the finding is consistent with other research showing an association between moderate consumption of coffee and decreased risk of Parkinson's disease, Type II diabetes and stroke.

A just-completed clinical trial has investigated GCSF treatment to prevent Alzheimer's in patients with mild cognitive impairment, and the results should be known soon.

Reference: 

[2442] Bayer-Carter, J. L., Green P. S., Montine T. J., VanFossen B., Baker L. D., Watson S. G., et al.
(2011).  Diet Intervention and Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Arch Neurol. 68(6), 743 - 752.

Cao, C., Wang, L., Lin, X., Mamcarz, M., Zhang, C., Bai, G., Nong, J., Sussman, S. & Arendash, G.  2011.Caffeine Synergizes with Another Coffee Component to Increase Plasma GCSF: Linkage to Cognitive Benefits in Alzheimer's Mice. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 25(2), 323-335.

Source: 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-06/jaaj-dca061011.php
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-06/uosf-mii062011.php

Topics: 

tags development: 

tags lifestyle: 

tags problems: 

Sleep apnea and brain injury raise risk of later dementia

August, 2011

Recent studies add to the evidence that sleep apnea and even mild brain injury increase the risk of developing dementia.

Sleep apnea linked to later dementia

A study involving 298 older women with sleep problems found that those who had disordered breathing (such as sleep apnea) were significantly more likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

Around a third of the women (average age 82) had disordered breathing (slowing down or stopping breathing during sleep and often having to gasp to catch up). None showed signs of cognitive impairment at the time of the sleep testing. When re-tested some five years later, 45% of those who had disordered breathing had developed dementia or MCI, compared with 31% of those with no breathing irregularities.

Those whose sleep irregularities had been particularly severe (15 or more breathing stoppages per hour and more than 7% of sleep time not breathing) during the earlier part of the study were nearly twice as likely as those without breathing problems to develop dementia or MCI. Other measures of sleep quality — waking after sleep onset, sleep fragmentation, sleep duration — were not associated with cognitive impairment.

The finding adds to the evidence for the importance of treating sleep apnea. Previous research has found that CPAP treatment effectively counteracts cognitive impairment caused by sleep apnea.

Brain injury raises dementia risk

Analysis of medical records on 281,540 U.S. military veterans aged at least 55 at the beginning of the study has found that over the next seven years those who had at one time suffered a traumatic brain injury were more than twice as likely to develop dementia than those who had not suffered such an injury. Around 1.7% (4,902) had incurred a traumatic brain injury, in many cases during the Vietnam War, and over 15% of these developed dementia. In contradiction of the prevailing belief that only moderate or severe brain injuries predispose people to dementia, severity of the injury made no difference.

Injuries due to strokes were weeded out of the study.

In another study, following up on nearly 4,000 retired National Football League players surveyed in 2001, 35% appeared to have significant cognitive problems (as assessed by questionnaire). When 41 of them were tested, they were found to have mild cognitive impairment that resembled a comparison group of much older patients from the general population.

The findings are a reminder of the importance of treating even mild head injuries, and of following a regime designed to mitigate damage: exercising, eating a healthy diet, reducing stress, and so on.

Reference: 

[2444] Yaffe, K., Laffan A. M., Harrison S L., Redline S., Spira A. P., Ensrud K. E., et al.
(2011).  Sleep-Disordered Breathing, Hypoxia, and Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older Women.
JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 306(6), 613 - 619.

The brain injury studies were reported in July at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in France. http://www.alz.org/aaic/

Source: 

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/333137/title/Sleep_apnea_tied...
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-brain-injury-dementia.html

Topics: 

tags development: 

tags problems: 

Diagnosis and prevalence of dementia & MCI — recent reports

August, 2011

Several recent reports point to the need for GPs to be better informed about the initial symptoms of dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

Functional impairment good indicator of mild cognitive impairment

Evaluation of 816 older adults, of whom 229 had no cognitive problems, 394 had a diagnosis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and 193 had a diagnosis of mild Alzheimer’s, has revealed that most of those with aMCI (72%) or AD (97%) had trouble with at least one type of function on the Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire. Only 8% of controls had any difficulty. In both impaired groups, those who had the most difficulty functioning also tended to score worse on cognition tests, have smaller hippocampal volumes, and carry the APOe4 gene.

Two of the ten items in the questionnaire were specific in differentiating the control group from the impaired groups. Those items concerned "remembering appointments, family occasions, holidays, and medications” and "assembling tax records, business affairs, or other papers." Only 34% of those with aMCI and 3.6% of those with AD had no difficulty with these items.

The findings suggest that even mild disruptions in daily functioning may be an important clinical indicator of disease.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s poorly diagnosed when initial symptoms aren’t memory related

Post-mortem analysis of 40 people diagnosed  with early-onset Alzheimer’s has revealed that about 38% experienced initial symptoms other than memory problems, such as behavior, vision or language problems and a decline in executive function, or the ability to carry out tasks. Of these, 53% were incorrectly diagnosed when first seen by a doctor, compared to 4% of those who had memory problems. Of those with unusual initial symptoms, 47% were still incorrectly diagnosed at the time of their death.

The mean age at onset was 54.5 years (range 46-60). The average duration of the disease was 11 years, with an average diagnostic delay of 3 years.

GPs misidentify and fail to identify early dementia and MCI

A review of 30 studies involving 15,277 people seen in primary care for cognitive disorders, has found that while GPs managed to identify eight out of ten people with moderate to severe dementia, they only identified 45% of those with early dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Moreover, they were very poor at recording such diagnoses. Thus, though they recognized 45% of the MCI cases, they only recorded 11% of these cases in their medical notes. Although they identified 73% of people with dementia, they made correct annotations in medical records in only 38% of cases.

But the problem is not simply one of failing to diagnose — they were even more likely to misidentify dementia, and this was particularly true for those with depression or hearing problems.

The findings point to the need for more widespread use of simple cognitive screening tests.

Prevalence of dementia & MCI in 'oldest old' women

Data from 1,299 women enrolled in the Women Cognitive Impairment Study of Exceptional Aging suggests that the incidence of dementia almost doubles with every 5 years of age and prevalence rises from approximately 2-3% in those 65 to 75 years to 35% in those 85+.

Among those with mild cognitive impairment, amnestic multiple domain was most common (34%), followed by non-amnestic single domain (29%). Amnestic single domain (affecting only one type of cognitive function, including memory difficulty) affected 22%.

Alzheimer's disease and mixed dementia accounted for nearly 80% of dementia cases, and vascular dementia for 12.1%.

Those with dementia tended to be older, less likely to have completed high school, more likely to have reported depression, a history of stroke, and to have the APOEe4 gene.

The women in the study had an average age of 88.2 years and 27% were older than 90. 41% had clinical cognitive impairment (17.8% with dementia and 23.2% with mild cognitive impairment).

The high prevalence of cognitive impairment in this age group points to the importance of screening for cognitive disorders, particularly among high-risk groups.

Reference: 

[2443] Brown, P. J., Devanand D. P., Liu X., Caccappolo E., & Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative(A. D. N. I.)
(2011).  Functional Impairment in Elderly Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer Disease.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 68(6), 617 - 626.

[2441] Balasa, M., Gelpi E., Antonell A., Rey M. J., Sánchez-Valle R., Molinuevo J. L., et al.
(2011).  Clinical features and APOE genotype of pathologically proven early-onset Alzheimer disease.
Neurology. 76(20), 1720 - 1725.

[2446] Mitchell, A. J., Meader N., & Pentzek M.
(2011).  Clinical recognition of dementia and cognitive impairment in primary care: a meta‐analysis of physician accuracy.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 124(3), 165 - 183.

[2445] Yaffe, K., Middleton L. E., Lui L-Y., Spira A. P., Stone K., Racine C., et al.
(2011).  Mild Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, and Their Subtypes in Oldest Old Women.
Arch Neurol. 68(5), 631 - 636.

Source: 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-06/jaaj-sfo060311.php
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/aaon-smp051011.php
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-06/uol-gme062011.php
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/jaaj-dmc050611.php

Topics: 

tags development: 

tags problems: 

Alcohol's possible benefits for the brain

There seems to be quite a lot of evidence now, that a moderate amount of alcohol consumption (around 1-2 drinks a day) can help protect against Alzheimer’s — though not, a review concluded, vascular dementia or age-related cognitive decline (but the jury’s still out on that one, I think). Moderate alcohol consumption is significantly associated with other factors that help protect against dementia, such as better education, not living alone, and absence of depression, but seems to have an effect on its own account as well.

It must be emphasized that this positive effect is restricted to the ‘right’ level of alcohol consumption. The damage alcohol can do to the brain is only too well established.

The effect doesn’t appear to be restricted to a particular type of alcohol. Having said that, there are components in wine, especially red wine, that have also been associated with lower dementia risk. These components include polyphenols such as epicatechin, catechin and resveratrol.

Benefits may not apply to everyone however. One study found that carriers of the Alzheimer’s gene, APOe4, were more likely to develop dementia if they drank any alcohol — it was only non-carriers that showed a benefit of moderate drinking. Another large study found that the benefits of moderate drinking only applied to those who had no cognitive impairment. For those with mild cognitive impairment, drinking speeded up the rate of decline. Another, large long-running, study found that, although non-smokers who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol were less likely to have a stroke than non-drinkers, this didn’t apply to smokers.

These individual variations may explain the inconsistency in previous studies regarding the relationship between light to moderate drinking and age-related cognitive impairment.

The story of alcohol and the brain is clearly a complex one, not easily disentangled. One large, long-running study, for example, found an association between alcohol and brain atrophy even at moderate levels of consumption.

Older news items (pre-2010) brought over from the old website

Regular moderate alcohol intake has cognitive benefits in older adults

A six-year study involving over 3,000 seniors (75+) has found that for those who had no cognitive impairment at the start of the study, moderate drinking (1-2 drinks a day) was associated with a 37% reduction in risk of developing dementia compared to individuals who did not drink at all. The type of alcohol didn’t matter. However, for those who started the study with mild cognitive impairment, any consumption of alcohol was associated with faster rates of cognitive decline. Moreover, heavy drinkers were almost twice as likely to develop dementia during the study. The results are consistent with previous studies of middle-aged adults that suggest mild to moderate alcohol intake may reduce the risk of dementia, except in the case of individuals who already have mild to moderate cognitive impairment.

Sink, K.M. et al. 2009. Moderate alcohol intake is associated with lower dementia incidence: results from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study (GEMS). Presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease July 11-16 in Vienna.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-07/wfub-rma071309.php

Moderate drinking can reduce risks of Alzheimer's dementia and cognitive decline

A review of 44 studies has concluded that moderate drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss. Moderate alcohol consumption generally is defined as 1 drink or less per day for women and 1-2 drinks or less per day for men.

[2374] Collins, M. A., Neafsey E. J., Mukamal K. J., Gray M. O., Parks D. A., Das D. K., et al.
(2009).  Alcohol in Moderation, Cardioprotection, and Neuroprotection: Epidemiological Considerations and Mechanistic Studies.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 33(2), 206 - 219.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/luhs-mdc122908.php

Chocolate, wine and tea improve brain performance

A study of over 2000 older Norwegians (aged 70-74) has found that those who consumed chocolate, wine, or tea had significantly better cognitive performance and lower risk of poor cognitive performance than those who did not. Those who consumed all 3 studied items had the best performance and the lowest risks for poor test performance. The associations between intake of these foodstuffs and cognition were dose dependent, with maximum effect at intakes of around 10 grams a day for chocolate and around 75–100 ml a day for wine, but approximately linear for tea. The effect was most pronounced for wine and modestly weaker for chocolate intake. The finding is consistent with research indicating that those who consume lots of flavonoids have a lower incidence of dementia.

[623] Nurk, E., Refsum H., Drevon C. A., Tell G. S., Nygaard H. A., Engedal K., et al.
(2009).  Intake of flavonoid-rich wine, tea, and chocolate by elderly men and women is associated with better cognitive test performance.
The Journal of Nutrition. 139(1), 120 - 127.

http://www.physorg.com/news149185135.html

Red grape seeds may help prevent Alzheimer's disease

Research into the nearly 5000 compounds contained in red wine to reveal the source of the health benefits seen from red wine has revealed that polyphenols derived from red grape seeds may be useful agents to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease. Red grape seeds currently being developed with the name of Meganatural AZ were found to significantly reduce cognitive deterioration in genetically engineered mice, by preventing the formation of amyloid beta. The mice were given the extract before the age at which they normally develop signs of disease, suggesting the extract may help prevent or postpone the development of Alzheimer’s. The major polyphenol components in the grape seed extract product are catechin and epicatechin, which are also abundant in tea and cocoa. Unlike the polyphenol resveratrol, which has been shown to have similar effects, but requires extremely high doses, the catechins appear to be effective at much lower doses. Further research will of course be needed before human recommendations can be made.

[2377] Wang, J., Ho L., Zhao W., Ono K., Rosensweig C., Chen L., et al.
(2008).  Grape-Derived Polyphenolics Prevent Aβ Oligomerization and Attenuate Cognitive Deterioration in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.
The Journal of Neuroscience. 28(25), 6388 - 6392.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/tmsh-pnr061708.php
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/sfn-sig061708.php

Why moderate drinking may boost memory

Another study has come out suggesting moderate amounts of alcohol are good for the brain, and explaining why. The rat study found that low levels of alcohol increased the expression of a particular receptor, NR1, on the surface of neurons in the hippocampus. Increasing the number of NR1 receptors in a different group of rats resulted in a memory boost similar to that seen in the rats given low doses of alcohol. There were no toxic effects of low-level alcohol consumption (1—2 drinks a day) on the brain, but a higher dose of alcohol did damage neurons.

The findings were presented at the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting on October 14-18 in Atlanta, Georgia.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061025171322.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-10/osu-mdm102506.php

Cabernet sauvignon red wine reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease

A mouse study has found moderate consumption of the red wine Cabernet Sauvignon significantly reduced Alzheimer’s-type deterioration of spatial memory function. The Cabernet Sauvignon used contained a very low content of resveratrol, 10-fold lower than the minimal effective concentration shown to promote Aß clearance in vitro. It is suggested that, instead, the benefit occurred through promoting non-amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein. The finding supports epidemiological evidence indicating that moderate wine consumption (one drink per day for women and two for men) may help reduce the relative risk for Alzheimer’s.

[2378] Wang, J., Ho L., Zhao Z., Seror I., Humala N., Dickstein D. L., et al.
(2006).  Moderate consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon attenuates Aß neuropathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.
The FASEB Journal. 20(13), 2313 - 2320.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-09/tmsh-csr091806.php

Moderate alcohol intake associated with better mental function in older women

A study of over 7,000 older women (65-80) found that those who drink a moderate amount of alcohol have slightly higher levels of mental function than non-drinkers, particularly in verbal abilities. The researcher warned that "Until we better understand the reasons why alcohol consumption is associated with better cognitive functioning, these results on their own are not a reason for people who don't drink to start or for those who drink to increase their intake."

[455] Espeland, M. A., Coker L. H., Wallace R., Rapp S. R., Resnick S. M., Limacher M., et al.
(2006).  Association between alcohol intake and domain-specific cognitive function in older women.
Neuroepidemiology. 27(1), 1 - 12.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-05/wfub-mai053106.php

More support for benefits of some alcohol

A longitudinal study of an elderly community sample found that, over an average of 7 years, mild-to-moderate drinking was associated with less average decline in cognitive function compared to not drinking.

[1203] Ganguli, M., Bilt V. J., Saxton J. A., Shen C., & Dodge H. H.
(2005).  Alcohol consumption and cognitive function in late life: A longitudinal community study.
Neurology. 65(8), 1210 - 1217.

http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/8/1210

Moderate alcohol intake may reduce cognitive decline in older women

Two recent large-scale epidemiological studies have come out recently with similar findings. Data from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (involving 4,461 women aged 65 to 79 years) has revealed that women who reported having one or more alcohol drinks daily had a 40% lower risk of significant declines in cognitive function over time, compared to women who reported no alcohol intake. It is possible that moderate alcohol intake may reduce the risk for narrowed vessels in the brain. In addition, alcohol may decrease the formation of plaque that is associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Data from the Nurses' Health Study, begun in 1976 and involving 12,480 women, now aged between 70 and 81 years old, has found that women who had the equivalent of one drink a day had a 23% lower risk of becoming mentally impaired during a two-year period, compared with non-drinkers. It made no significant difference whether they drank beer or wine.

[1108] Espeland, M. A., Gu L., Masaki K. H., Langer R. D., Coker L. H., Stefanick M. L., et al.
(2005).  Association between Reported Alcohol Intake and Cognition: Results from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study.
Am. J. Epidemiol.. 161(3), 228 - 238.

[1115] Stampfer, M. J., Kang J H., Chen J., Cherry R., & Grodstein F.
(2005).  Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Cognitive Function in Women.
N Engl J Med. 352(3), 245 - 253.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-01/wfub-mai012105.php (1st study)
http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050117/full/050117-10.html (2nd study)

Drinking too much alcohol, and not enough, increases risk of cognitive impairment

In Finland, researchers re-examined 1018 participants from a study of 1464 men and women aged 65-79 studied in 1972 or 1977. They found that participants who drank no alcohol in midlife as well as those who drank alcohol frequently were twice as likely to have mild cognitive impairment in old age compared to those who drank alcohol infrequently. The effect of alcohol was however modified by the presence of the apolipoprotein e4 allele (implicated in dementia risk). People who were carriers of the apolipoprotein e4 allele had an increased risk of dementia with increasing alcohol consumption, with carriers of the gene significantly reducing their risk by never drinking.

[731] Kivipelto, M., Anttila T., Helkala E-L., Viitanen M., Kareholt I., Fratiglioni L., et al.
(2004).  Alcohol drinking in middle age and subsequent risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in old age: a prospective population based study.
BMJ. 329(7465), 539 - 539.

Possible benefits of alcohol in reducing cognitive decline

Another report from the Whitehall Study database. This one adds to the, still controversial, research linking moderate wine consumption with health and longevity. Of those who reported drinking alcohol in the past year, those who consumed at least one drink in the past week were significantly less likely to have poor cognitive function than those who did not. These benefits appeared even at levels of alcohol consumption that most sensible observers would consider excessive, and emphasizes once again that correlation is not causation. It seems likely that this association at least partly reflects other factors, and indeed, the correlation was reduced when social position was taken account of. It may also reflect the possible effect of alcohol in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4193134/Alcohol-sharpens-your-brain-say-researchers.html

Alcohol's benefits for cognition may be overstated

Some studies (that receive a lot of media attention) have suggested that moderate alcohol drinking may have beneficial effects on the heart or the brain. Other studies have found no effect, or a negative one. Now a new study may provide an answer to the conflicting results. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which has followed more than 10,000 men and women who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957, researchers in 1992 asked the participants about their drinking habits. It was found that men who consumed low levels of alcohol in 1992 had higher scores on the abstract reasoning test than those who drank either more or less. However, when earlier cognitive ability (measured in high school) was taken into account, the difference between non-drinkers and those who had one drink a day disappeared. With the women, both non-drinkers and heavy drinkers had lower scores at age 53 than moderate drinkers. But when adolescent cognitive ability was taken into account, these differences disappeared. Participants will be re-examined next year, when they’re about 65.

[2375] Krahn, D., Freese J., Hauser R., Barry K., & Goodman B.
(2003).  Alcohol Use and Cognition at Mid‐Life: The Importance of Adjusting for Baseline Cognitive Ability and Educational Attainment.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 27(7), 1162 - 1166.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-08/cfta-abo082103.htm

Drinking wine may lower risk of dementia

Researchers in Copenhagen have followed up an analysis of drinking patterns for wine, beer and liquor of 1,709 people in the 1970s with an assessment of dementia in the 1990s, when participants were age 65 or older. 83 of the participants had developed dementia. Their alcohol intake was compared to that of those who did not develop dementia. It was found that those who drank wine occasionally had a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Those who drank wine every day were no more or less likely to develop dementia than those who drank it less often. The study also found that occasional beer drinking was associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. It is important to note that eating habits were not investigated, and research suggests that wine drinkers may have better dietary habits than beer and liquor drinkers.

[2376] Truelsen, T., Thudium D., & Grønbæk M.
(2002).  Amount and type of alcohol and risk of dementia.
Neurology. 59(9), 1313 - 1319.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-11/aaon-dwm110702.php

Moderate alcohol consumption may help prevent dementia

Recent research has suggested that moderate alcohol consumption may have positive health benefits for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular functioning. Given the connection between dementia in old age and cerebrovascular disease, a recent Italian study analyzed data from 15,807 patients (65 years of age or older) to assess whether there is any link between alcohol consumption and cognitive function. Signs of cognitive derangement were found in 19% of the participants who reported regular alcohol consumption, and in 29% of those who abstained from alcohol. The quantity of daily alcohol consumption was an important factor. The risk of cognitive impairment was reduced among women whose daily alcohol consumption was less than 40 grams and among men who drank less than 80 grams. Higher levels of alcohol consumption showed an increased risk of cognitive impairment when compared with both abstainers and moderate drinkers.

[954] Zuccalà, G., Onder G., Pedone C., Cesari M., Landi F., Bernabei R., et al.
(2001).  Dose-Related Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Cognitive Function in Advanced Age: Results of a Multicenter Survey.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 25(12), 1743 - 1748.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-12/ace-aad121001.php

A Dutch study suggests that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption could reduce the risk of dementia among older people. Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption (1 to 3 drinks per day) was associated with a 42% risk reduction of all dementia, and around a 70% reduction in risk of vascular dementia.

[794] Ruitenberg, A., van Swieten J. C., Witteman J CM., Mehta K. M., van Duijn C. M., Hofman A., et al.
(2002).  Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: the Rotterdam Study.
The Lancet. 359(9303), 281 - 286.

tags development: 

tags lifestyle: 

tags problems: 

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - seniors