Management Alzheimer's
Few drugs have been approved for treatment of this dementia, and none works very well. It has become one of the most intractable problems in medicine - Pam Belluck
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Managing Alzheimer’s Disease
Treating Alzheimer's disease can be challenging, specifically because the pathology of the disease is not fully understood. At this time, preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease is not possible, since the exact mechanism of Alzheimer's disease is unknown. In addition, only modest success has been achieved in reversing the condition once it has developed. Therefore, one goal of treatment has been to retard the progression of the disease. Another goal has been to reduce the impact of symptoms on the caregiver (e.g., controlling outbursts of aggressive behavior).
Articles of Interest
Alzheimer's And Dementia Care: Tips For Daily Tasks
If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, your role in managing daily tasks will increase as the disease progresses. Consider practical tips that can help the person with dementia participate as much as possible and enable you to manage tasks effectively.
Alzheimer’s Is More Complicated Than We Thought
With a much-needed spike in research funding, scientists are transcending a one-size-fits-all approach for the disease and looking at personalized strategies for prevention and treatment.
Costly Alzheimer’s treatment is spreading around the world, with virtually no science to back it up
Looking more like a barber than a doctor, orthopedic surgeon Musa Citak squirted gel on his patient’s head and massaged the gooey substance into his scalp as though it were shampoo. He then pulled out a handheld device and began sliding it across the side of the elderly man’s head. “This is shockwave therapy,” Citak explained. As he moved the device, it made rapid clicking sounds, each click a high-frequency sound wave intended to stimulate brain regions and, according to Citak, help regenerate cells and halt the rapid deterioration of the patient’s brain.
Managing agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease
While caregivers are aware of agitation symptoms, they often see this as a part of Alzheimer’s disease and do not recognize that agitation associated with Alzheimer’s dementia can be diagnosed and treated separately.
Many of us will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease, so let’s plan for that reality
People with dementia have plenty to contribute to society – and small changes to our environment and attitudes can help.
Rethinking the approach to fighting Alzheimer’s disease
Given these challenges, preventative methods are gaining interest. Among these, physical activity such as exercise could help to slow or even prevent the onset of the disease through its antioxidant effects.
The High-Stakes Allure of an Anti-Alzheimer’s Diet
For Mosconi and her colleague Richard Isaacson, who founded and directs the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, the first of its kind in the United States and still one of only a few in the world, the answer to that question has involved a shift in approach: from cure to prevention. Over the past decade, observational studies have revealed patterns that seem to link Alzheimer’s with exercise, sleep, cognitive stimulation, and, especially, diet. Based on the patterns in the data, it seems as though such so-called lifestyle factors make up to half a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
The Many Ways of Coping With Alzheimer’s
Readers say there are humane and legal ways to reduce needless suffering, even for somebody with dementia.
To Manage Dementia Well, Start With The Caregivers
One of the most important aspects of caring for someone with Alzheimer's and other dementias is understanding the diseases. The difficulty, Kales explains, isn't the memory loss, per se, but the behaviors that accompany it — everything from anger to petulance to violence to depression.
Treating Alzheimer’s Very Early Offers Better Hope of Slowing Decline, Study Finds
A trial of donanemab, an experimental drug, found it modestly slowed the worsening of memory and thinking and worked better in patients at earlier stages and those under 75.
Will We Ever Cure Alzheimer’s?
Few drugs have been approved for treatment of this dementia, and none works very well. It has become one of the most intractable problems in medicine.
Your eyes may be a window into early Alzheimer's detection
Scientists have linked certain changes in the retina to mild cognitive impairment—which may someday help identify the early signs of dementia.
Resources
6 Alzheimer’s Caregivers Give Their Best Advice for Keeping Your Loved One Active and Engaged
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for coping with Alzheimer’s, but people who look after loved ones with the condition have a lot of useful tactics for anyone in this difficult situation. We spoke with several Alzheimer’s caregivers who found ways to keep their relatives active and engaged. Here’s what worked for them.

