Alzheimer's Archive

In the journals

Previous research has suggested that slow walking speed might predict cognitive decline, but a recent study suggests how you walk also may provide clues. The results were published online Nov. 19, 2016, by the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Researchers examined medical records of more than 3,400 people ages 70 to 89 who had completed both a neurological examination and gait analysis to measure walking movements like stride length, step count, cadence, stance time, and arm swings.

Research we're watching

Mentally engaging activities have been long been promoted for staving off dementia, but there isn't a lot of information about whether doing them late in life is effective in preventing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor of dementia. To help fill that gap, researchers from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging followed 956 men and 973 women ages 70 or older who had normal scores on mental function tests. The participants answered periodic questionnaires detailing whether and how often they read books, did craft projects, used a computer, played games, and engaged in social activities like going out to movies and plays. They also underwent neurologic exams and completed tests to assess mental function. Over an average of four years, 456 participants developed mild cognitive impairment.

When the researchers analyzed the results, they found that playing games, doing craft projects, using a computer, and engaging in social activities were associated with a significant reduction in the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.

Vascular dementia is a less prevalent type of memory loss that nonetheless affects many older men.

 Image: Mike Watson Images/Thinkstock

While Alzheimer's disease continues to be the most recognized type of dementia, older men should also be mindful about the second most common: vascular dementia.

In vascular dementia, memory problems result from damage to large and small blood vessels in the brain. It develops when cholesterol-clogged blood vessels can't deliver enough oxygen to the brain. Small blockages deprive some brain cells of oxygen, which causes a series of small strokes that kill brain cells. This can lead to episodes of confusion, slurred speech, and problems thinking or remembering.

Older adults who report feeling lonely had a greater risk of testing positive for high amyloid levels in the brain, a marker of Alzheimer’s disease, according to research from the Harvard Aging Brain Study.

Poor blood flow in the brain can chip away at thinking skills.

Image: RootsBeforeBranches/Thinkstock

Just like in the rest of your body, advancing years can take a toll on your brain function. Much of this slowing down is predictable and can be chalked up to normal aging. However, when thinking skills become increasingly fuzzy and forgetfulness gets to be a way of life, an early form of dementia known as mild cognitive impairment may be setting in (see "Normal aging vs. mild cognitive impairment").

Often, the first reaction is to attribute these changes to the beginning of Alzheimer's disease. But blood flow problems may be to blame, as well. "An estimated one-third of all cases of dementia, including those identified as Alzheimer's, can be attributed to vascular factors," says Dr. Albert Hofman, chair of the department of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

A class of drugs commonly used in over-the-counter and prescription drugs to treat such problems as insomnia, diarrhea, high blood pressure, depression, and urinary incontinence may be linked to cognitive impairment. Scientists believe the drugs block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine that helps process information, which scientists believe is responsible for the effect. 

Knowing you have a gene variant that may raise your risk can be distressing. But new research reveals a silver lining.

A particular gene variant that affects cholesterol levels in the blood may influence a person’s risk of both Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
Image: kirstyparueter/Thinkstock

Alzheimer's disease strikes fear in people's hearts, as it gradually erodes a person's ability to remember, think, and learn. There is no cure, and available treatments alleviate symptoms only temporarily. Yet while an estimated 5.3 million Americans currently have Alzheimer's disease, this brain disorder is far less common than heart disease. More than 85 million people in the United States are living with some form of cardiovascular disease or the aftereffects of stroke, which also affects brain function.

Q. Do you think we'll ever be able to prevent Alzheimer's disease?

A. I do. Not because I'm an optimist (though I am) but because of the results of research in the past 25 years.

A negative attitude about aging appears to be associated with a higher likelihood of Alzheimer's disease.

A study in the journal Psychology and Aging examined healthy, dementia-free subjects from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, the nation's longest-running scientific study of aging.

As you've gotten older, have you noticed that you often find yourself marching around the house in a huff, searching for misplaced car keys or eyeglasses, or you just cannot remember the name of that new neighbor you met when walking the dog? It's frustrating, to be sure, but not inevitable — and there are things you can do to help keep your memory sharp.

"Most people get a little more forgetful with aging, but there are some simple things you can do to prevent memory slips and help your brain to learn and remember better," says Dr. Anne Fabiny, chief of geriatrics at Cambridge Health Alliance and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.