Mind & Mood Archive

Articles

Seasonal blues: Should you worry?

Seasonal mood shifts may indicate untreated depression.

In temperate climes, it's not uncommon to feel a downturn in mood as we say goodbye to summer, enjoy the falling leaves, and then reluctantly say hello to winter. In some cases of clinical depression, a man's symptoms may follow a clear seasonal pattern. This is called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and it's a less common subtype of major depression. It can develop in either the fall or the spring.

If your mood droops a bit as the winter holiday season approaches, do you have SAD? Probably not. Research has found that humans, like other members of the animal kingdom, can experience hormonal and other physiological variations in response to changes in the intensity and even the color of light. It usually passes.

Possible link between benzodiazepines and Alzheimer's disease

Long-term use of benzodiazepines, which help people fight anxiety or sleep better, appears to be linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Do memory lapses signal pending dementia?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image: Thinkstock

If you notice troubling memory changes, it's probably not cause for immediate alarm, suggests a study published online Sept. 14, 2014, in Neurology. Researchers tracked more than 500 people with an average age of 73 and found there was about a decade from the time memory complaints began until there was a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, and 12 years before there was a diagnosis of dementia. But the delay in diagnosis doesn't mean memory issues in older adults should be ignored. It may signal the need for you to get a baseline assessment that can be used for comparison in the future.

How do you know what's normal and what isn't? "Unless memory problems are extreme and persistent, they are not considered indicators of memory-impairing illnesses. Some memory problems become more pronounced with age, but these difficulties often tend to be related to absentmindedness," says Harvard Medical School psychology instructor Dr. Kim Willment. "Struggling to remember a particular word or a name is not at all unusual. Walking into a room and not remembering the reason for going would also be quite common. We become more worried when we hear that a person has completely forgotten a major event or activity or pertinent details from that activity within several weeks. For example, it would be concerning to have attended a wedding two to three weeks ago and then forgotten the wedding itself or who got married," says Dr. Scott McGinnis, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School.

Ask the doctor: Different dementias

Q. My sister was recently diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies. How does this differ from dementia because of Alzheimer's disease?

A. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in older people, but it is only one of many causes. Your sister's condition, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), is actually the second most common type of dementia. Lewy bodies are clumps of proteins found in the brain cells of people diagnosed with DLB, as well as in people with certain other degenerative neurologic conditions, like Parkinson's disease. Although the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies overlap substantially, there are some that are more typical of DLB.

A holiday advisory for your emotions

Image: Thinkstock

If holiday festivities have shifted from your home to your children's, be ready to accommodate the change.

Seasonal celebrations can take you to new heights or put you in the dumps. Either way, it's good to prepare psychologically.

There is ample evidence that companionship, connectivity, and overall contentment reduce disease risk and extend life. So does it stand to reason that the approaching holiday season should provide a boost to your health?

Ask the doctor: Ginkgo biloba for memory: Is it safe?

Q. Some people claim that ginkgo biloba may improve memory. What's your take on this supplement?

A. I know you'd like a simple and unambiguous answer—and I wish I could give it to you. Here's how I size up the evidence. I reserve the right to change my mind as new evidence emerges. There is little evidence that ginkgo protects a person from developing the age-related memory impairment that bothers many people. There is even less evidence that it protects against developing the condition called mild cognitive impairment, or that ginkgo protects people with mild cognitive impairment from developing dementia. There are a few studies that find ginkgo may slightly slow the progression of dementia in people with Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia (dementia caused by impaired blood supply to the brain). But other studies fail to find such a benefit. I haven't considered taking ginkgo to protect against memory loss: the evidence just isn't there, at least so far. 

Volunteering can be good for both mind and body

Science backs the mood-boosting benefits of being of service to others.

The upcoming holidays may inspire you to volunteer your time and talent to a deserving cause or person. And it's a gift that will come right back to you. "We grow up learning that it's better to give than to receive, and the evidence shows that it's actually healthy for us," says Dr. Michael Craig Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Low vitamin D levels associated with dementia

 

 

 

 


Image: Thinkstock 

 

You can add low vitamin D levels to the list of risk factors associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A study published online in Neurology on Aug. 6, 2014, found that in people ages 65 and older, low levels of vitamin D in the blood were associated with a 53% increased risk for developing dementia, and about a 70% increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), compared with normal blood levels of vitamin D. Blood levels of vitamin D that were extremely low were associated with even higher risks: 125% for developing dementia, and 120% for developing AD. The study didn't show that low and extremely low vitamin D levels cause dementia or Alzheimer's, and it didn't show that taking vitamin D pills or increasing the amount of vitamin D in the diet would prevent dementia and Alzheimer's. But could it help? "I would be very surprised if vitamin D supplementation alone would offer protection against dementia. AD is a process 15 to 20-plus years in the making, and most if not all of the mechanisms are probably in place five or six years before a dementia diagnosis," says neurologist Dr. Scott McGinnis, a Harvard Medical School instructor. Meantime, get your Recommended Dietary Allowance of vitamin D, which you need for strong bones, immune function, and cell growth.

Ask the doctor: Is there a pill for mild cognitive impairment?

Q. My doctor just diagnosed me with mild cognitive impairment, which has been quite upsetting. She told me that there isn't any medication to take that will keep this from getting worse. But I know of someone with this same problem who is taking a pill for it. Is my doctor right?

A. I can see how this could be distressing to you. However, your doctor is right. There is no evidence that for people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) taking any sort of pill—prescription or otherwise—prevents their memory problems from getting worse.

Does a statin prevent dementia?

Image: Thinkstock

There is evidence that statins both lower dementia risk and impair memory. What should you do?

A few years ago, research began to suggest that people who took statins to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease also had a lower risk of developing dementia. At the same time, however, some people who were taking statins were reporting memory loss, forgetfulness, and unfocused thinking. In 2012, the FDA expanded its advisory on statin risk to include cognitive impairment.

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