Category Archives: Brain Function

Stress is one thing most of us face in our hectic lives. But post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) is a disease of intense mental anguish from the kind of life or death trauma faced by soldiers in combat, a car crash, serious injury, sudden death of a loved one, or sexual violence. Trauma to this degree ...click here to read more

Lewy body dementia (LBD) may often be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease, according to research findings. Howard I. Hurtig, chair at the department of neurology, Pennsylvania Hospital warned, “While the symptoms of LBD may be similar to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, the treatment strategy is more challenging because fewer medications can be used safely. I cannot ...click here to read more

Some dementia patients may start exhibiting aggressive behavior as the disease progresses. There are different causes for behavioral changes in dementia which don’t necessarily revolve around the disease itself. For example, behavioral changes may be associated with some sort of difficulty brought on by dementia, side effects of medications, changes in environment, social interactions, habits, ...click here to read more

Sleep disorders are a common problem in Alzheimer’s disease. Because sleep is such an important aspect of overall good health, it’s important to find ways of improving sleep in Alzheimer’s patients in order to reduce the risk of other health complications. You may be wondering, why Alzheimer’s disease and sleep disorders coexist. It mainly has ...click here to read more

Lew body dementia (LBD) is an umbrella term referring to both Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. In dementia with Lewy bodies, cognitive symptoms interfering with daily living present themselves before or within one year of Parkinson’s-like movement problems. In Parkinson’s disease dementia, cognitive symptoms usually don’t appear until after a year of ...click here to read more

In dementia patients, depressive symptoms may be reduced with high-intensity exercise and group activities. Author of the dissertation Gustaf Boström explained, “Unfortunately, depression is common among older people, especially in people with dementia. Treatment with antidepressant drugs is often ineffective in older people and people with dementia. In addition, the risk of drug-related side effects ...click here to read more

Delirium after cardiac surgery is linked to prolonged loss of cognitive function. The findings of the study suggest that interventions to prevent delirium in advance of surgery could help cardiac patients avoid long-term cognitive consequences. Co-lead author Jane Saczynski explained, “Our findings now suggest that postoperative delirium, once thought of as an acute, transient cognitive ...click here to read more

Agitation and anxiety in Alzheimer’s disease are just some of the possible behavioral symptoms a patient may experience. These symptoms often develop in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Agitation can present itself as verbal or physical outburst, general emotional distress, restlessness, pacing, or even shredding paper. Understanding the root cause of behavioral symptoms in ...click here to read more

High blood pressure may raise the risk of developing vascular dementia. The analysis of medical records from over four million people helped researchers identify high blood pressure as a risk factor for vascular dementia. Vascular dementia develops when part of the brain isn’t getting enough blood carrying the oxygen and nutrients it requires. Some people ...click here to read more

Mild cognitive impairment in older adults may improve with computer-based brain training before dementia diagnosis. The researchers reviewed over 20 years of research and found that brain training could improve cognitive function, memory, learning, and attention, along with psychosocial functioning (mood and self-perceived quality of life). On the other hand, when data from 12 brain ...click here to read more

In Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive impairment may be improved with probiotics. Probiotics have been shown to help aid in other conditions such as IBS, IBD, allergies, colds, and many more. Although researchers have long hypothesized that probiotics may have a positive influence on cognitive health, there was little evidence to support this notion. The idea that ...click here to read more

Delusions and hallucinations are common in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Delusions are false beliefs, and even though you may provide the patient with evidence to suggest otherwise, they still hold on to their original belief. Delusions can come in a form of a paranoid idea – for example, a patient may believe that ...click here to read more

For years, little was known about Parkinson’s disease. Without a cause, a cure could not be found. But after extensive research, we’re closer to a potential cure as scientists have now discovered a cause for Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease mainly affects movement as it is a progressive neurological illness. Which means, over time Parkinson’s disease ...click here to read more

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia risk may be reduced in elderly who take college courses, according to research. The Australian study looked at 359 participants who partook in a series of cognitive tests prior to completing a full year of college courses – either part-time or full-time. The participants were reassessed every year for three years. ...click here to read more