Posts Tagged ‘Alzheimer’s’

UCLA Study: The Internet Is Altering Our Brains

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Adults with little Internet experience show changes in their brain activity after just one week online, a new study finds.

As the brain ages, a number of structural and functional changes occur, including atrophy, or decay, reductions in cell activity and increases in complex things like deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which can impact cognitive function.

Research has shown that mental stimulation similar to the stimulation that occurs in individuals who frequently use the Internet may affect the efficiency of cognitive processing and alter the way the brain encodes new information. Read full article

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National Alzheimer’s Office

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Very interesting news out yesterday about a proposed National Alzheimer’s Office in the White House to coordinate Alzheimer’s research, clinical care, and service. U.S. Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) are leading the charge. Their release can be found here.

Alzheimer’s directly impacts the lives of over 5.3 million Americans and is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Recent studies have shown that among Americans age 85 and older half will be afflicted with Alzheimer’s.

Any steps to improve care, both for patients and their loved ones, is a step in the right direction.