THE GIRL, 13, WHO’S HAD DEMENTIA SINCE SHE WAS NINE

A 13-year-old girl is suffering from Alzheimer’s-like dementia after developing an extremely rare form of the disorder.
Isobel Jeffery displays the same symptoms as some victims in their 70s, and can no longer feed or dress herself or walk or talk properly. She becomes easily confused and suffers memory loss, nightmares and hallucinations. Isobel [...]

Read Full Post »

WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE DEMENTIA?

Doctors have identified the following list of conditions can cause dementia or dementia-like symptoms. Many of these conditions are reversible with appropriate treatment.
(1) Reactions to Medications.
Medications can sometimes lead to reactions or side effects that mimic dementia. These dementia-like effects can occur in reaction to just one drug or they can result from drug [...]

Read Full Post »

CLEANER TEETH, CLEANER BRAIN?

A major research grant will help scientists study the links between memory and oral health in a bid to establish control over Alzheimer’s disease. The news of a $1.3 million study to be carried out on thousands of participants has been welcomed by the UK’s leading oral health charity – the British Dental Health Foundation.
Research [...]

Read Full Post »

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

He placed the cold stethoscope back into his starched white coat. “I’ll be back shortly,” he said as he exited the exam room.
Once in the narrow corridor, he slowed. His patient, Richard, not only had developed enlarged neck nodes despite radiation therapy to that area, but now had new ones in his axillary and groin [...]

Read Full Post »

BREAST CANCER RECURRENCE

Could lifestyle factors and behaviours affect the chances that a breast cancer survivor would develop cancer in the other breast?
A study analyzed data on 1,091 women, 40 to 79 years old, who had been treated successfully for breast cancer, including 365 who subsequently developed a new cancer in their other breast.
Women who were considered obese [...]

Read Full Post »

NEW BLOOD TESTS PROMISE SIMPLE COLON AND STOMACH CANCER DETECTION

Two new blood tests could help doctors detect colon and stomach cancers simply, cheaply and early without the need for invasive procedures or unpleasant examinations, researchers said on Monday.
The tests, one developed by the Belgian biotech firm OncoMethylome and another by scientists in Germany, use blood samples to detect specific genetic signals of the disease [...]

Read Full Post »

TROUBLE WITH DAILY ACTIVITIES COULD POINT TO ALZHEIMER’S RISK

Problems carrying out daily chores or enjoying hobbies could predict which people with “mild cognitive impairment” will progress more quickly to Alzheimer’s dementia, U.S. researchers report.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is “a condition in which a person has problems with memory, language, or another mental function severe enough to be noticeable [...]

Read Full Post »

INFECTIONS MAY SPEED ALZHEIMER’S MEMORY LOSS

A split-view image showing PET scans of a normal brain (L) and a brain with Alzheimer’s disease. Reuters/National Institute on Aging/Handout
Catching a cold or the flu could speed memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease, researchers reported
In a study of patients with mild to severe Alzheimer’s disease, they found that people who suffered acute [...]

Read Full Post »

DETERIORATION IN BRAIN FUNCTION FOLLOWING BREAST CANCER THERAPY HAS NEGATIVE EFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE

One of the most problematic side effects of cancer treatment, chemobrain – a range of symptoms including memory loss, inability to concentrate, difficulty thinking and other subtle cognitive changes following chemotherapy – seriously diminishes women’s quality of life and daily functioning. As a result, they have to adopt a range of coping strategies to manage [...]

Read Full Post »

ELDERLY MUST LEARN TO DETECT ILLNESSES

By 2020, nearly 10 per cent of the population will be 60 years old and above.
Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society President, Associate Professor Nathan Vytialingam said the nation faced a huge challenge in handling the implications of an ageing population, which include demands on the public healthcare system and services for the aged.
“Chronic diseases will [...]

Read Full Post »