Showing posts with label Dementia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dementia. Show all posts
Monday, 14 March 2016
Friday, 26 February 2016
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Thursday, 4 February 2016
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Monday, 23 November 2015
New research centre launched to tackle dementia epidemic
The Global Brain Health Institute will be funded by a €138.4m donation from Atlantic
Philanthropies - the biggest philanthropic donation in Irish history.
Affecting more than 48 million
people around the world, dementia is fast becoming a major health challenge,
with the numbers suffering from it expected to double every 20 years.
Experts say while no effective
treatment has yet been found, public health measures tackling risk factors like
high blood pressure, cholesterol and lifestyle issues could reduce the numbers
developing the condition in the coming decades.
The centre aims to tackle the
growing incidence of dementia by creating a generation of leaders around the
world with skills to change attitudes, policy and care and carry out research.
Over the next 15 years, the
institute will give multidisciplinary training to 600 fellows and scholars from
around the world.
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
Wednesday, 7 October 2015
Tuesday, 21 April 2015
Ireland has ‘fastest rising need’ for palliative care in Europe
Rapidly-ageing Irish population behind trend, new study suggests
Significant increases in funding will be needed to cater for the increase in deaths from cancer, dementia and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, according to the study published by British and Irish researchers in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
Eighty per cent of the deaths recorded between 2007 and 2011 were from conditions recognised as having associated palliative care needs. This compares to 63 per cent in the UK and 50 per cent in Australia.
The study shows that while deaths from cancer increased by 9.5 per cent over this period, the increase in deaths caused by dementia and neurodegenerative diseases was far greater, as 51 per cent and 43 per cent respectively. In contrast, deaths from heart and respiratory disease, and stroke, are falling.
It says new models of palliative care may be required to address these trends. Current funding levels are running at only half the required amount.
“It is internationally recognised that the prevalence of advanced chronic conditions such as cancer, dementia and neurodegenerative disease, which have recognised palliative care needs, increases with older age,” said lead author Dr Pauline Kane of King’s College London. “With Ireland’s population ageing at the fastest rate in Europe, this palliative care need will continue to grow.
Thursday, 16 April 2015
Thursday, 29 January 2015
Dementia 'linked' to common over-the-counter drugs
All of the types of medication in question are drugs that have an "anticholinergic" effect. Experts say people should not panic or stop taking their medicines.
In the US study in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, higher doses and prolonged use were linked to higher dementia risk in elderly people.
The researchers only looked at older people and found the increased risk appeared when people took drugs every day for three years or more.
All medicines can have side-effects and anticholinergic-type drugs that block a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine are no exception.
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Dementia study questions advice on taking supplements
Taking vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements does not seem to cut the risk of developing dementia in healthy people, say Dutch researchers.
In one of the largest studies to date, there was no difference in memory test scores between those who had taken the supplements for two years and those who were given a placebo.
The research was published in the journal Neurology.
B vitamins have been linked to Alzheimer's for some years, and scientists know that higher levels of a body chemical called homocysteine can raise the risk of both strokes and dementia.
Vitamin B12 and folic acid are both known to lower levels of homocysteine.
Study leader Dr Rosalie Dhonukshe-Rutten, from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, said: "Since homocysteine levels can be lowered with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements, the hope has been that taking these vitamins could also reduce the risk of memory loss and Alzheimer's disease.
"While the homocysteine levels decreased by more in the group taking the B vitamins than in the group taking the placebo, unfortunately there was no difference between the two groups in the scores on the thinking and memory tests."
Dr Eric Karran, director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: Longer follow-up periods would be needed to see if vitamin B12 or folic acid could slow the severe memory decline associated with dementia.
He added: "Although this study casts doubt on the use of vitamin B or folic acid supplements to aid memory, a balanced diet is a good way to keep healthy at all ages.
"Evidence suggests that we can maintain a healthy brain for longer by keeping a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, not smoking, staying active, drinking in moderation and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check."
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
University's study of eyeball link to Alzheime'rs
A team from the university's school of computing will carry out the three-year study with colleagues in Edinburgh.
Evidence suggests changes to veins and arteries in the eye could be linked to diseases including stroke and cardiovascular disease.
The team will study if this could act as an "early warning" of Alzheimer's.
The new study uses specially-developed computer software to analyse high-definition images of the eye from multiple instruments to establish whether such changes in the eye could act as an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease.
Emanuele Trucco, professor of computational vision at the school of computing, is leading the project.
He said: "If you can look into someone's eyes using an inexpensive machine and discover something which may suggest a risk of developing dementia, then that's a very interesting proposition.
"There is the promise of early warning in a non-invasive way and there is also the fact that we even might be able to use the test to differentiate between different types of dementia."
Friday, 5 September 2014
NUI Galway report highlights positive effect of reminiscence therapy for dementia sufferers
Professor Eamon O’Shea of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway
The positive effect of reminiscence therapy on the quality of life of people with dementia in long-stay care has been shown in a new report from NUI Galway. The report is the result of a major trial undertaken over the course of three years and involving over 300 dementia sufferers.
The trial is the largest of its kind internationally in the area of reminiscence therapy in long-stay settings, and was funded by the Health Research Board.
At its simplest, reminiscence is recalling an individual’s past memories and experiences, often through prompts such as photographs, music and familiar household items.
“The results showed positive effects of reminiscence for people with dementia,” explains Professor Eamon O’Shea of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway. “Reminiscence is increasingly seen as important in the care and support of people with dementia, given its potential to draw on early memories, which often remain intact for people with dementia, thereby highlighting the person’s preserved abilities rather than any cognitive impairment.
While pharmacological interventions have been the mainstay of caring for people with dementia, increasing attention is being paid to the role of psychosocial interventions in the care of people with dementia.”
Professor O’Shea added: “The results confirm the importance of a person-centred approach to the care of people with dementia in long-stay care settings. There are a range of psychosocial interventions, such as reminiscence therapy, cognitive stimulation, and art. Interestingly, there is reciprocity at play with the care givers, everyone gains through a more person-centred approach to care in long-stay settings.
The trial - the DementiA education programme incorporating REminiscence for Staff (DARES) - was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a reminiscence-based education programme.
Monday, 26 May 2014
Study suggests under supply in specialist dementia care
A new national survey of nursing homes suggests that there is a significant under supply in the provision of specialist care for people suffering from dementia in areas where demand will be significant in the future.
The survey also indicates that private nursing homes provide the bulk of specialist dementia care.
It suggested that the homes do not receive any extra funding from government to help them comply with specific criteria laid down for such care.
The study was carried out by the Dementia Services Information and Development Centre at Trinity College Dublin and St James's Hospital.
The research found some areas like Cavan/Monaghan, Cork, Donegal and Galway are over-supplied with SCUs for dementia patients, while in others like Dublin Carlow Wicklow there is no provision.
But despite an expected increase in the prevalence of dementia in Ireland, no significant expansion in supply is likely in the foreseeable future, the researchers found.
The study suggests significant variation in the level of therapeutic activities on offer to patients in the SCUs.
Specific dementia specific training for staff was more common in private rather than HSE or voluntary SCUs.
It indicated that respite beds were in short supply with just 66 available across the 54 SCUs.
Based on the estimated 30,000 community-dwelling people with dementia in Ireland, this figure suggests one respite bed for every 450 people with dementia, the authors say.
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
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Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Dementia Facebook app to raise awareness of the illness
Facebook users are being invited to experience what it is like to live with dementia in a bid to raise greater awareness about the disease.
The FaceDementia app, by Alzheimer's Research UK, "takes over" personal Facebook pages, and temporarily erases important memories, mimicking how dementia affects the brain.
People can also watch short videos featuring people affected by dementia explaining what impact the symptoms, simulated by FaceDementia, have had on them or their relative.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Facebook's appeal is that it can gather your friends and family and keep them close, with memories and contacts all contained within one space. It also develops a diary of your life since you joined the site and documents your thoughts and musings during that time.
"We wanted to use these Facebook features to illustrate how those thoughts and memories can be confused, or forgotten altogether, as experienced by some of the hundreds of thousands of people living with dementia."
"Stigma around dementia is due in part to a lack of public awareness and understanding, so FaceDementia will be invaluable in helping people better understand the condition."
Monday, 10 March 2014
Blood test offers hope on dementia
Scientists have developed a new blood test that could detect whether or not a person will develop dementia within three years.
Changes in the blood may signify Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stages, researchers found.
A new study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, identified ten molecules in blood that could be used to predict, with at least 90% accuracy, whether people will go on to develop mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease.
It is the first research that has been able to show differences in biomarkers in the blood between people with Alzheimer's disease before the symptoms occur and people who will not go on to develop the condition.
The finding has potential for developing treatment strategies for Alzheimer's at an earlier stage, when therapy would be more effective at slowing or preventing the onset of symptoms, the authors said.
Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Centre in the US examined 525 healthy participants aged 70 and over and monitored them for five years.
Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Centre in the US examined 525 healthy participants aged 70 and over and monitored them for five years.
During the research, 28 participants went on to develop the conditions and 46 were diagnosed at the start of the study.
Mid-way through the research, the authors analysed 53 patients who already had one of the conditions and 53 "cognitively normal" people.
They discovered ten molecules that appeared to "reveal the breakdown of neural cell membranes in participants who develop symptoms of cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease". View more information on RTE/Health here
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Short films tackle stigma of memory loss
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have developed a series of online videos to allay fears about memory loss, promote brain health and tackle the stigma associated with dementia.
The animated films address common concerns about the effects of memory loss and dementia.
There are more than 41,000 people living with dementia and in three decades' time it is predicted that figure will rise to over 140,000.
According to the researchers on the Neuro-Enhancement for Independent Lives (NEIL) programme at Trinity's Institute of Neuroscience, stigma associated with dementia prevents open discussion of the condition and encourages the false belief that nothing can be done for people with dementia and their families.
The films tackle common worries about memory loss and dementia and provide advice about how to improve brain health.
Topics covered in the films include: When should I be concerned about my memory? What can you do to keep your brain healthy? And what is the difference between Alzheimer's and Dementia?
The FreeDem films project has been co-funded by GENIO, an independent, non-profit organisation based in Ireland.
The videos are available to view for free online at freedemliving.com and are also available on DVD.
Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Raising dementia awareness
An initiative is “walking the lives” of people with dementia to assess their needs and to increase public awareness of how to support people in the community with dementia and memory problems.
The three-year Elevator project aims to deliver training to 7,500 people working with the public and to develop courses for healthcare specialists and carers, according to project co-ordinator Dr Kate Irving, lecturer in mental health nursing at Dublin City University’s school of nursing and human sciences.
“We are looking to work with key organisations to improve services for and care of people with dementia,” she said.
The €2.7 million project, funded through the HSE and Atlantic Philanthropies, is initially carrying out a needs analysis that puts the person with dementia at the centre.
The Elevator project plans to develop specialist education up to Masters level for people who care for people with dementia.
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Decrease in prevelance of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the past 20 years
People are less likely to experience dementia and Alzheimer’s disease today than they were 20 years ago — and those who do may be developing it later in life — says a new perspective article in the New England Journal of Medicine that examines the positive trends in dementia.
The authors examined five recent studies that suggest a decrease in the prevalence of dementia, crediting the positive trend to improvements in education levels, healthcare and lifestyle.
“We’re very encouraged to see a growing number of studies from around the world that suggest that the risk of dementia may be falling due to rising levels of education and better prevention and treatment of key cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol,” says co-author Kenneth Langa, MD., PhD., a Professor of Internal Medicine at the U-M Medical School and research investigator at the Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR), VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.
The authors point to two key factors that may explain the decreased risk of dementia over the past few decades: People are completing more years of school, which helps the brain fight off dementia; and there’s more awareness and focus on preventing heart disease, another big risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
Thursday, 5 December 2013
44m living with dementia worldwide - study
The number of people living with dementia worldwide is set to treble by 2050. A new analysis by experts at the charity Alzheimer's Disease International says 44 million people live with the disease, but that figure will increase to 135 million by 2050.The figures were released ahead of a G8 dementia summit in London next week.
The report 'The Global Imact of Dementia 2013-2050' says most governments are "woefully unprepared for the dementia epidemic". Alzheimer's Disease International expects increasing life expectancies to drive a surge in cases in poor and middle-income countries, particularly in South East Asia and Africa.
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