Senior Living Residences and our Compass Memory Support Communities stay up-to-date with the latest news and scientific discoveries in Alzheimer’s disease. By understanding the causes and effects of this disease, we can better understand how to help our residents and their families in coping with this disease.

According to a recent article in ScienceDaily (June 16, 2010), researchers may have uncovered additional evidence that several previously studied genetic variants are associated with the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease and also may have identified new genetic risk factors for further study. These findings are reported in the June issue of Archives of Neurology. Researchers were able to draw these conclusions by investigating the association between genetic loci related to Alzheimer’s disease and neuroimaging measures related to disease risk.

For the full article, visit ScienceDaily.com.

A recent study at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago has shown that intake of certain foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, lower intake of meat, moderate wine consumption and non-refined grains (found in the Mediterranean diet) is associated with less mental decline with age.

http://www.alzheimersbeacon.com/2010/06/09/mediterranean-diet-associated-with-reduced-cognitive-decline/

A recent article in Science Daily reports a new study conducted at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) which indicates that people with Alzheimer’s disease can better recall information when it is conveyed by music. This new research may be helpful in leading to new ways of treating people with Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent study conducted by a group of New York researches have found that certain foods can help ward off the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers examined the dietary habits of 2,148 older men and women, age 65 or older and free of memory loss or other symptoms of Alzheimer’s. The study determined that brain-healthy foods including salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, cruciferous vegetables, fruits, and dark and green leafy vegetables may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Conversely, particular foods may be bad for brain health and may be linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s including total fats, particularly saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids.

At Senior Living Residences, we have a truly holistic approach aiming to improve our residents’ quality of life. Nutrition is one of the most important. SLR is the first assisted living company in the nation to offer the Memory Preservation Nutrition® program, developed by internationally recognized expert Nancy Emerson Lombardo, PhD. With our years of experience, we know there is a better way to provide care for individuals with dementia.

Science Daily, recently reported on new findings regarding neuroimaging and an increased ability to ‘see’ Alzheimer’s disease at its earliest stage. As you’ve read here before, earlier diagnosis will ultimately to improved treatment, possibly slowing the progression of the disease.

Researches at UCLA followed 169 study participants diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), the stage between the cognitive decline associated with normal aging and the more serious changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Over a three year period, they took pictures of the brains of the individuals in the study, using sophisticated imaging and noting subtle changes over time.

After three years, the researches observed that the individuals who converted from MCI to Alzheimer’s disease showed changes in the hippocampus of the brain, specifically a 10-30 percent atrophy. The early changes noted in the brain imaging appeared before participants reported any decrease in functional ability related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Lianna Apostolova, senior author, of the study’s related paper and a member of the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging stated, ““We feel this is an important finding because it is in living humans.” She went on to say, “Now we have a sensitive technique that shows the ‘invisible’ – this is, the progression of a disease before symptoms appear.”