I have been most fortunate in my lifetime to have studied and lived in a few different countries and traveled throughout Europe, the (then) Soviet Union and parts of North Africa. This afforded me the opportunity to observe different family structures and especially observed different ways cultures treat their elderly. As we have been focused on Alzheimer's in our WEGO group, I wanted to dig deeper and learn how other cultures perceive and manage dementia in the family unit.
Because we have suc…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on October 7, 2008 at 5:30pm —
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Many of us are energized by the approaching elections. An admitted political junkie, I set out to clarify what each presidential candidate is pledging to the Alzheimer’s community.
Eric J. Hall of Alzheimer’s Foundation of America met this summer with domestic policy staff from the McCain and Obama campaigns. In his article on Health Central, Hall challenged the incoming administration to take steps toward earlier diagnosis and treatment; to enhance better long-term care; to create better quali…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on September 23, 2008 at 1:00pm —
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If you read my last blog, you will know that in addition to getting a newsletter out to those of you interested in Alzheimer's news and resources, I would also like to create some "webinars" for you. These are seminars you can tune into right over a cup of tea and the internet in the warmth and comfort of your home base! Each webinar focuses on one topic, so those of you with interest in a specific area can get information you need by participating. To that end, we at Wego are reaching out to yo…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on September 4, 2008 at 3:00pm —
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Many of you have joined WEGO Health’s Alzheimer’s Disease Community seeking resources, reassurance and hope from other caregivers, patients and advocates. I’m here in the midst of it all, listening to your concerns and questions, and helping point you in the right direction.
My involvement with Alzheimer’s is painted with a broad brush. As a medical educator, I’m continually tracking the latest advances in Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatment. There’s so much going on, from Capital Hill proceedi…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on September 3, 2008 at 2:00pm —
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on August 11, 2008 at 9:30am —
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Can a drug used to relieve symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis improve speech in Alzheimer’s patients? Yes, maybe……….. Etanercept (trade name Enbrel) is an RA anti-inflammatory drug from Wyeth and Amgen.
Enter Dr. Edward Tobinick, director of the Institute of Neurological Research, a private Los Angeles based medical group. Dr. Tobinick is a physician and inventor of a specialized method of injecting drugs into a patient’s neck. Ouch.
What Dr. Tobinick did in his frankly unscientific…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on July 21, 2008 at 1:30pm —
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In a New York Times article dated June 24, 2008 by Laurie Tarkan, the story of Theresa Lamascola bears witness to what is happening in many nursing homes. It stands as a commentary on how some dementia patients are managed.
When daughter Ramona Lamascola sought help for her 88 year old mother's developing anxiety and confusion, the doctor put her on the antipsychotic drug Risperdal.
The consquences of this choice were far-reaching for both patient and family. Soon after starting the drug, Ther…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on June 30, 2008 at 5:47pm —
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http://www.womansday.com/health/13157/12-ways-to-keep-your-mind-sharp.html
At one time or another I have signed up for daily "email drops" telling me everything I need to know including how to grow flowers of award-winning size (No watering! No weeding!!) and how to pay off all my bills in no time at all (Owe nothing on your mortgage and car loans in a few short weeks!!) Lately, I have been getting emails tantalizing me with "deals" on flights from Kansas City to Denver though I live just outsi…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on June 4, 2008 at 1:30pm —
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EPIX is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics. It is currently partnering with pharma GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to launch the next clinical trial stage of the Alzheimer's drug PRX-03140 taken with and without the well-known AD drug donepezil (Aricept).
During initial trials testing the safety of PRX-03140, researchers were excited to measure a positive impact on memory and cognition in some patients. How are thought processes and memory measured in these trials? Patie…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on June 4, 2008 at 12:00pm —
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I came across an interesting article in latest issue of Archives of Neurology. Drs. Trachtenberg and Trojanowski give a historical perspective on the word
dementia, describing its meaning in medical and social settings. "Dementia" is a general medical term used by doctors to describe a broad group of symptoms common to many brain disorders.
Dementia is defined by Merriam-Webster as a "mental deterioration of organic origin."
Over the years and across cultures, unfortunately, it has beco…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on June 4, 2008 at 10:00am —
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I came across an article recently that reinforces what many of us have believed all along: Keeping physically and mentally active not only promotes good physical health during the golden years, but can also keep those brain synapses well, snapping as it were. It is all a matter of balance, of course. It has also been shown that
too much stress over long periods of time ---regardless of age----does more harm than good and indeed has been shown to lower resistance, potentially leading to a…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on June 2, 2008 at 1:00pm —
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Doctors in the Department of Neurosurgery at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden are collaborating with drug company NsGene to study this possibility.
Alzheimer's disease results from the breakdown of cholinergic cells in the brain, cells critical in memory and other brain functions. The obvious solution is to stop the progressive breakdown of these cells and thereby halt the disease's progress.
This article from Alzheimer's Weekly describes the efforts of NsGene to administer the protei…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on May 12, 2008 at 4:35pm —
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Read this article to learn about Caprospinol ("SP-233"). This is one of six new Alzheimer's drugs selected by the FDA for clinical trials in 2008.
SP-233 intends to clear beta-amyloid plaque from the brain while protecting the brain against beta-amyloid induced cell death. Early animal studies showed restoration of memory and maintenance of healthy neuronal cells.
What does this all mean? Here is a drug that shows promise for treating and halting the disease, unlike many current therapies that…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on May 12, 2008 at 4:33pm —
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We are all familiar with the path taken by cholesterol as it potentially leads us to heart disease and stroke. A recent study presented at the American Academy of Neurology's April 2008 annual meeting has given us more reasons to clean up our fat act.
A study recently completed in Finland found that subjects with cholesterol levels of 249 to 500 in middle age were one and a half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's than people with readings of 198 and lower.
Of considerable interest was st…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on May 12, 2008 at 4:32pm —
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Read this story about Jim, a former construction foreman now thought to be in the latter part of the second stage of Alzheimer's. This means he has passed through the first stage of initial memory loss and confusion, and is progressing through the stage of personality deterioration and--always so heartbreakingly undignified--full loss of bodily function control.
Are we talking about someone's great grandpa in the local nursing home? No, this is Jim, now 39 years old and one of approximately a h…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on May 12, 2008 at 4:31pm —
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That is,
"Interrupting Alzheimer's Dementia by EvaluatiNg Treatment of AmyloId PaThologY". Maybe a stretch in their label, but I feel this is a most exciting clinical trial about to begin.
Drug company Eli Lilly is entering the decisive phase of new drug LY450139 as it launches a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to be conducted in the US and several other countries. For 21 months, 1,500 subjects will be studied while taking the drug.
It is hoped that LY450139 will slow…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on May 12, 2008 at 4:29pm —
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Observing my youngest nephew since birth, his parents and I watched their second child exhibit patterns of behavior frankly unknown to any of us. His mother, my sister, had been a quiet, studious and extremely bright and reflective child, working her way up to the rare air of Phi Beta Kappa at Yale. Her husband, the child's father, was also a studious type with a very laid back demeanor. Both are incredibly pleasant, bright and loving people, and great parents. They are both physicians.
From th…
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Added by Wendy Gammon, M.A., M.Ed. on April 4, 2008 at 3:57pm —
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