MetaFilter posts tagged with alzheimers

"I live in hope I can jump before I am pushed."

Artw — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:44:40 -0800

Terry Pratchett: I'll die before the endgame

The Alzheimer's Project

ocherdraco — Sun, 17 May 2009 10:57:18 -0800

The Alzheimer's Project. HBO is streaming online a four-part documentary on Alzheimer's Disease. The Memory Loss Tapes focuses on the experience of people who have the disease themselves, Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am? tells the stories of children whose grandparents have the disease, Momentum in Science looks at the state of research into the disease and advances in treatment, and Caregivers follows the sacrifices and joys of those who care for people with Alzheimer's. From the description of "The Memory Loss Tapes" on the HBO website:

Among the emotionally gripping stories: a mother who holds on fiercely to her simple lifestyle, yet recognizes that her memory failures are making it more difficult to do so; another mother who complains to her daughter "I have lost my independence" after failing a driving test; a woman in a nursing home who thinks her mirrored reflection is her "best friend," and who is haunted by imaginary snakes crawling over her wheelchair; a onetime computer whiz who keeps a blog to chronicle his activities while he still can; a father who no longer can remember his family, but can still steal the spotlight when performing in public with a local vocal group; a daughter who must build a fence around her farm to prevent her mother from wandering off; and the onetime host of a kids' TV show, whose wife brings him to a hospice after his body finally starts shutting down.

Each of these stories are profoundly moving, fascinating, and devastating. I was particularly touched by "Woody's Song" (about halfway through "The Memory Loss Tapes"). Woody doesn't remember who his family is or what he is doing for longer than a moment or two, but when he gets up on stage with his old singing group, he sings a song word for word, and beautifully.

Ow! My brain hurts!

stonedcoldsober — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:21:41 -0800

How will Alzheimer's researchers ever reconcile this study and this study? Pardon me while I go find something to munch on while I ponder my options. Marijuana's effect on Alzheimer's has been covered before but the convergence of the two memory studies on the same day was too good to bogart.

It started out with mom not knowing how to use the telephone and progressed from there.

Panjandrum — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:29:04 -0800

New research suggests that low blood pressure is a symptom, not a cause, of Alzheimer's Disease. While the cause of the disease is still unknown, some research suggests stress exacerbates its progression. Also, the problem is growing across the globe. So, while you never forget the challenges and revelations of those living with the effects of Alzheimer's, try to laugh and smile a little more.

Match it for Pratchett

joannemerriam — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:18:00 -0800

Match It For Pratchett is a campaign to match Terry Pratchett's donation of $1 million (half a million pounds) to the UK charity, the Alzheimer’s Research Trust. Since they started on March 15, they've raised over $34k. SF writer Jay Lake has organized a matching campaign to raise $2k at Norwescon. Several people are organizing charity auctions. And of course, there's a Facebook group, from which I've stolen this list of Alzheimer's charities: UK: http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/ US: http://www.alz.org/index.asp Canada: http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/help/intro.htm Alzheimer Europe: http://www.dementia-in-europe.eu/?lm2=XTDPPCTCMHWD Australia: http://www.alzheimers.org.au/ Australia: http://www.alzheimers.com.au/donate/ France: http://www.francealzheimer.com/

Terry Pratchett diagnosed with a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's

robocop is bleeding — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:05:32 -0800

Terry Pratchett diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Turns out last month's stroke was a symptom of a greater illness. While there's still some time to go before we have to worry about Discworld substitutions, it has been a pretty tough year for fantasy authors. The instances of rare diseases showing up in otherwise healthy fantasy authors who should hopefully still have years and years of stories in them is distressing. If these things come in threes, who's next?

tales of music and the brain

melissa may — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:51:27 -0800

Musicophilia. Metafilter's own digaman interviews Oliver Sacks on his forthcoming book and a lifetime's worth of loving music and studying its effects on the human mind. Music therapy for persons with Alzheimers (pdf). Just in Time by the Grunyons, the a cappella vocal group referenced in the article. Grainy 1986 interview with Dr. Sacks on The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (worth watching for his glorious beard alone). Wonderful NPR segment on Williams Syndrome. Brief article on hallucinogens, healing, and music.

Down syndrome and Alzheimer's

mcwetboy — Sat, 05 May 2007 09:26:25 -0800

Down syndrome and Alzheimer's. People with Down syndrome are much more likely to develop Alzheimer's, and at a much earlier age: three-quarters of them will get it by the age of 65, compared with one-tenth of the general population. This Globe and Mail article looks at a relatively new phenomenon due, in no small part, to longer life expentancies among those with Down syndrome.

Snoezelen

jtajta — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:49:35 -0800

A snoezelen room is a multi-sensory environment that provides comfort for people with severe mental disabilities. They tend to incorporate a combination of visual, aural, and tactile stimulii, but can take many different forms. The rooms generally offer soothing, non-directive therapy, but the effects are hard to quantify. While mostly used with children, some think the snoezelen can help those with alzheimer's or dem entia.

Something advertorial

Sparx — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 05:19:08 -0800

Sometimes the best of the web is just moments. Previously linked comic hitting harshly where it hurts.

Could Alzheimer's be a form of diabetes?

lilboo — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 07:58:53 -0800

Could Alzheimer's be a form of diabetes?
Well, I'm not looking forward to taking those insulin shots....via Medgadget

Old men, take a look at their lives

oldleada — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 14:09:55 -0800

I saw Assisted Living and asked, what if it was my grandmother on screen? It's funny, but troubling. Old people think they are talking to heaven on the telephone, and then there's the monkey scene. The director says, "if I made a porn movie and inserted images from the Alzheimer's ward into the film, it would be morally terrible." Some critics liked it, some didn't. Maybe bodily decrepitude isn't wisdom.

Is there anything it can't do

Mr_Zero — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 20:10:18 -0800

It seems that marijuana may have yet another medicinal purpose. A recent study has shown that cannabinoids may slow the development of Alzheimer's. With so many states voting in medicinal and/or decriminalization laws, can legalization be that far away?

Big heads wobbling on wee necks?....

troutfishing — Fri, 05 Mar 2004 10:11:01 -0800

Nootropics ("smart" drugs) - all wish to be smarter, correct ? And - while exercise, nutrition, learning, travel, and social interaction (the last 3 via release of neurotrophins) effectively do this, Nootropic drugs have been researched since the 1950's and have been shown to cause at least short term cognitive function enhancement. Piracetam, the first of this drugs, shows promise in the treatment of Alzheimer's and Attention deficit Disorder. Alas, as with poor little Algernon, the effect seems temporary. Nootropics can be a little difficult to acquire in the US. Beer is not a nootropic, but sex on the other hand.....

Well, what about pain?...

troutfishing — Sat, 28 Jun 2003 10:00:14 -0800

No Brainer - I've eaten a lot of Tofu in my day and was concerned about "brain-shrink". Then I found about this, and stopped worrying - Is your brain really necessary? Apparently not:

"...The student in question was academically bright, had a reported IQ of 126 and was expected to graduate. When he was examined by CAT-scan, however, Lorber discovered that he had virtually no brain at all." I'm hungry...where's that tofu?...

Is soy safe?

mcsweetie — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 14:25:24 -0800

Is soy safe? As an ardent herbivore, I was pretty shocked to learn that tofu can shrink your brain. In a major ongoing study involving 3,734 elderly Japanese-American men, those who ate the most tofu during midlife had up to 2.4 times the risk of later developing Alzheimer's disease. [...] higher midlife tofu consumption was also associated with low brain weight. (a dissenting opinion)

Could it be that little ole bean, found in over half of the food on supermarket shelves, is bad for you? [more inside]

Prom, other activities jazz up life for Alzheimer's patients.

Macboy — Mon, 21 Apr 2003 19:22:13 -0800

Prom for the young at heart. A Milwaukee woman raises awareness about Alzheimers using a high school theme and some creativity.

Losing the memories of a life

GaelFC — Wed, 15 Jan 2003 13:54:55 -0800

Losing the memories of a life. A staff writer for the Washington Post Magazine tells what it's like to watch his mother slip away to the unknown world of Alzheimer's disease. There's a little bit about possible causes and the science of the disease, but mostly it's a very personal story, and it's stayed with me since I read it. Excerpt: "He changed the subject before the fury came. When she became angry or terribly disoriented, she sometimes told him he needed to go home; that her husband would be arriving soon, and that he better be gone. I am your husband, he would say, smiling. She would yell: Go. Go home."

Collective Memory

plep — Fri, 15 Nov 2002 04:43:26 -0800

Collective Memory. A collection of sites which are creating collective memory on the web. A personal favourite is TimeSlips, a storytelling project with people with Alzheimer's.

mcwetboy — Sat, 21 Sep 2002 14:12:43 -0800

Holocaust survivors with Alzheimer's are forced to relive Auschwitz. "At Baycrest's Apotex Centre, Jewish Home for the Aged in Toronto, 50 per cent of patients with dementia are Holocaust survivors for whom the loss of short-term memory condemns them, once again, to the death camps."

djfiander — Fri, 09 Aug 2002 11:51:19 -0800

Charton Heston has symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's But he plans to continue to hold the position of NRA President, at least until the dementia means he can no long aim effectively.

LuxFX — Mon, 15 Jul 2002 20:01:44 -0800

New Starbucks Slogan: "For Your Health".... new research shows that three cups of coffee or more every day might reduce risk of alzheimers by 60%. I'm sure dedicated coffee drinkers really need another reason....

costas — Wed, 27 Feb 2002 06:27:23 -0800

Alzheimer's gene screened out from newborn. Doctors successfully made sure that the mother's Alzheimer's gene wasn't inherited by her baby. This is big news for prospective parents with hereditary diseases.

sudama — Thu, 08 Mar 2001 19:51:30 -0800

"Maybe all this is why I'm so tired of other white folks trying to sell me bullshit like: 'I don't have a racist bone in my body,' or 'I never notice color.' See, MawMaw would have said that too. And she would have meant well. And she would have been wrong."

DragonBoy — Sun, 09 Jul 2000 19:34:21 -0800

Use MetaFilter to prevent Alzheimer's disease. It seems that a love of reading may help reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease.

People with more education, in contrast, seem at lower risk of Alzheimer's. A study presented Sunday of Swedish twins where one twin had Alzheimer's and the other was healthy suggests a love of reading [metafilter.com], as a child and adult, might be protective.