memory loss tagged posts

Turmeric powder and roots. Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Credit: © pinkomelet / Fotolia

Twice-daily supplements boosted cognitive power over 18 months. Daily consumption of a certain form of curcumin improved memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss, according to the results of a study conducted by UCLA researchers. The research, published online Jan. 19 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, examined the effects of an easily absorbed curcumin supplement on memory performance in people without dementia, as well as curcumin’s potential impact on the microscopic plaques and tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Found in turmeric, curcumin has previously been shown to ha...

Images: 1. RHEB, Ras homolog enriched in brain  2. BACE1

TSRI Florida scientists have made an important discovery toward the development of drugs to treat age-related memory loss in diseases like Alzheimer’s. They found that reduced levels of a protein called Rheb result in spontaneous symptoms of memory loss in animal models and are linked to increased levels of another protein known to be elevated in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Subramaniam’s group investigated the link between Rheb and an important enzyme called BACE1, which is elevated in older adults and people with Alzheimer’s disease.

“We know that Rheb regulates BACE1, which is a major drug target in Alzheimer’s disease,” Subramaniam said...

Auriel Willette used data from brain scans and memory tests to track the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Photo by Blake Lanser

Iowa State University researchers have identified a protein essential for building memories that appears to predict the progression of memory loss and brain atrophy in Alzheimer’s patients. The findings also suggest there is a link between brain activity and the presence of the protein neuronal pentraxin-2, or NPTX2. The research, published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, found a correlation between higher levels of NPTX2 and better memory and more brain volume. Lower levels of the protein were associated with diminished memory and less volume.

“NPTX2 seems to exert a protective effect,” Swanson said...

Alzheimer’s Association International Conference has 5 tips to guard your brain against memory loss:

GET BETTER SHUT-EYE
Studies of >6,000 people linked poor sleep quality, especially sleep apnea to mild cognitive impairment >> raises the risk of later Alzheimer’s. Other research showed poor sleep can spur amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. “Sleep disorders are so common, and we think many are quite treatable.”

EXERCISE YOUR GRAY MATTER
Seniors often are advised to work crossword puzzles, take music lessons or learn a new language to keep the brain engaged. The protective effects of learning may start decades earlier in life. In Sweden, researchers at the Karolinska Institute unearthed school report cards and work histories of >7,000 older adults...