#80: Defeating Dementia - Installment #7 [31:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (965)

Installment #8 of Defeating Dementia - Promising news and approaches for progressive brain disorders.

Treat Alzheimer’s Early With Cholinesterase Inhibitors, Treat Long Term?

• At 1 year, patients on donepezil were significantly less likely to convert to Alzheimer’s disease. Over a year and a half, they did better on thinking, memory, and daily functioning measures, but by 3 years, there was no difference in the rate of conversion to Alzheimer?s signs and symptoms.
• Listeners are reminded of the potential importance of the likely neuroborreliosis etiology of Alzheimer’s; also the free CSF testing for evidence of the bug, being offered by Dr. Alan MacDonald in his research. Contact Dr. MacDonald via his website www.molecularalzheimer.org
• We also reflect briefly on research focusing on the use of vitamin E to reduce Alzheimers. The National Guideline Clearinghouse says vitamin E should be considered - at 1000 I.U. PO BID - in an attempt to slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Not a cure, but maybe Alzheimer’s patients can live longer and have better health if they take vitamin E.

Rivastigmine Patch Gets Approval for Dementia: It?s the second patch approved for Parkinson’s disease. One of the researchers (a consultant for the manufacturer, Novartis) said the patch appears better tolerated than the pill.

Alzheimer’s Disease Affects 5 Million: The prevalence is projected to skyrocket in the next 40 years.

Money and Leadership Sought As Alzheimer’s Crisis Looms: The Center for Health Transformation is a health policy think tank founded by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. The Center has a national financial-plus-leadership strategic plan intended to tackle the impending Alzheimer’s epidemic.

Race and Ethnicity Play Role in Alzheimer’s Treatment Delays: The survey found that essentially 70% of both African American and Hispanic caregivers were likely to dismiss the symptoms of Alzheimer’s as “old age” compared with just 50% of caregivers of other races. And African American caregivers were more likely to report that stigma of the diagnosis affected their decision to obtain a diagnosis for a family member.

CAIDE Dementia Risk Score Validated: This risk score predicts the likelihood of a middle-aged person developing dementia within 20 years. It has been independently validated in an ethnically diverse population.

Imaging Compound Pittsburgh B May Help Track Alzheimer’s: The investigational Pittsburgh B compound that binds to cerebral -amyloid and is visible on positron emission tomography — PET scans — maintains its promise as a way to distinguish the elderly patients presenting with memory problems who will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease from those who won’t progress.

Stroke in Early Alzheimer’s Ups Dementia Risk: The interaction of cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease pathology appears to significantly increase the risk of dementia from Alzheimer’s, even when only a small amount of Alzheimer’s pathology is present.

And Last but not least: Marijuana’s active ingredient, THC, acts as a cholinesterase inhibitor and may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Next week’s show: Our 5th installment of Vulnerability in Neurology - Potential challenges for neurologists on the clinical front lines. Tune in as we discuss insights about the doctor shortage from the results of a large survey done on hospital CEOs. We’ll have other important vulnerability-related news too.

Weblink (other): Alzheimer’s is the 3rd most expensive medical condition in the US. The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer’s disease add up to essentially $150 billion each year. That?s on the ?billions scale? the Iraq war is costing us each year. BTW: Click here for an interesting website showing a running total estimate of the ongoing costs of the Iraq war.

 

 #54: Imagery for Neurology [34:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (632)

Imaging and images for neurology professionals, installment #1.

Publication Date: Jan 26, 2007.

Show Notes: Conjuring up lies in the brain changes its magnetic resonance properties - so reproducibly and consistently that functional MRI images are over 90% accurate in actually viewing those lies! With neuroimaging research, potential benefits and thorny hazards abound!

A modern-day Pandora’s Box has been opened after revealing the secrets of modern-day imaging technology, releasing its potential societal woes. We invoke ‘contemporary mythology’ to address the neuroethical challenges being raised by the new imaging technologies. There are answers to help us survive the challenges, and progress efficiently and safely with neuroimaging. In fact, the answers are the only thing remaining in the mythical ‘Pandora’s Box’! Listen to learn some answers.

Show links: For a brief history of fMRI see www.ee.duke.edu.

 

 #39 - Spasms, Fits, Convulsions [36:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (564)

All things seizure-related, with focus on epilepsy. This is installment #3 of Spasms, Fits, and Convulsions - All Things Seizure-Related.

Publication Date: 10/13/06.

Show notes: We look at exciting clinical developments in epilepsy, with focus on medical imaging to locate origin of seizures. MRI is already able to identify seizure foci in infants. Our lead story is on combining different imaging modalities — in this case PET and CT — to find seizure foci even when MRI can’t.

 

 #37 - Stroke Struck [35:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (541)

Advances for Neurovascular Disorders, Installment #3.

Publication Date: 09/29/06.

Show notes: We tackle costs associated with comprehensive stroke centers, and what it takes to run them. Also: new application for statins to minimize vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage; CT perfusion score to predict risk from tPA-induced hemorrhage; APACHE score to predict stroke outcome after 1 year; increased cerebral emboli in dementia patients; and last but not least for the male neurology professionals listening: do you shave at least once daily? Find out why we ask!