By 2050, the U.S. Alzheimer's population will double. We're not prepared.
The Alzheimer's Association says its new analysis and surveys "should sound an alarm regarding the future of dementia care in America."
- By 2050, the number of Americans over age 65 with Alzheimer's is expected to rise from 5.8 to 13.8 million.
- A new report from the Alzheimer's Association highlights how the already-stressed U.S. healthcare system is not prepared to meet this surge.
- There's currently no cure for Alzheimer's, which is a degenerative and potentially deadly form of dementia.
'Self is not entirely lost in dementia,' argues new review
The assumption "that without memory, there can be no self" is wrong, say researchers.
In the past when scholars have reflected on the psychological impact of dementia they have frequently referred to the loss of the "self" in dramatic and devastating terms, using language such as the "unbecoming of the self" or the "disintegration" of the self. In a new review released as a preprint at PsyArXiv, an international team of psychologists led by Muireann Irish at the University of Sydney challenge this bleak picture which they attribute to the common, but mistaken, assumption "that without memory, there can be no self" (as encapsulated by the line from Hume: "Memory alone… 'tis to be considered… as the source of personal identity").
The cause of Alzheimer’s may be gum disease
This means the disease may be curable and a vaccine possible.
- Bacteria in periodontitis seems to be the culprit.
- Reported amyloid and tau buildups may be a response, not a cause.
- Compelling research offers a genuine reason for optimism.
A new brain implant could slow Alzheimer’s progression
One patient retained the ability to dress herself, make a simple meal, and even change her plans depending on the weather.
Electrical brain stimulation has been shown to boost memory and enhance learning. Now, scientists have turned their sights on neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, found they could delay cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s by using deep brain stimulation. This could allow such patients to be independent for a longer period of time. Their results were published in The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Scientists Discovered What Causes Dementia
An international team of researchers claims to have found a major cause of dementia - an incurable brain disease.
