Caffeine may ease or reverse Alzheimer's: study

Mice with disease perform much better on memory tests if given caffeine

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/07/06/caffeine-alzheimer-mice236.html#ixzz0pidQYieT

CBC News: Increased consumption of caffeine may mitigate or even reverse the effects of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
They came to that conclusion after completing a study that tested the effects of caffeine on mice that had Alzheimer's disease.

The study, published Sunday in the online version of Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, tested 55 mice that had been genetically programmed to develop Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers conducted behavioural tests on the mice when they were about 18 to 19 months old — about 70 years in human age. That's when the mice began showing symptoms of Alzheimer's, notably memory loss.

Half of the mice were given caffeine in their water while the other half — the control group — drank unadulterated water. The caffeine dose is equivalent to a human consuming around 500 milligrams, or five eight-ounce cups of coffee.

All the mice were tested two months later. Those that were given the caffeine performed much better on memory and thinking tests than the control group. The memories of those caffeinated mice were comparable to mice without dementia, the researchers said.

 

Caffeine treatment removed some beta amyloid plaques from the brains of mice afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. 
  (Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center) 

The researchers found that the caffeinated mice also had an almost 50 per cent reduction of beta amyloid, a destructive protein that is found in clumps in the brains of those afflicted with Alzheimer's.

Caffeine may suppress changes in the brain that lead to an overproduction of beta amyloid, the researchers said.

"The new findings provide evidence that caffeine could be a viable 'treatment' for established Alzheimer's disease, and not simply a protective strategy," said lead author Gary Arendash, neuroscientist with the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

"That's important, because caffeine is a safe drug for most people, it easily enters the brain, and it appears to directly affect the disease process," Arendash said in a release. But he cautioned that pregnant women or those with high blood pressure should limit their caffeine intake.

The study also found that mice without symptoms of Alzheimer's didn't perform any better on memory or thinking tests when given caffeine.

"This suggests that caffeine will not increase memory performance above normal levels," said Arendash. "Rather, it appears to benefit those destined to develop Alzheimer's disease."

The researchers say more research needs to be conducted on Alzheimer's patients to determine how effective caffeine is on human sufferers.

69th Birthday in the Care Home

It was my mother's birthday this week. I spoke with my sister and we had a hard time deciding if we should do something special for her and what. She gets so easily overwhelmed these days that it's not generally a good idea to have a lot of people around and make a big fuss.  We decided we really should acknowledge her birthday somehow but that we would go see her separately.

Me and AC and the baby ended up going to the care home to see her around the dinner hour. I had made a cake and we brought flowers and a card.

She was already sitting at the dinner table. Her eyes were closed although she was clearly awake. She seemed to be fussing with something imaginary on the tabletop. I touched her on the shoulder and told her I was here and that it's her birthday. She seemed to stop and listen for a moment, but I'm not sure she understood. Some cutlery wrapped in a paper napkin had been placed in front of her and she picked it up and started to try to eat the napkin.

Then her dinner was served -- a simple but pretty decent meal of soup, grilled cheese sandwich, salad, strawberry yogurt and orange juice. Her eyes were open by this time. She clumsily began to stab at the sandwich with her soup spoon. I cut it up for her and gave her the fork. She used the fork to mix some strawberry yogurt into her tomato soup and put some salad in the soup with her hands. Then she poured some juice into her yogurt, then poured the mixture over her sandwich. We have learned to just let her do this. She gets mad when you try to correct her or help her, and there's really no harm done. Although she had trouble getting food on her spoon and fork, she eventually was able about half her meal in her mouth.

The nurse on duty suggested we bring out the cake and sing to her when she finished her meal, so we did. What a debacle! (in a funny sort of way). The rest of the residents joined in with singing, and everyone sang different words at different times in different keys. No wonder my mother was confused!

But even if we had sung nicely in unison, I don't think she would have understood what was going on. As soon as we brought out the cake, she got up and started walking away, oblivious to what was happening (or trying to avoid it?).

She did stop to hold the baby a few times and really enjoyed that. She didn't say more than 3 or 4 words the whole time we were there, and one of the words was "Schwer!" (the German word for "heavy") when she was holding the baby.

The rest of the visit was a bit chaotic as she kept wandering off and we were trying to coordinate feeding the baby while trying to follow her around. She is just not able to focus on anything for more than a minute or so, and then she's off exploring the hallway, often running her hands along the corners of walls or under chairs as if she's inspecting them. She also tends to rearrange things. In any case, she was not interested in us or didn't realize we were still there.

This is pretty typical for visits. We stay about 30 minutes to an hour. I really don't know if she even knows who we are or how long she'll remember that we were there. I know she loves seeing and holding the baby, so it's worth it to bring him and bring her some joy. But it's so hard to tell what still sinks in. Did she have any understanding of what a birthday is? Did she care, or did she want to avoid the whole thing? I really don't know. I don't even know if the visits benefit her in any way. But you have to assume they do and keep doing it, giving it the benefit of the doubt.

A Visit & Thoughts on Materialism

AC and I packed up the baby and visited my mother this week. It was lunch time at the care home, and the nurse told me that my mom  had slept in and had just woken up at 11:30.

When we arrived she was sitting at a table in the dining room with two other ladies and was playing with a stuffed dog, like a little girl. She seemed to recognize us, although I'm not sure she knew which people specifically we were. As soon as she glanced at the baby she immediately motioned to ask to hold him. I could see that her mood suddenly sparked up. She could hold the baby on her lap, but we gave her an extra hand for support because she has grown weak and less coordinated and the baby has grown so heavy and squirmy.

We sat with her while she finished lunch and then took her out for a walk in the gardens. She was especially affectionate towards AC for some reason, kissing him on the cheek and hugging him often.

Her speech was a bit better than the last time we saw her, although a real conversation just isn't possible anymore. She can kind of get across what she's trying to say using sparse words (often the wrong ones) and gestures. Otherwise she is still looking well, and it seems to me that the staff is very kind and caring. I'm happy she is there. She seems as happy as she could be.

My sister and I spent some time organizing her house and thinking about what to do with her things. Our other sister is coming from Europe for awhile to visit and help out with this also. We want to slowly move things out so that we don't have to do a rushed job of it during a more stressful time. It's a strange and sad experience. Although we know she would want us to have her things that she cannot use anymore, it's uncomfortable laying claim to it, especially because she is still living.

Although she lived modestly, my mother had a lot of pride in her things and as we sifted through them I realized I knew a lot about them and what they meant to her. And yet here we are deciding their fate on what value they have to us or someone else. Objects are important so long as someone values them, but the lose importance when someone does not.

A phrase that keeps sticking in my head is "You can't take it with you". It makes me take stock in the material objects I have of my own and if I really need them to be happy. I will not go so far as to say that material objects mean nothing, because they do, and I think we need a certain amount of them for a good quality of life. But I'm definitely more aware of the useless "things" in my life and have been purging myself of them since we left the Kootenays. I guess you could say I see the value in minimalism these days. I'm learning things I didn't expect to through this experience with my mother.

A New Care Home

Last week I went with my sister and my baby to visit my mom in her new care home. She was moved there after 2 months in the hospital care ward. It's a fairly nice facility -- not too fancy but clean and friendly. There are about a dozen other patients on her floor, and there is access to a lovely spacious garden and a large patio with plants and places to sit. It's a non-profit facility in Vancouver.

Her room looks basically like a hospital room, but we can personalize it a lot more. We brought one of her dressers from her bedroom and some pictures for her wall so that he'd have something familiar around her.

Her illness is again more advanced since the last time I saw her. She can't formulate words much at all anymore. When she tries to say something, she kind of mumbles and uses a few hand gestures. She's a lot slower physically, although she still seems to be healthy otherwise. She doesn't seem to know what's going on anymore and needs to be guided around if we want to walk somewhere.

Both my sister and I were uncertain whether or not she recognized us. She definitely seemed to enjoy our company though, and of course she was very happy to see the baby and hold him. We showed him to several of the other patients as well. He seemed to really brighten the day of both the patients and staff. He was is a great mood too and seemed to enjoy the attention.

It's heartbreaking to see my mom like this. But we are all quite relieved that she has expert 24-hour care in a safe place. It's not as hard as I thought it would be to visit her and I'm going to try to do it more regularly.

Dementia could cost Canada $1 trillion: report

The subject of the following article is alarming, and I'm glad it's getting more attention. I think the best prevention is getting our whole society to adopt a major lifestyle change (be more active, eat better, etc.) but I can't imagine that would be an easy thing to do!

Mon Jan 4, 12:08 AM

By David Ljunggren

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadians are developing dementia at such a rapid rate that dealing with the problem will cost a total of more than C$870 billion ($830 billion) over the next 30 years unless preventive measures are taken, a report released on Monday said.

Canada's Alzheimer Society said more than 103,700 people developed dementia in 2008 in Canada, a country of around 33 million. By 2038, 257,800 new cases per year are expected, with almost 3 percent of the population affected.

"If we do nothing, dementia will have a crippling effect on Canadian families, our health care system and economy," said the report, entitled Rising Tide. "It is the most significant cause of disability among Canadians over the age of 65."

Dementia such as Alzheimer's are progressive, degenerative diseases that destroy vital brain cells. There is no cure and are few treatments, although drugs can relieve some of the symptoms for a while.

An international report issued in September said more than 35 million people globally would suffer from Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia in 2010. By 2030, the number would be almost 66 million.

In 2005, a study from Sweden's Karolinska Institute estimated dementia cost global economies $315 billion a year.

David Harvey, spokesman for Rising Tide, said the Canadian campaign against dementia is hampered by the peculiarities of the country's health care system, which is partly funded the federal government but administered by provincial governments.

"This problem is already with us but over the period of this generation it is going to be very significant. And if we don't address it can overwhelm things like emergency rooms and hospitals," he said.

"This disease flies under the radar of much of the health system and that's why we're issuing this kind of report."

The report recommended that all Canadians over 65 without dementia should increase their physical activity by 50 percent.

It also called for the development of a National Dementia Strategy to be adopted by all levels of government as well as educating Canadians about the importance of risk reduction and early diagnosis.

"We need to refocus research on chronic diseases," said Harvey. A spokeswoman for Health Minister Leona Agglukaq said she was unaware of the report.

($1=$1.05 Canadian)

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Peter Galloway)

First visit to hospital

Today me and AC and our new little baby went to visit my mother in the hospital. It took me a long time to work up the nerve to visit her. It was silly of me to be nervous about it. I still had her frantic delusional self in my mind and was daunted by facing that part of her. But she wasn't like that anymore.

I am really glad I saw her today. I am especially happy to have introduced her to her newest grandson. She has always loved babies and children, and she was absolutely thrilled to meet him and hold him.

Her room is austere but clean and nice. There are several other patients in the ward, so she is able to socialize with them, and the nurses seem really great too. I can see that she could actually be happy there.

Although she is still very confused and has trouble formulating sentences and comprehending most conversation, I didn't notice any sign at all of the anxiety and aggression that she used to have. She actually seemed quite mild-mannered and relaxed. I can't remember the last time I saw her like that! The medication they have formulated for her seems to be working quite well.

She is also looking better. Her grooming is a lot better and she looks less gaunt, more well fed. She no longer has that panicked look in her eyes.

It was of course also very sad to see her. She is just a shadow of her former self. You can't really have a normal conversation with her. She uses the wrong words for many things, doesn't finish sentences and sometimes lapses into German. It's often hard to guess what she's trying to say. She wanders the halls of the ward, seemingly looking for something, and sorts the things in her drawers over and over again. She used to be such a strong, capable woman.

I've gone back to her house a few times since she went to hospital to water the plants and collect mail. It's heartbreaking to look at her things and know she will never be able to see them and enjoy them again. She was always so proud of her home and the things she collected. There is a lot of nostalgia and significance attached to most of the things in her house. At some point we're going to have to decide what to do with the house and the things in it. It's heartbreaking just to think about it.

But I am so glad we have our little baby to bring to her. I know it will make her so happy to be able to see him whenever we visit.

Transition to Care Home

It has been a few weeks since I was hospitalized. More than one doctor including the therapist I have been seeing think that the stress of dealing with my mom was a contributing factor to my ending up in hospital and I agree, although I’m sure it was not the only reason.

About a year ago I wrote a journal entry here about the statistics that 80% of Alzheimer’s caregivers die before their ailing Alzheimer’s patients do due to stress-related illness. It was a shock to learn that. I knew I wouldn’t die as a result of caring for my mom, but I also wasn’t prepared for the possible serious effect on me and my unborn baby. It’s hard to believe until/unless you experience it yourself.

6 days after I went into hospital I had my baby -- 6 weeks early! Our baby boy was born on November 20th, and although he was premature, thankfully he was healthy. Despite the drama of being admitted to hospital prior to the birth, I have been doing well also. We have had our baby at home now for a couple of weeks and are extremely happy! The delivery was difficult with some post-complications, but I’m so grateful that everything turned out fine. I don’t know if I could have handled yet more challenges in the form of my own poor health or my baby’s.

As I mentioned in a previous post, my siblings took over 100% of the responsibility for my mother when I went into hospital. I still had to deal with the stress of dropping everything in my life without notice and worrying about the health of my baby, but frankly, knowing that I wasn't responsible for my mom anymore relieved me of most of my stress. Surprisingly, it wasn't hard to give up that responsibility. It must have been pretty bad if I felt that going into hospital on bed rest was a welcome relief!

The hospital staff knew I was under psychiatric care and often checked on my mood and chatted with me about my worries and were extremely attentive. Judging by the number of visits I had from doctors, nurses, social workers, and counselors all inquiring about my mood I think they were all very concerned that my mental health was in jeopardy and especially that it might adversely affect my unborn baby. It very well could have been a bad situation if I hadn’t delivered so soon and was stuck on bed rest for multiple weeks.

While I was in hospital, my sister took the reins on the next step for my mother’s care. It became impossible to have her stay at home safely. She took her to the hospital, where she is staying until a space becomes available for her at a care home.

I was in hospital for 9 days, and our baby was in the preemie ward for a week. Then of course we had to adjust to having a newborn at home, so we were quite out of the loop regarding my mother’s care for awhile. My bother and sister tell me that being under a physician’s daily care has really helped to find the right kind of medication for her. She seems to be doing quite well, with her anxiety a lot more under control. She also seems to be somewhat accepting of the fact that she is in hospital.

I still haven’t visited her, but I will. I’d like to introduce her to her newest grandson. She’d like that. But I am daunted. I have found such joy and happiness with my new baby and finally feeling like we have our own life back after so long, that I’m afraid that facing my mother again will somehow overshadow my new happiness. I desperately don’t want to lose this joy I have finally been able to regain. But I’m going to try hard to get past that mental block.

It’s very hard to put my difficult experiences with my mother behind me.