MEDICATION VIDEO + ARTICLE: From allergies to moods, most of us get relief from drugs known as “anticholinergics”. Some raise dementia risk, some don’t. Do we always need them? A study of 300,000 people offers answers to help you and your doctor better weigh the risks and benefits.
In a new Alzheimer’s study, Rexulti (brexpiprazole) significantly reduced agitation. Learn the kinds of agitation it reduced and by how much.
DIAGNOSIS+CARE: Misperceptions in dementia often get misdiagnosed as hallucinations. The result? Harsh, mistaken antipsychotic treatments. Dr. G. Allen Power has fought over-medication for a decade. See practical techniques for rising above this dangerous practice.
“People with dementia living in nursing homes and in the community were prescribed less and we did not detect negative health impacts for these groups.”
BEHAVIOR DRUGS & THE DICE MODEL: Doctors write millions of prescriptions each year to calm people with Alzheimer’s. Learn how non-drug dementia-caregiving works better, while carrying far fewer risks.
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: Caregivers love this pill box, as do patients and professionals. Simply fill it once a month. Roomy, simple, ingenious.
MEDICATION VIDEO: Aricept® (generic DONEPEZIL) is the world’s most popular drug for Early-stage Alzheimer’s. Does it help in Advanced-stage Alzheimer’s?
CLINICAL INERTIA is when it’s much easier to start someone on a medication, and keep them on, than to take them off. Find out why most advanced dementia patients receive too many expensive, questionable medications.
MEMORY & THINKING are activated by acetyl-choline. Alzheimer’s drugs boost acetyl-choline. Other medications, from allergy to insomnia drugs, may be anti-cholinergic, lowering acetyl-choline. This can spell trouble in dementia. Learn which drugs to avoid and what to look out for.
The antidepressant drug citalopram, also sold under the brand names Celexa and Cipramil, significantly relieves agitation in Alzheimer’s. Learn about the benefits and side-effects.
“What They Had” is a hit film centering on a colorful family, pulling together to rise above Alzheimer’s. Heartbreaking but funny, see scenes from this uplifting motion picture.
BMI stands for Body Mass Index, a measure of how much extra weight we carry. Learn about NIA research connecting BMI levels to delaying Alzheimer’s.
The only way to retain love is to give it away.
Three important dementia studies focus on HS-AGING, a type of dementia almost as common as Alzheimer’s in the 85+ group. Yet few people have heard of it. Why? What makes it different?
An intriguing study of 120 grandmothers might surprise you. Doctors know socially engaged people have better cognition and less dementia. But can a person get too much of a good thing? What’s the right balance?
If you couldn’t see your mashed potatoes, you probably wouldn’t eat them. That’s why what “The Red Plate Study” found was astonishing! Alzheimer’s patients eating from red plates consumed 25 percent more food than those eating from white plates. Find out why.
Enjoy this great duet between a musician with dementia and his son. A triumph of spirit over Alzheimer’s! Sing-a-long if you like!
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This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.
It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. It has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.
The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.
Peter Berger, Editor