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New Atlas with some new research showing a link between poor sleep and Alzheimers. The study draws a link between circadian rhythms – basically a person’s inherent sleep cycle – and a biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

“The brain protein in question is called YKL-40 and for years has served as a biomarker for Alzheimer’s, as high levels of it have been found in the cerebrospinal fluid of those suffering from the disease and these levels rise as the disease progresses. The researchers were screening for genes that are regulated by the circadian rhythm, and were intrigued to see the gene for this brain protein pop up.”

Reading the abstract, it doesn’t seem to indicate whether the disruptions in circadian rhythms are a contributing factor to Alzheimers’ or whether they are a result of the disease. In other words: are they the cart, or the horse?

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

Most of us think of UV light as something to avoid. But a team of scientists at the UK’s University of Southampton are using UV light instead to create images of neurons without the need for huge, high-energy emitters. 

“Dr. Bill Brocklesby, of the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics, says: “The ability to take detailed images of delicate biological structures like neurons without causing damage is very exciting”

The UV emitters used by UoS are able to produce high-resolution images on par with those previously only available using much less accessible equipment. This means – potentially – that the sorts of imaging needed to really study Alzheimer’s-afflicted cells will be much more accessible to scientists and doctors around the world. As always, it’s still early, but it’s a promising study.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

While the days are starting to get longer, it’s still wintering out in the northern hemisphere. That means millions of people are suffering from Seasonal Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder. These are more than just the ‘winter blues. These are conditions that induce demonstrable physiological changes in the human body. But there are ways to help battle SAD and related conditions, one of which being Light Therapy. This therapy involves sitting with a lightbox that mimics natural light for moderate periods each day. Therapeutic lightboxes are designed to provide an experience as close to natural sunlight as possible, while also blocking harmful UV rays. The light should be situated somewhere off to the side, rather than directly ahead, and should be moved regularly so all sides of your body get the benefits. Light therapy should not be overused, and you should be wary of warning signs like nausea or eye fatigue.

The Mayo Clinic has some more quick tips for beginning Light Therapy at home

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

As we enter the winter holiday season, it’s the perfect time to think about fun and games. Specifically, about games and activities, you can play as a family, including your elder loved ones.

Lego – The evergreen classic. There is nothing like spilling a whole mess of Lego pieces onto the dining room table and letting everyone contribute to one massive build. You can stick to the “directions” or just let everyone’s imagination go wild. Seniors with arthritis or other dexterity issues may need some assistance, but in most cases, they’ll still love being brought into the group.

Board Games – While the old classics like Monopoly and Chutes & Ladders are still out there; the last 20 years have seen an explosion of new and innovative sorts of board games. These games have a wide range of complexity, so in general, you want to steer towards the ones labeled “easy” or “moderate” and with shorter game times (<30 minutes are best). You can pair up seniors with children as teams, or just find a cooperative game – like Forbidden Island or Pandemic – and let everyone work together. As game nights grow more common, you can introduce more games, and more complex games, based on the reaction of the group.

You Don’t Know Jack – This hit video game is available on just about any device or platform available today, and can be played on just about any TV you have. Each installment of the game includes a selection of different party & trivia games for groups to enjoy. Best of all, every player can use their own smartphone or tablet as their personal controller. The games are mostly riffs on classic party games like Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit & Charades, so they’re generally easy to learn. By giving your senior loved ones their own controller (this is an excellent use for old smartphones which may be lying around the home. They don’t need active cell service for this, just wi-fi access) you allow the entire family to play together and strengthen their bonds in the process.

Cookie decorating – While it may not be great for our waistlines, there’s an undeniable joy that comes from adding colorful decorations to sweet treats. It’s a messy – but quite safe – sort of fun that can bring the oldest and youngest members of the family together. While some members of the family prepare doughs & bake off the results, you can sit the group at a table with cookie cutters, colored icings, sprinkles & any sort of edible decorations you can get your hands on. And the finished products can make a wonderful gift for friends of your elder loved ones.

Whichever activities you choose, try to be considerate of the needs of the seniors you’re trying to engage. Think about whatever impairments or disabilities they have and select activities that work around those issues. Don’t force every game or activity to be uber-competitive or judged. Seniors don’t want to be condescended to, but they also don’t want to feel like they are being taken advantage of, either.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

Michael J Fox is arguably the most famous Parkinson’s disease sufferer and advocate in the USA. But he originally didn’t want to reveal his diagnosis back in the 90s

From Vanity Fair:

“The actor spoke with Entertainment Tonight about the “great opportunity” his illness presented in terms of educating the public and raising money to find a cure, and how that disclosure almost didn’t happen. “It was seven or eight years after I had been diagnosed … [and] the paparazzi and stuff, they would stand outside my apartment and heckle at me, like, ‘What’s the matter with you?’” Fox recounted. “I said, ‘I can’t be making my neighbors deal with this,’ so I came out, and it was great. It was a great thing.” Fox was first diagnosed with the longterm degenerative nervous system disorder in 1991, but didn’t come forward publicly with his illness until 1998. He continued, “It was a great surprise to me that people responded the way they responded. They responded with interest, in the desire to find an answer to the disease, and then I saw that as a great opportunity. I didn’t get put in this position to squander it.”

Fox has since founded his eponymous charitable foundation dedicated to researching the disease, which has raised more than $1B in the decades since.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

We talk a lot about caring for our loved ones, but we don’t talk enough about caring for ourselves as caregivers. 

If you are reading this, then chances are you know how…exhausting it can be caring for a loved one who has medical issues. Maybe exhausting isn’t the right word. Maybe, as a friend of mine put it, Omni-tired would be better. Any way you describe it, the emotional weight of caregiving can be titanic. So it’s important for caregivers to spend a little time every week caring for themselves, too. Some basic tips:

Routines are your friend – I know it sounds simple, almost too simple to be true. But making routines, and keeping to them as much as possible, really will help reduce stress levels. Sit down and plot out your day, your week and your month. A simple calendar program like Google Calendar or Outlook is great for this. You want as much of your day as possible to be muscle memory; you don’t have to think about it you just act. Eventually this will free up mental bandwidth for other tasks, and reduce overall stress. 

Your medical & nutritional needs are important too – A caregiver who spends a lot of time in doctors offices, imaging centers or hospitals with their loved one will all too often begin to neglect their own health. Some of that is simple exhaustion, but there are also a myriad of psychological forces which nudge caregivers away from considering their own healthcare. Schedule regular check-ups with your general practitioner, get your annual boosters and immunizations, maybe even consider seeing a therapist of psychologist. After all if you fall seriously ill or have a breakdown, that will negatively affect your loved one, too. 

Sometimes, a distraction is your best friend – When caring for an adult loved one, it’s important to refrain from treating them like children or babies. But sometimes, you just need a little ‘you’ time. It’s important to have a slate of entertainment options at hand which you can use to keep your charge occupied for short periods while you do other things. That could be a puzzle, a movie/TV show, a selection of music, even a phone call to another relative. You can’t think of these distraction activities as “bad”; they’re a necessary tool and you need to be able to use it on occasion with a clear conscience. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help – Another ‘suggestion’ that’s incredibly difficult for some people to accept, but it’s necessary. Find someone – another sibling, a spouse, your children, even an able-bodied neighbor – who can take up caregiving duties even for a few hours. Even if you have to hire a home aide to come in once every week or two. For your own physical, mental and emotional well-being, you need time to yourself. To care for your home, go to your medical appointments, to spend time with your friends. 

Many caregivers feel crushing guilt taking any sort of “me time”, but you have to fight that impulse. A caregiver who doesn’t devote any time to caring for themselves will soon find themselves in need of their own caregiver. 

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

We recently blogged about light therapy, but this isn’t quite what we were thinking of.

A team of scientists at the UK’s University of Southampton are using UV light instead to create images of neurons without the need for huge, high-energy emitters.

“Dr. Bill Brocklesby, of the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics, says: “The ability to take detailed images of delicate biological structures like neurons without causing damage is very exciting”

The UV emitters used by UoS are able to produce high-resolution images on par with those previously only available using much less accessible equipment. This means – potentially – that the sorts of imaging needed to really study Alzheimer’s-afflicted cells will be much more accessible to scientists and doctors around the world. As always, it’s still early, but it’s a promising study.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

As someone who tries to look on the bright side of life, one of the good things to come from the Covid-19 pandemic has been the quantum advances in the field of vaccines, particularly mRNA vaccines. The technology developed and propagated to fight the pandemic is already being applied to diseases like malaria, influenza and tuberculosis. But could this also bring about a vaccine for….rheumatoid arthritis? A new report appearing in Medical News Today shows that it’s a possibility.

“The authors of the recent study focused on a specific protein — 14-3-3 zeta — and its role in arthritis….

They found that the vaccination with the 14-3-3 zeta protein reduced joint inflammation and the severity of arthritis. It also helped preserve bone quality.

Dr. Chakravarti was excited by the study results, even though it was not what the team had initially expected to find.”

I particularly love scientific discoveries that occur when the researchers aren’t looking for them. Either way, we’re a long way away from any putative RA vaccine, but anything to help curtail that disease will be welcomed by the entire world.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

Having arthritis or similar chronic conditions doesn’t mean you have to give up on living life. There are some simple tools you can employ to relieve the pain & discomfort associated with these conditions, without prescription drugs or unknown supplements.

At-home physical therapy – Creaky Joints has a great rundown of exercises for the hands you can do at home with no special equipment. These simple activities can help alleviate pain, improve flexibility, and potentially stave off any further degradation.

Learn which tools can help – As they say, the right tool for the right job. There are a plethora of tools available now which can help ease stress on arthritic joints. From jar & bottle cap openers in the kitchen to grab sticks in the yard to seat belt aides for the car. Even small devices can often yield significant results when used correctly and consistently. Almost any tool which lets you avoid bending, stretching, or making a fist can help alleviate arthritis pain.

Listen to your body – Anyone with arthritis knows that certain activities simply hurt more than others. Identify those painful activities and take steps to avoid them. If your hips hurt, get up and stretch every hour or so. Maybe use your elbow or shoulder to open a door rather than your hand and wrist. Try changing the lead leg you use when going up or downstairs. There are a plethora of small changes you can make to help keep your body healthy.

Ask for help – Maybe the hardest step to take, but the most important. Whether this means going to a rheumatologist, or asking your loved ones for help making your home “arthritis-friendly,” or just asking them to help you with regular tasks. Sometimes, a little help can go a long way.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

A new article appearing in The Scientist seems to tackle this seeming paradox; can a gene both be a protection against cognitive decline while also being the leading indicator that one will develop Alzheimer’s later in life? The study finds that a protein we all have – Apolipoprotein E (APOE) – can sometimes be created in a variant form: APOE ε4.

“The findings suggest that “something about the possession of an [APOE ε4] allele . . . is providing some positive impacts on your cognitive function,” Schott tells Science. He also notes in a press release that how APOE ε4 increases the risk of Alzheimer’s remains a mystery. “Understanding why [APOE ε4] might result in better memory may also help us to understand why it also leads to increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” he says.

So we don’t yet know why this seeming contradiction exists, but the contradiction is real and not just statistical noise.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.