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A new study in the journal Neuroscience shows that patients taking a class of diabetes drug known as gliptins may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease.

“This new research looked at a particular class of diabetes drugs called dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP-4i), also known as gliptins. Using retrospective data the researchers compared brain scans and cognitive test results from 70 diabetic patients taking DPP-4i against 71 diabetic patients not taking DPP-4i and 141 non-diabetic subjects. The entire cohort had an average age of 76 and all showed early signs of Alzheimer’s disease based on cognitive tests and PET scans.

All subjects were followed for around six years to measure decline over time and cognitive scores were similar in all groups at the start of the study. At the end of the study period, those diabetic patients on DPP-4i drugs showed significantly slower rates of cognitive decline compared to both other groups.”

The results are very preliminary, but the findings seem to be strong enough to warrant a large-scale study into these effects.

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A new op-ed from Newsweek outlines just how valuable art and art therapy was during the long, isolating months of Covid lockdowns, and how we should be investing more heavily in these therapies going forward.

“Perhaps art, instead of being seen as a hobby or a job for the fortunate few, could be seen as a form of therapy. Many of the art students I speak to (whether they study in-person or online) tell me that they benefit from a therapeutic or meditative effect of their learning.

The benefits of art therapy, which applies art-based techniques like painting, dancing and role-play as an intervention for mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, have been well-established. It should come as no surprise then that art therapists were essential frontline workers during the pandemic, with half of the art therapists surveyed claiming that they continued to go to work in-person throughout lockdown.

Better yet, art-based therapy is becoming much cheaper and more accessible than ever before. With the advent of online learning through dedicated platforms as well as YouTube, you no longer need to attend an exclusive art school to reap the psychological benefits of creativity.”

We all know someone who took up a new hobby during lockdowns, be it bread baking, knitting, digital art or maybe a new musical instrument. Not all of them will keep up those hobbies now that lockdowns have mostly ended, but even if they don’t, the time spent on those activities were therapeutic and beneficial. We should be encouraging such activities for all sorts of different conditions going forward.

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Alzheimer’s patients who are exposed to pets such as dogs display more positive behavior, according to a study carried out on an Alzheimer’s special care unit. Additional studies show that pets can provide companionship, reduce isolation, and ease anxiety. Modern

technology has now embraced the benefits that pets offer Alzheimer’s patients. These studies have resulted in therapy pets increasingly utilized by individuals with cognitive disorders.

But exactly how do real and replica pets help Alzheimer’s patients? Dr. Jonathan Graff-Radford states that regular physical activity can slow down dementia symptoms in those who already have the disease, and can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s in those who are at risk of developing it. Despite this, 28% of over 50’s never exercise, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). This is concerning as this group is one of the most at risk of dementia. Thankfully, when a pet is brought into the mix, individuals with Alzheimer’s and those who are at risk of developing it are more likely to:

• Head outdoors
• Enjoy long walks with their companion
• Get up and play with their pet
• Explore new locations on foot

Combat loneliness

38% of people living with dementia say that they feel lonely, and a further 12% say that they’re not sure whether what they feel qualifies as loneliness, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Loneliness in Alzheimer’s patients typically occurs due to:

• A lack of confidence in their abilities
• Fear that they will become confused
• Losing contact with family and friends
• Being secretive about their health

As pets are always there, will always listen, and don’t judge, they make the perfect companion for individuals feeling these emotions. What’s more, having the responsibility of a pet provides people with a sense of purpose and makes them feel needed. Even if the pet is a lifelike replica rather than a real animal, these emotions are encouraged.

Increases feel-good hormones

Serotonin is a vital neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in a person’s mood, appetite, sleep, and alertness, in addition to multiple other things. Recent studies have found a link between low serotonin levels and the development of Alzheimer’s. As such, actions should be taken to boost the chemicals interacting with the brain in Alzheimer’s patients to prevent depressive symptoms and poor health taking over. Pet therapy is ideal for these individuals as the University of Missouri-Columbia found that stroking a dog for just a few minutes releases multiple “happiness hormones,” including serotonin.

Control & manage symptoms better

Naturally, not every individual with Alzheimer’s will want a pet. There are also factors to consider, such as meeting the pet’s exercise requirements and remembering to feed and groom it regularly. This is where pet therapy comes into its own as giving an individual with

Alzheimer’s a lifelike pet which breathes, sleeps, and feels like a real animal can alleviate a whole host of symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease. A 2016 study concluded that robotic pets can help control anxiety and depression symptoms just as well as medical drugs.

Additionally, pet therapy proved to be successful at symptom control in patients.

There’s no denying that Alzheimer’s can be a difficult disease to manage. But, thankfully, pets, including ones that utilize the latest technology, can provide a significant amount of love and affection that people with Alzheimer’s need. What’s more, these individuals will

benefit from having a companion by their side.

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Even as widespread availability of Covid vaccines have dramatically decreased rates of hospitalization, new questions continue to arise about the effects of “Long Covid.” This refers to a raft of often unconnected symptoms which continue to plague Covid victims long after the primary symptoms of the disease have faded. NPR has a new story showing some Long Covid sufferers have neurological symptoms similar to those of an Alzheimer’s sufferer, and could be at significantly greater risk to develop the disease later in life.

“Now, researchers at UT Health San Antonio are studying patients like Hernandez, trying to understand why their cognitive problems persist, and whether their brains have been changed in ways that elevate the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

The San Antonio researchers are among the teams of scientists from around the world who will present their findings on how COVID-19 affects the brain at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, which begins Monday in Denver.

What scientists have found so far is concerning.

For example, PET scans taken before and after a person develops COVID-19 suggest that the infection can cause changes that overlap those seen in Alzheimer’s. And genetic studies are finding that some of the same genes that increase a person’s risk for getting severe COVID-19 also increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.”

If you haven’t yet had Covid, get vaccinated now. If you have had it, please check in with your doctor if you have any unusual symptoms so you can be monitored and treated.

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A recent report showed that up to 1 million Americans are non-verbal. For someone who cannot easily communicate, the world can be a terrifying place. But there are some ways you can help a non-verbal loved one live a richer and fuller life.

Emotion Board. A simple device showing a person expressing different emotions. The non-verbal person can just point to the emotion they’re feeling to help express themselves. Caregivers can even use the board to communicate their emotional state, too. This simple tool can greatly aid in expressiveness.

SMPL Music Player. This simple device lets you give your loved one the gift of music. Simply load their favorite mp3 files onto the player, and they can control their music just by lifting or lowering the lid. No need to ask a caregiver for music.

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Another interesting new study summarized in Psychiatric Times shows that light therapy may be very effective in the treatment of bipolar depression.

“In a small study of midday light, 46 patients with moderate bipolar depression were randomized to 1 hour of bright white light at noon (7000 lux, which is less than the 10,000 lux usually administered for unipolar depression) or 50 lux dim red placebo light for 6 weeks.1 Patients exhibiting mixed features, as well as those with a history of rapid cycling in the past year, were excluded from the study. Patients with active suicidal ideation, those with any substance use disorder in the past 6 months, and those on melatonin, stimulants, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were also excluded. Thus, at best, the study results apply to a very limited number of patients in comparison with usual practice patients.”

BPD is a very serious affliction, and it’s an increasingly common diagnosis among seniors and dementia sufferers. Any treatment that doesn’t involve drugs is a welcome addition to the tool bag of therapists and psychologists.

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I know, I know. The first thing we think of when treating a person with Alzheimer’s typically isn’t decor. But crafting a home space that takes into account an Alzheimer patient’s difficulties while simultaneously turning the home into a memory recall tool is truly inspired thinking. More from WTOP.

Her design philosophy also translates to home settings, and she said having familiar objects around from life events or children can be helpful.

“You might have a notebook full of photos that would trigger memories,” she said. “Anything that would help a person remember certain things or to find joy in those things.”

Design tricks can also improve safety for aging individuals or people losing muscle awareness or strength due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Because people, as they age, see color differently, can’t see depth as accurately and don’t have the same visual accuracy as when they’re younger, Thoma-Holec said contrasts need to be established.

“You want to make certain that your walls are contrasting with the floor, and that your seats on your chairs contrast with the floor”

This is part of a holistic approach to disease therapy. You don’t just have discrete therapies, you try to incorporate the therapies and protections into as much of their life and home as possible. This makes for a safer patient, and a happier caregiver.

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It’s still early, but a company called Therapeutic Solutions International has officially filed for a patent on a treatment for Parkinson’s disease using stem cells.

“The patent application includes data, obtained in an animal model, showing that dendritic cells [a type of immune cell] obtained from umbilical cord blood have the potential to reduce inflammation in the brain while preserving dopamine-producing neurons. Parkinson’s disease is caused by impairment or death of this type of neuron.

The company hopes to pave the way for immunotherapy, a therapeutic strategy in which cells or other agents are used to help boost the body’s natural immune response.”

As always, this is in the very early stages of development. But any treatment for Parkinson’s is welcome.

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A few weeks ago we wrote about the FDA’s approval of Aduhelm for the treatment of Alzheimers’. It was the first new drug approved for treatment of the disease in decades, but it’s efficacy was greatly disputed even then. Now after weeks of controversy, the FDA has partially walked back the approval, ruling that it should only be prescribed to people with a mild version of the neurodegenerative disease. From Ars Technica.

“The FDA’s initial sweeping recommendation was a highly contentious aspect of the drug’s approval, because it wasn’t backed by any data. Aduhelm’s developer, Biogen, had only included people with mild disease in its clinical trials. The numerous critics of the approval raised immediate questions as to why the drug would be open to all.

But those critics—including researchers and industry experts—aimed most of their ire at the approval itself, given that Biogen’s clinical trials failed to convincingly show that the drug works at treating mild Alzheimer’s. In fact, Biogen had halted two identically designed Phase III trials in 2019 after Aduhelm flunked a “futility analysis.”

Now, the acting head of the FDA is calling for an independent investigation of Aduhelm’s approval, to determine if the approval process was “inconsistent with FDA policies and procedures.” At this time the drug is still on the market, and there are no announced plans to pull it.

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A great article from The Advocate about how one can be a better caregiver. This passage is particularly important:

“Though patience is often a difficult virtue to achieve, strive to reach it each day with your loved one. The capacity to tolerate without becoming overly annoyed can make you a better caregiver. When tensions rise and you get criticized, frustrated or your feelings get hurt, take a deep breath, walk outside for fresh air, and make allowances of each other’s faults with a positive attitude and grace.”

Care professionals like to use the adage “put your own mask on first.” This refers to the instructions you receive from the cabin crew when flying, specifically in the event of an emergency parents, guardians and other caregivers must put on & secure their own oxygen masks before turning their attention to their charges. This isn’t selfish or uncaring, it’s the realization that you cannot be a good caregiver if you’re out of commission. The same concept applies to caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or any other debilitating condition. Carving time out of the day to eat well, take your own meds, do your own exercise, socialize with others and to engage in your own pastimes is self-care, and it’s vitally important. You can’t help someone else if you’re non-functional.

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