Move for Minds Panel Dr. Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Maria Shriver, Dr. Rudy Tanzi and Dr. Dennis Selkoe
The post Maria Shriver in Boston for Move for Minds June 3, 2018 first appeared on Brain Health Wellness.]]>Move for Minds Panel Dr. Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Maria Shriver, Dr. Rudy Tanzi and Dr. Dennis Selkoe
The post Maria Shriver in Boston for Move for Minds June 3, 2018 first appeared on Brain Health Wellness.]]>
Dr. Nancy and Maria before Brain Fitness Workout. Happy to Meet in Person after collaborating for 3 years
Move for Mind Volunteers and Brain Healthy and Wellness Center team members Emma and Michelle Rizzo join Dr. Nancy and Maria after the FaceBook Live panel
6 panelists on stools Mark Hymen, Nancy, Maria Shriver, Rudy Tanzi, Dennis Selkoe and Nicole of Equinox
HOW WE HEAL: A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness VENUE and GIG Details
Explore the Fundamentals of Wellness and the Meaning of Life. REGISTRATION: http://www.eventsforhealing.com/register/
Starting with an integrative approach to pediatric care, we will explore the fundamentals of brain health, environmental health and the profound impact of our life time choices on our health and wellbeing. We will discuss the importance of hope and the power of love, as we nurture spiritual growth in our yearning for the meaning of life. We will engage participants in how to have the crucial conversation about end of life care wishes, and will conclude our day together with a special Celebration of Life.
Agenda:
Registration & Networking: 7:30 am – 8:30 am
Conference Program: 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Location:
Crowne Plaza Hotel
2 Somerset Parkway
Nashua, New Hampshire 03063
Presenters:
Mathew Hand, D.O., Pediatric Nephrologist and Director of Integrative Medicine at the New Hampshire Hospital for Children at the Elliot Hospital.
Topic: Nurturing the Seeds – Changing Pediatric Health Care 180 Degrees
Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D., President, Brain Health and Wellness Center, HealthCare Insights, LLC and Adjunct Research Assistant Professor of Neurology Boston University School of Medicine, Dept. of Neurology.
Topic: Which Lifestyles Does Science Tell Us Help Save Our Brains
Walter Crinnion, ND, Environmental Medicine Specialist. With over 30 years of medical practice, he is considered one of the foremost experts in the field of Environmental Medicine.
Topic: Environmental Health Over A Life Time
Rabbi Jonathan Spira-Savett, Rabbi of Temple Beth Abraham
Topic: The Meaning and Purpose of Life – How We Age and Become Sages
Rev. Rosemary Lloyd, Advisor to the Faith-Based Community for the Conversation Project, a Cambridge based non-profit organization founded by Pulitzer Prize winning jounalist Ellen Goodman.
Topic: Talking Matters: How to Have the Most Important Conversation You Aren’t Having
Who Should Attend:
Physicians, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Counselors, Allied Health Professionals, Pastoral Therapists, Clergy, Healthcare Administrators, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Social Workers, Healthcare Volunteers, Palliative Care Providers, End of Life Care Providers, Holistic Providers, Community Members, Environmentalists, Healthcare Advocates, Chaplains, Nutritionists, Consumers, Educators, Senior Service and Care Providers, and More…
Registration:
Registration Fee includes: Morning Refreshments, Lunch, Healthy Snack, Conference Program, Materials, Certificate of Attendance and 7 Contact Hours.
If you require hotel arrangements please call the Crowne Plaza Hotel at: 603-886-1200. Indicate that you are making a reservation under the: How We Heal Conference Group Rate.
Refund Policy:
No refunds after September 30, 2017.
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| Nancy Emerson Lombardo, PhD and CC Donelan, MA | |
With excitement and gratitude, the Brain Health and Wellness Center® announces that CC Donelan, until recently the Director of Education and Brain Wellness Coordinator, is spinning out a new business, Brain Health Partners, to continue and expand the work of educating the public and professionals about brain healthy nutrition.
The Brain Health and Wellness Center® website (https://brainwellness.com) will continue as a resource for updated research, products and publications related to brain health. We will continue to connect inquiries to our trusted network of specialists. Read More – Our Affiliates and contacts:
Salutations!
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CC Donelan
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CC Donelan, MA, Brain wellness educational programs and training, presentations, and demonstrations. Delivered onsite for organizations and at-home for individual and family coaching. Contact: Principal, Brain Health Partners. cdonelan@brainhealthpartners.com and 978-502-4642. https://www.brainhealthpartners.com/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cc-donelan-30350b9a/
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Drs. Lynn Lazarus Serper & Nancy Emerson Lombardo |
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Mary Lesko CFP CTLC & CC Donelan, MA
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Contact: Principal, Long Life Matters, Boston, MA; mlesko@longlifematters.com; 617-653-5510
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Cheryl Franchi RDN, MS, MBA, CSG, LD/N, FADA, FAND
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Julie Bolt
Julie Bolt, MS Gerontology, CMC, CDP, AAT. Care Manager, Research, and Dementia Practitioner. Contact: Certified Care Manager, ElderSource,Research Associate UNCC, Department of Gerontology Email: julie@eldersource.com www.eldersource.com Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-bolt-ms-gerontology
eating into their services. Contact: CEO/President Brain Health and Wellness Center® and HealthCare Insights, LLC. nemerson@brainwellness.com, 978-621-1926 Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-emerson-lombardo- https://twitter.com/BrainWellness https://www.facebook.com/brainhealthwellness
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| AAIC 2013 Boston, MA Brain Health & Wellness Center Booth
CC Donelan, Julie Bolt, Michele Rizzo, Mary Lesko, Lynn Serper, Valerie Gramolini, Nancy Emerson Lombardo
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| Exciting News from AAIC 2017 in London!
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES $20 MILLION LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION TRIAL IN THE U.S. TO PREVENT COGNITIVE DECLINE !!! This is what all of us in the brain healthy lifestyle field have been waiting for! Building on groundbreaking work in Finland and Australia. Utilizing Alzheimer’s Association Chapters and Community Resources to keep costs down and create a scalable, practical intervention
The large U.S. study to PrOtect through a lifestyle INTErvention to Reduce risk (US POINTER) will include physical exercise, nutritional counseling and modification, cognitive and social stimulation, and improved self-management of medical conditions. Recruiting for the study will begin in 2018. At AAIC 2014, Miia Kivipelto, M.D., Ph.D., Professor at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden and the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues reported on the results of the FINGER Study – the first randomized controlled trial showing that it is possible to prevent cognitive decline using a multi-domain lifestyle intervention among older at-risk individuals. The results highlighted the value of addressing multiple dementia risk factors as a strategy to protect brain health. The FINGER model is now being replicated in the United States, Europe, Singapore, and Australia – including people from a variety of geographical and cultural backgrounds.
“We now can effectively prevent and treat heart disease with a combination of drugs and lifestyle. The same is true with some cancers; the same with HIV/AIDS. The same may also be true for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in the not too distant future,” said Maria C. Carrillo, PhD, Alzheimer’s Association Chief Science Officer. “We must test all options to treat and prevent this horrible disease. We must find the answers for the millions dying with Alzheimer’s and their families, and the tens of millions more who will become affected if we do not act now. The Alzheimer’s Association is extremely proud to launch this clinical trial with our scientific partners,” Carrillo said.
U.S. study to PrOtect through a lifestyle INTErvention to Reduce risk (US POINTER)
In 2014, a large-scale two-year study in Finland in healthy older adults at increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia (the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability, or FINGER Study) found that a two-year combination therapy involving physical exercise, nutrition, cognitive stimulation, and self-monitoring of heart health risk factors had a protective effect on cognitive function. These results were first reported at AAIC 2014 in Copenhagen. According to Co-Principal Investigator Laura Baker, PhD, of the Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the U.S. study to PrOtect through a lifestyle INTErvention to Reduce risk (US POINTER) is modeled on the FINGER study. It will test whether two years of a combined intervention that includes physical exercise, nutritional counseling and modification, cognitive and social stimulation, and improved self-management of medical co-morbidities benefits cognitive function in older adults at increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The comparison group will receive health education and support through in-person group meetings on health- and aging-related topics, and annual feedback on laboratory tests. Starting in 2018, 2,500 study participants 60-79 years old will be identified using a medical record search to select those with medical conditions that have been linked to an increased risk for dementia (e.g., hypertension and other cardiovascular events, elevated blood sugar). Information about family history of Alzheimer’s, physical activity level, and current cognitive status and mood will be collected in follow-up interviews to further identify eligible participants. Local Alzheimer’s Association offices nationwide will participate in intervention delivery. National partnerships will be developed with community-based organizations to deliver the exercise, nutrition, social and medical aspects of the intervention. The success of the intervention will be evaluated based on two-year change in a global measure of cognitive function focused on short-term memory, attention and concentration. “As of now, there are no approved medications that have produced results similar to the FINGER Study. There is a pressing need to test the effectiveness of a multicomponent lifestyle intervention in larger and more diverse populations, such as the United States,” said Baker. “The lifestyle intervention in US POINTER is an important multi-dimensional strategy to protect brain health and potentially reduce risk of dementia.” An update on FINGER and overviews of the Singapore (SINGER) and Australia (Maintain Your Brain) prevention studies will also be reported at AAIC 2017. The worldwide effort, collectively referred to as WW-FINGERS, supports a collaborative network of trials and experienced investigators to facilitate harmonization of research methods, and sharing of experiences and data for maximum global scientific impact. Laura D. Baker, PhD, et al. U.S. Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (US-FINGER). (Funder: Alzheimer’s Association) July 2017 AAIC 2017 London, United Kingdom source: alz.org AAIC Press releases More about Co-PI Laura Baker, PhD, Associate Professor, Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine |
The post ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES $20 MILLION LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION TRIAL IN THE U.S. TO PREVENT COGNITIVE DECLINE !!! first appeared on Brain Health Wellness.]]>
– The Lancet releases International Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care –
LONDON, July 20, 2017 – In a report presented today at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2017 (AAIC 2017) in London, The Lancet International Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care reported that more than one third of global dementia cases may be preventable through addressing lifestyle factors that impact an individual’s risk. These potentially modifiable risk factors have been identified at multiple phases across the life-span, not just in old age.
The combined evidence to date shows that roughly 35 percent of all cases of dementia are attributable to nine potentially modifiable risk factors. Many of the risk factors occur at particular life stages but some, such as smoking and hypertension, are likely to make a difference at all life stages.
The nine modifiable risk factors include:
* Early life – Education to a maximum of age 15
* Mid-life – Hypertension; Obesity; Hearing loss
* Later life – Depression; Diabetes; Physical inactivity; Smoking; Low social contact
The Lancet Commission’s report was simultaneously published in The Lancet and presented at AAIC 2017.
“Today’s findings are extremely hopeful,” said Maria Carrillo,
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Maria Carillo, PhD, Chief Science Officer, US Alzheimer’s Association |
PhD, chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Association. “At an individual level, many people have the potential to reduce their risk of cognitive decline, and perhaps dementia, through simple, healthful behavior changes. At a public health level, interventions based on this evidence could be extremely powerful in managing the global human and economic costs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.”
The Alzheimer’s Association offers 10 Ways to Love Your Brain, including practical guidance to reduce your dementia risk based on the latest research.
More Lancet Dementia Commission Recommendations
The Lancet International Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care
The Lancet Commission brings together 24 international experts to consolidate the huge strides that have been made in our knowledge and understanding of dementia risk factors, treatment and care, and the emerging knowledge as to what we should do to prevent and manage dementia. The Commission conducted a new review and meta-analysis; based on which they extended current models of risk by including hearing loss and social isolation. Incorporating potentially modifiable risk factors from across the life-span, they proposed a novel life-course model of risk, highlighting the opportunity for prevention.
Chair Gill Livingston, IRIS United Kingdom
Among their key recommendations are:
* Be ambitious about prevention. Interventions for established risk factors may have the potential to delay or prevent one third of dementias.
* Treat cognitive symptoms. To maximize cognition, people with Alzheimer’s dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies should be offered cholinesterase inhibitors at all stages, or memantine for severe dementia.
* Individualize dementia care. Good dementia care spans medical, social and supportive care; and should be tailored to unique individual and cultural needs, preferences, and priorities.
* Care for family carers. Family carers are at high risk of depression. Effective interventions reduce the risk and treat the symptoms, and should be made available.
* Plan for the future. People with dementia and their families value discussions about the future and important upcoming decisions.
* Manage neuropsychiatric symptoms. Management of the neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia – including agitation, low mood or psychosis – is usually psychological, social, and environmental, with drug treatment reserved for more severe symptoms.
* Consider end of life. A third of older people die with dementia, so it is essential that professionals working in end-of-life care consider whether a patient has dementia as they may be unable to make decisions about their care or express their needs and wishes.
Focus on Prevention
The Lancet Commission launched a novel life-span-based model of dementia risk, showing interventions that may maximize cognition, decrease distressing associated symptoms, reduce crises, and improve quality of life. The team estimate the contribution of each of the risk factors to the overall incidence of dementia, at the population level. The combined evidence to date shows that roughly 35 percent of all cases of dementia are attributable to nine potentially modifiable risk factors. Many of the risk factors occur at particular life stages but some, such as smoking and hypertension, are likely to make a difference at all life stages.
The nine modifiable risk factors include:
* Early life – Education to a maximum of age 15
* Mid-life – Hypertension; Obesity; Hearing loss
* Later life – Depression; Diabetes; Physical inactivity; Smoking; Low social contact
Risk factors that are more common account for a higher percentage of population risk. For instance, the authors estimate that eight percent (8%) of all dementia cases could be associated with poor early school education; and five percent (5%) could be associated with smoking. While the mechanism linking education, hypertension, diabetes and smoking to dementia is relatively well understood, the recognition of hearing loss as a potential risk factor is still new, and the research is at an earlier stage.
The Commission’s report delivered recommendations for targeted public health strategies that the researchers expect will significantly lower the global burden of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. For example:
* The authors strongly recommend
vigorously treating hypertension in middle aged and older people without dementia to reduce dementia incidence.
* Other recommended interventions include
more childhood education, getting
regular exercise, maintaining
social engagement,
stopping smoking, and
management of hearing loss, depression, diabetes, and obesity.
The authors stated that, due to lack of data, the study did not include dietary factors, alcohol use, visual impairment, air pollution and sleep.
“While public health interventions will not prevent, or cure all potentially modifiable dementia, intervention for cardiovascular risk factors, mental health, and hearing may push back the onset of many people for years,” said Professor Gill Livingston, MD, from University College London and lead author of The Lancet Commission. “Even if some of this promise is realized, it could make a huge difference and we have already seen in some populations that dementia is being delayed for years. Dementia prevalence could be halved if its onset were delayed by five years.”
According to the Commission’s report, worldwide dementia prevalence could be reduced by more than 1 million cases with a 10 percent reduction in the prevalence of seven principal health and lifestyle factors. An intervention that delayed dementia by a year might decrease the number of people living with dementia globally by 9 million in 2050.
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Lon S. Schneider, MD, USC Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Behavioral Sciences |
“Overall, there is good potential for prevention and, once someone develops dementia, for care to be high-quality, accessible, and give value to an underserved, growing population. Effective dementia prevention and care could transform the future for society and vastly improve living and dying for individuals with dementia and their families. Acting now on what we already know can make this difference happen,” said Lon Schneider, MD, from the University of Southern California and co-author of the Commission.
Gill Livingston, MBChB, Lon S. Schneider, MD, MS. The Lancet International Commission on Dementia Prevention and Care. (Funder(s): University College London, Alzheimer’s Society UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Alzheimer’s Research UK) paste into browser link to report released after July 20, 2017
* www.thelancet.com/commissions/dementia-2017
July 20, 2017 AAIC 2017 London, UK
Source: AAIC 2017 Press Release
Author’s Note: Obviously many researchers, including this writer, and funders, including the Alzheimer’s Association, NIA and others, believe the evidence is sufficient to suggest poor diet is also a major risk factor for dementia. Thus a healthy diet is included in the major multimodal lifestyle clinical trials aimed at reducing risk of Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline already conducted (FINGER trial in Finland) or underway (Australia, Singapore and soon, the US). More clinical trials are needed to elucidate diet’s role. In addition more studies are needed about sleep and which aspects of sleep are most important for reducing risk of dementia. Several studies reported at this years AAIC in London help add to data base, but none were available when the Lancet Commission conducted its studies.
The commissioners
The Commissioners for the Lancet Commission on Dementia Care are Gill Livingston -chair, Helen Frankish- Lancet editor, Sabine Kleinert – Lancet editor
David Ames, Clive Ballard, Sube Banerjee, Alistair Burns, Jiska Cohen-Mansfield, Claudia Cooper, Nick Fox, Laura Gitlin, Rob Howard, Jonathan Huntley, Helen Kales, Eric Larson, Naaheed Mukadam, Vasiliki Orgeto, Karen Ritchie, Ken Rockwood, Liz Sampson, Quincy Samus, Lon Schneider, Geir Selback, Andrew Sommerlad, and Linda Teri.
The post THE LANCET COMMISSION: ONE THIRD OF DEMENTIA MAY BE PREVENTABLE first appeared on Brain Health Wellness.]]>
Carl HIll, PhD, MPH, Director NIA Special Populations Office
The NIA has identified a clear need to diversify research cohorts and improve methods and tools for conducting health disparities research related to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Two funding opportunities were created to encourage research that examines disparities in Alzheimer’s disease using diverse cohorts of subjects. At AAIC 2017, NIA will announce the inaugural grant recipients and their projects, and highlight the new information expected to be generated because of these awards.
“Aging research using a framework that incorporate factors at multiple levels needs to be conducted with study populations that have robust demographic diversity,” said Carl V. Hill, PhD, MPH, Director of the NIA Office of Special Populations. “When cohorts are diverse, new pathways that link environmental, sociocultural, behavioral and biological factors can be identified. This is our hope for these research awards.”
According to the funding opportunity announcements, health disparities populations include: Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Populations, and Rural Populations. Additional populations may include: Disability Populations, and Sex and Gender Minorities.
Carl V. Hill, PhD, MPH and Rachel Whitmer, PhD, chairs. Advancing Health Disparities Research with the National Institute on Aging (NIA). (Funder: U.S. National Institute on Aging) July 20, 2017 AAIC 2017 London, UK
The post Advancing health disparities research in Alzheimer’s – National Institute on Aging inaugural grants first appeared on Brain Health Wellness.]]>
Jorge Sepulcre, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School
According to Jorge Sepulcre, MD, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, understanding the “spreading” phenomenon of abnormal tau and amyloid-beta proteins in the brain is critical to knowing what is causing the devastating cell damage and relentless symptoms of people with Alzheimer’s.
Sepulcre and colleagues developed a novel imaging approach to investigate the spreading pathways of tau and amyloid deposits over time, as well as their genetic vulnerabilities, in a longitudinal sample of elderly participants in the Harvard Aging Brain Study. Eighty-eight (88) study participants, average age about 76, were divided into two independent samples: (1) a cross-sectional sample of 69 people; and (2) a 1-2 year follow-up longitudinal sample of 19 subjects.
The researchers found that tau and amyloid appear to accumulate along distinctive pathways in the brain; the same communication pathways, or neural networks, we use for daily brain function. According to their findings, tau – which we know starts in the middle of the brain memory center – spreads forward and out toward the front of the brain. Amyloid, which starts in the back of the brain, spreads further back and outward from the middle. Specifically:
* Medial/inferior temporal lobe areas project pathways of Tau-spreading toward anterior pole, lateral and posteriomedial temporal cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex.
* Posterior cingulate cortex spreads Aβ toward surrounding areas and lateral parietal lobe.
The scientists discovered that 354 genes were significantly associated with the tau spreading pathway, including the MAPT gene, which was previously associated with Alzheimer’s disease risk. They also found 216 genes, including the CLU gene, significantly associated with the amyloid pathway. Additional analysis characterized the tau spreading genetic profile as “axon-related” and the amyloid-spreading genetic profile as “dendrite-related”. APOE, the gene with the highest impact on Alzheimer’s risk, was found to be the most central gene linking tau- and amyloid-spreading pathways.
“Our results reported at AAIC 2017 suggest that tau and amyloid advance through different brain systems over time,” Sepulcre said. “We also discovered certain genetic traits that may confer tau or amyloid vulnerability in the brain.”
“The findings may improve our ability to track responses to potential therapeutic interventions in the future,” Sepulcre added. “In addition, when more effective drug therapies become available, these results may help doctors determine which patients should get which therapies, and the optimum time to take them.”
Jorge Sepulcre, MD, PhD, et al. In Vivo spreading Pathways of Tau and Amyloid Accumulation and Its Genetic Underpinnings. (Funder(s): U.S. National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer’s Association) July 2017 AAIC 2017 London, United Kingdom
source: alz.org AAIC Press releases
The post Amyloid and Tau Spreading Pathways in the Brain, Correlated with Genetics first appeared on Brain Health Wellness.]]>Sleep Disordered Breathing is treatable. Thus researchers and doctors strongly recommend treatment be sought urgently for people with sleep disordered breathing
It is during sleep that the brain clears away excess beta amyloid. Interrupted, poor or insufficient sleep interferes with this clearance process. And deposits of beta amyloid build up.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than one third of American adults do not get enough sleep on a regular basis. Clearly this is not good for brain health or overall health,” said Dean M. Hartley, PhD, Alzheimer’s Association Director of Science Initiatives. “Sleep disordered breathing is treatable in many cases. Through early diagnosis and effective treatment of these sleep disorders, there is the potential to improve cognition and possibly reduce dementia risk. But first we need to know more about the connections between these medical conditions.”
Amanda Shim, Class 2019 at Wheaton College
Note: This is amazing work by two undergraduate women and their innovative professor and mentor, funded by Wheaton College. The students and their professor used publicly available data from the ADNI collaborative study.
Note: none of the 3 studies are clinical trials. Next step might be to fund and conduct the more expensive clinical studies to “prove” whether treating sleep disordered breathing problems will slow deposition of beta amyloid and lower risk of cognitive impairment and slow the rate of progression in those who are already impaired.
Disordered Sleep Not Good for Brain: Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Are Associated With Amyloid Deposition. Press Release July 18 3 am EDT
Three analyses reported by investigative teams at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, at AAIC 2017 examined sleep patterns among participants in ADNI to characterize potential effects of SDB and OSA on brain changes associated with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
This team of innovative, resourceful researchers used the available databases produced by the ADNI research consortium. Two enterprising and intelligent undergraduates followed the lead of their amazing Professor Omonigho Bubu, MD, MPH to conduct important analyses reported here at and AAIC 2017 in London.
STUDY #1: Amanda Shim and colleagues examined brain β-amyloid-42 accumulation in a cohort of 516 cognitively normal subjects and found that those with SDB had higher levels in CSF at baseline and more rapid accumulation over time. They found no interactive effect between OSA and the Alzheimer’s risk gene APOE-e4. This suggests that OSA may be independently associated with brain amyloid burden..
STUDY #2: Megan Hogan and colleagues performed similar analyses to assess the
 Megan Hogan Wheaton College Class of 2019 |
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effects of OSA in 798 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). As with the cognitively normal cohort, both baseline β-amyloid-42 levels and the rate of accumulation were higher in subjects with OSA. While MCI does not always lead to dementia, a person with MCI is at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s or another dementia. These results suggest that SDB may be an independent risk factor for Alzheimer’s and raises the possibility that interventions aimed at treating SDB may also reduce Alzheimer’s risk.
A combined analysis of the cognitively normal and mild cognitive impairment populations, plus a third group with Alzheimer’s disease (n=325), evaluated the effects of OSA on levels of several Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain β-amyloid burden measured by positron emission tomography.
Analyses showed:
* Associations between OSA and CSF Aβ42 levels in the MCI and Alzheimer’s groups.
* Significant OSA associations were observed with [brain] Aβ42 levels in CN and MCI participants.
* OSA subjects experienced faster increase in [brain] Aβ42 over time in the CN and MCI groups.
* OSA participants experienced a faster decrease in CSF Aβ42 and increases in TAU and PTAU volumes over time in both the CN and MCI groups.
 Omonigho Bubu, MD, MPH, research team leader and Professor at Wheaton College |
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STUDY #3: According to research team leader, Omonigho Bubu, MD, MPH, these results “highlight the importance of checking for and accurately diagnosing sleep disordered breathing, especially in people at risk for dementia, and more importantly in people diagnosed with MCI, so that it can be addressed and treated.”
“If OSA accelerates deposition of beta amyloid in the brain, then it becomes a possible target for therapeutic intervention. More research is needed to confirm these findings,” Bubu said.
Abstract citations: All July 2017, AAIC 2017 London, England
* Amanda Shim, et al. Sleep Disordered Breathing, APOE4 and β-Amyloid Deposition in Cognitive Normal Elderly. (Funder(s): Wheaton College Faculty Development Grant)
* Megan Hogan, et al. Obstructive Sleep Is Associated with Longitudinal Increases in Amyloid Burden in Elderly Mild Cognitive Impairment Individuals. (Funder(s): Wheaton College Development Grant)
* Omonigho Bubu, MD, MPH, et al. Effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) on Rate of Change of AD Biomarkers in Cognitive Normal, MCI and AD Elderly: Findings from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) Cohort. (Funder(s): Wheaton College Faculty Development Grant)
More about Amanda Shim, Class 2019 at Wheaton College
More about Megan Hogan, Class 2019 at Wheaton College
More about Omonigho Bubu, MD, MPH
About the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference
The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world’s largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.
AAIC 2017 home page: www.alz.org/aaic/
AAIC 2017 newsroom: www.alz.org/aaic/press.asp
About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org or call +1 800.272.3900.
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The post Sleep is Essential for Brain Health first appeared on Brain Health Wellness.]]>
