Memory loss can be caused by silent strokes. These strokes don't always cause noticeable symptoms, but they result in small pockets of dead brain cells and are found in about 25% of seniors. A study published in the journal Neurology included 658 adults age 65 and older - all without dementia. They had brain scans and were tested for memory, language skills, thinking speed and visual perception. The brain scans showed 174 of the participants had experienced silent strokes and those participants didn't perform as well on the memory tests. Research into stroke prevention continues - with the exception of "strokes of genius".
A fat hormone can increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's. That's according to a study published in the Archives of Neurology. Adiponectin is a hormone produced by fat cells. It helps regulate the body's response to insulin and metabolism. Although higher levels help lower the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, higher levels were found in older women with dementia. Higher levels increased the likelihood of dementia 60% and Alzheimer's 90%. However, older women who were fatter had lower levels of adiponectin and dementia. Although no men were in the study, they have a "fat chance" of not being similarly affected.
However, slow response times aren't necessarily a sign of early dementia. A study done at Ohio State University asked 300 volunteers to watch asterisks flash on a computer screen. Then they were told to quickly decide whether they had been shown 31 to 50 asterisks or 51 to 70. Response times and accuracy improved with age up to a point. Accuracy remained good among seniors, but response times got slower as people got older. Because of failing memories, older people are more careful when deliberating; and this carefulness slows their decision making to "slow but sure".
More good news - in the future a spinal tap may predict Alzheimer's. A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests 2 biomarkers found in cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that surrounds and protects the spinal cord and brain) could predict when mild cognitive impairment will become Alzheimer's. Both biomarkers are proteins. An increase in "tau" is associated with neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. A decrease in "beta-amyloid" is associated with plaque formation in the brain and is an earlier predictor. Alzheimer's treatment is thought to be more effective the earlier it's diagnosed and this study has "tapped into" an early diagnosis.
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