There are some articles about possibly there being bacteria associated with gum disease in brains of people with Alz. This is from some frozen brains and the sample is too small to be significant.
One study simply says there is an association, doesn't claim any cause. IMHO since people with dementia tend to have poor oral hygiene as a result of the dementia perhaps this shouldn't be a surprise.
So some legit sources of information, such as Popular Science. I did find some articles on University sites that seem legit but for some reason the sites refuse to include publication dates. Is this information new or old. Has follow-up studies confirmed or refuted the published ones.
But I think the line "And now, researchers have discovered simple way to exterminate this 'brain eating bacteria'…" is crap. The fact that they end the posting with "I can't guarantee how long the video will be up. If Big Pharma finds out about this, this video most likely be taken down" makes me believe the simple solution they claim is pure crap.
Someone selling a diet book insists this must be true based on his own experience. <snark>Very scientific approach</snark>
I have found this posting elsewhere. They are trying to sell something. I wouldn't give them a thought.
If someone discovers a product or treatment that will "reverse the most serious Alzheimer's," I will be the first in line to buy it.
But this is not the way "researchers at Yale" report their findings. And no "new discovery has sent shockwaves across the entire medical community." If it had, the report of this discovery would have appeared in medical journals. The people who are selling this garbage are predators who are using our grief and desperation to wring money out of us.
Fair enough. In August of this year, the Hartford Courant reported on research published in Public Library of Science's online journal PLoS Biology:
• “In this latest study, scientists are showing for the first time that inhibiting the negative effects of a specific protein can reverse memory and learning deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease in mice. . . Yale researchers are duplicating the research to see if they get the same results with rats and non-human primates. THE HOPE IS THAT THEY WILL ONE DAY COME UP WITH A DRUG THAT COULD BE USED TO HELP TREAT PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER'S.”
What this report did not say was that researchers have discovered "a simple way to exterminate this 'brain eating bacteria'... And even reverse the most serious Alzheimer's or memory illnesses."
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We each have to decide what to believe. Early in this horrific nightmare, I looked into a lot of theories about why people got AD and whether there was actually an effective treatment, and I even tried a few -- tumeric, blueberries, etc. My husband is now in late stage 6, going into stage 7, and I stopped looking for a miraculous cure years ago. What the people at Yale are reporting sounds promising but they are not making the claims that this non-pharmaceutical supplier is. And it's anyone's guess if the supplier is actually selling the same compound that the Yale researchers used on the mice. But if someone else wants to try it, I wish them well. Maybe it will work. I do believe that something will be found someday.
In this case there is a salesperson who is taking advantage of actual research in selling their products. They are taking a huge jump, saying that since bateria causes dementia (this is not what the research can say at this point) their product will cure dementia with the most tenuous of connections.
Not sure we should throw the baby out with the bath water, ol don*. There is a lot of research coming out now on the microbiome of the gut and the effects of different bacteria on the body, disease, and health. Outside of the brain, the gut is the biggest producer of neurotransmitters (think dopamine, serotonin). The role of these colonies of different bacteria is truly a new frontier.
One of the unsavory side effects of antibiotics is that they kill off the good bacteria and allow other organisms to grow like mad. If you have ever had a nasty yeast infection, it could have originated in the antibiotic disruption of the bacterial flora of the gut.
In this particular case it would seem that some promotional people have taken the emerging science and crafted themselves a niche business. Unfortunately there is little oversight in the truthfulness of what is advertised and published and many things with shady science reference are promoted in the vast media universe in which we live. And it is often very difficult to discern what is serious evidence based information and what is not.
Why are we so interested in all of these "possible" causes and cures? Because in this 100% fatal disease we all want to hope and understand what is going on. I believe that is the pearl of wisdom in this thread.
ol don*, marche is right --the Yale researchers may be onto something. We were wrong to reject what you were pointing out just because of the salesmanship of promoters who have nothing to do with the researchers.
Now, here is another study. This one does not suggest a cure or treatment, but does suggest at least one cause. It seems kind of frightening since so many people take these common anxiety drugs.
myrle, that is an interesting study and there should be follow-up on it. I am suspicious that it is simply people are taking these meds because they have undiagnosed dementia. They did try to control for this issue but it can go either way. I think that study is very useful because it can either lead to knowing that being on these meds long term can contribute to dementia, or that needing these meds for over 90 days is a sign that someone might have very early stage dementia.
My wife had been on these anxiety drugs but she has a FTD dx, not a Alz dx. I suspect that the drugs were needed because she had early stage FTD but that is merely one opinion of one person.
Somewhat off-subject but I recommend the site Spurious Correlations: http://www.tylervigen.com
It is how about just because you have a strong correlation between 2 events doesn't mean that they anything to do with each other. Because if they did then the best way to cut down the suicide rate would be to cut spending on science, space and technology.
paulc, I'm glad you looked at the article since you seem to understand this stuff. I have forgotten most of what I learned long ago in statistics, so I am dependent on second-hand reports like this NYT blog post. Causation (and, if any, the direction) is an obvious issue but the author of the post clearly thinks the study was done in a thorough manner, with whatever controls are available for an observational study. I'll be interested in reading others' assessments of it. One thing I do question is how they determined that the person had AD, as opposed to some other variety of dementia.
I read the book that hb's niece wanted me to read. The basis of the authors claim is:
STEP which is short for striatalstriatal striatal striatal -enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase phosphatase.
He claims STEP is responsible for helping us form new memories. It blocks TC-2153 which is the one component that can reverse Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinsons, and other neurological disease. People can increase these TC-2153 by eating the right foods. Basically it is certain fruits, vegetables, herbs and protein. A diet many of those with AD have eaten most of their lives. He states that Yale found this information 25 years ago and have been successful in reversing it in mice. But, because it has to do with diet change and not big expensive drugs, no pharmaceuticals will look into it.
I told hb's niece:
For one, it has only been found to help mice. So many things will work for mice but have not worked on humans. Can't even list the number of drugs that showed so much promise to only flop when tried on humans. Click Me!
There is certainly nothing wrong with the diet he proposes. If you want to change to it or add them to your diet I see nothing wrong with it.
It would never work with my hb. He no longer will eat fresh fruit or raw veggies. The only raw veggies he eats are the stuff I put in the salad every night: lettuce, cucumber, tomato, green pepper, carrots. So he gets some of what he suggest. He also suggest to eat his recommended foods, which is once a day, between 6- 8 pm. Weird time.
The book is called 'Memory Healer Program'. IMO - another rip off for people looking for miracles willing to spend any amount of money for it.
Hi Charlotte, That is very interesting. I am really impressed by your grasp of all this scientific material. I struggle with it.
The Hartford Courant article about the Yale study says that the treatment the researchers used on the mice was a form of STEP but it was a compound -- NOT fruit, vegetables, or herbs. So I agree that even though this book has a grain of truth, it sounds like a rip-off. Anyhow, if the Yale treatment is proven to work on humans (not mice or other animals) in clinical trials, the Big Pharma companies will be competing to buy the rights to manufacture it. But anyone claiming to sell it now would be doing it illegally and there is no way to tell whether the stuff they are selling is the real thing as opposed to chicken brains.
Another remedy that I have read about is insulin delivered as a nasal spray (so it wil get to the brain). The theory behind that is that insulin irregularites cause or contribute to AD. But that also seems to be untested.
When my father had this disease in the 1980s, his neurologist told us, "Ten years from now, no one will have this disease. We'll have a treatment for it." Well, I'm still waiting. . . . . .
myrtle - they are studying a type of AD called type 3 diabetes. Considering diabetic have a high percentage that have AD there is reason to think that. In California they have been working on that theory for a few years.
I honestly believe there is more than one cause. Some genetic, some dealing with glucose (since you brain needs glucose and cholesterol to function), dietary, and the list can go on.
Point about the Yale study, they have been working on it for 25 years and yet to get beyond mice. They are working on more advanced animals like primates but time will tell.
The only way we will ever find a cause and cure is for enough to get angry about it like with polio and HIV. So far that has not happened.
myrtle, I am very dependent on reading the interpretation of studies made by others. Too much detail and I am lost. But I have learned a little about scientific research and drug testing. The study in general seems to be well done. But in science the debate is important. Others need to be able to replicate the study, they need a larger study group, they need to improve on the study and better figure out how to test for causation. That is how science work. And newspapers tend to print about the forefront of science. Nothing bad about that, but it is at the forefront that studies tend most likely to be disproven, it is the price of exploring new lands. My only blame is on stories that seem more definitive than they should (sometimes the problem is only with the headlines).
Due to the number of posts on this site about dementia patients who become aggressive or violent, I'm wondering if new members might get the impression that their spouses will inevitably become aggressive or violent. I don't think that is accurate but I have no idea how big a problem aggression actually is.
Does anyone know if statistics have been assembled about what percentage of dementia patients are aggressive? Or at what stage of the disease aggression is aggression likely to become a problem? Or what percentage of dementia patients are taking psychotropic drugs to manage aggression? I would also be interested in knowing generally what kinds of research questions have been raised that do not involve "cures" for or "causes" of dementia. For example, Are there scientific studies about the effectiveness of different non-pharmaceutical treatments for certain behaviors? What are the primary reasons why families decide to place dementia patients in LTC? What are the characteristics of patients that are most and least likely to benefit from day care programs, etc.?
In other words, I'm wondering if there are studies that would actually give us some practical information or guidance. And if there are, where would we find them?
I did google 'what percentage of Alzheimer's patients get violent' and what I found was maybe 1/3. There are many on this site who can tell you their spouse did not get violent or aggressive. My FIL has mild aggression, but not bad. My SIL was in the psych ward for 6 months where they failed to find a combo of drugs to call her. She finally collapse probably from exhausted and died a few weeks later. For me, I am watching for it in my husband but he did not have a temper like his sister but I have noticed him showing anger towards things (especially Obama) that I never saw before. So I don't think there is a good way to predict.
When aggression starts that can be unpredictable. Sid, Joan's husband, had his anger early on. Others it is later on in the disease.
There have been many different methods tried for the different symptoms. I don't know of any you can say are definite. What works for some like music, exercise, etc. will not work for others.
Reasons for placement: caregiver exhaustion, unable to be cared for at home due to incontinence, can't walk any longer, unable to do their daily care like bathing, toileting, eating, dressing, etc. I know as soon as I can, which will be long past when I want to, my husband will be placed. I am not a caregiver where he is concerned and will admit it
Wolf will probably come along with more precise numbers - he can be good at that.
All I could find when I googled that question was a CNN article dated March 30, 2011, that about 5-10% of Alzheimer's patients exhibit violent behavior. No source given and no clue whether "Alzheimer's" is being used as a synonym for all dementing illnesses (as it is in the name of this website) or just specifically for AD.
I think another reason for placement is that there is no caregiver at all. Since this website is for spouses and significant others, it's easy to forget that many people have no one who is responsible for them.
It just seems that for a lot of reasons (policy-making, caregiver education and assistance), these issues should be studied and the results should be easily accessible to people like us.
I've read on the Alzheimer Asso site and other reputable sites that up to 60% of people with dementia will experience aggression at some point during the course of their illness. Before you all pounce on me that you can't find those statistics, that's what I recall but I didn't look it up tonite. I remember that statistic because I was shocked to learn it was so high because nowhere is it ever discussed or portrayed that people with memory diseases can and do experience aggression and violence.
According to my husband's gerentologist who is one of the doctors in the Memory Care center in our local hospital, the most common reasons for LTC placement are incontinence and aggression. Aggression can happen at any stage of the illness or not at all and it is unpredictable. My husband, for example, never raised his voice, was sweet and kind before he had dementia. as you all know, we have struggled with it since his diagnosis 6 years ago. Supposedly the aggression gets better in the later stages, but we are still dealing with it and my husband is in early-mid stage 7 now.
That is a link to a study on THC in marijuana. Nikki's husband had some cognitive improvement after he went on marinol. I for one wondered if there was something in marijuana that would help. Evidently others did to and are studying it.
Sometimes these reports are maddening to me. Their result (besides raising hope) is that the caretaker is forever asked, by innocent or ignorant friends, why they have not tried the "latest cure" - be it Tumeric (or its active ingredient Curcumin), coconut oil, etc, on & on. Of course we tried it, massive amounts of it. Now its marijuana oil, special diets, blood transfusions. What it comes down to, when asked if you've tried this or that cure, is the implication that its the caretaker's fault the spouse is suffering from this disease, since the "cures" are available, so what the H is wrong with you for not curing your spouse? Really, I cannot tell you how many people sent me a web link with a movie to watch about how coconut oil would cure Alzheimers. Yes, they are trying to be helpful and are at a loss, but believe me, if this disease could be cured, it would. We tried some of these "natural cures" and my partner is now in stage 7.
Coincidentally, this morning I just threw out the last bottle I had of tablets that were supposed to reduce inflammation and restore neurons in the brain. Sold by a legitimate medical researcher. Can't remember how many bottles I bought over the years. Now to visit my husband, who does not know where he is and may or may not recognize me.
If you read the article they are not claiming it to be a cure. When Lynn, Nikki's husband, was put on marinol for appetite, he also had some cognitive improvement. I have not read lately how he is doing, but she definitely loved the 'side effect' he got from it. If some chemical in marijuana - THC - would prove to either halt or slow the progression down, that would be great. It would definitely be better for people to take something more natural compared total chemically made like aricept, namenda, and galantamine.
For many of us it is too late. But, if they can find something that will actually halt or dramatically slow down the disease until they find a cause and cure, that would be good for those coming behind us. I know THC has already shown to help some diseases. I remember watching a program about a young girl with a rare disease that needed it cause it was proven to help. But, in NJ it is illegal so they moved to Colorado where as residents they could legally get it. In fact, one guy grew marijuana just for that component of it and gave it to them for free. She had severe seizures - hundreds a day, THC worked for her.
LFL, I agree with the 60%, I read that also. That is a lot! There is no way of knowing which ones well make up that 60% but this information is not to scare people but to inform them. This is a fact of our life. My H was very VERY abusive and even though I am going through a lot of money problems I am free from the physical and mental abuse, so don't hide your eyes from the abuse and violence because if you do it well take you by surprise and then that well cause a lot of other problems. Treat it like it is information to put in the back of your mind just in case it happens to you.