A weekly recap of the latest news about Alzheimer’s and dementia
Alzheimer’s Orange County compiles a weekly roundup of the latest news stories and developments about Alzheimer’s and dementia to keep you updated on what’s happening locally and all around the world. Check out this week’s headlines below:
Japan’s ‘Restaurant of Mistaken Orders’ Hires People with Dementia
Similar to the British television show on ‘The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes,’ there is now a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan that aims to change the stigma towards dementia and help raise awareness about those it affects by hiring servers with memory loss. The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders exists to create an open and welcoming environment for those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s, and to help them stay integrated into society. Customers have responded well to the restaurant, enjoying the food and laughing it off if served the wrong order. Read more here.
New NIA Research Collaboration Aims to Improve Continuity in Dementia Care
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has given a $53.4 million “IMPACT” Collaboratory grant to Brown University and the Hebrew Senior Home in Boston, launching a nationwide series of studies geared towards improving care for those affected by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The IMPACT Collaboratory will work on improving the quality and continuity of dementia care through both caregiving interventions and heightened attention to social factors such as the varied cultural backgrounds of patients. Read more here.
Existing Blood Thinner Delays Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice
A team of investigators from Madrid and New York has recently conducted a study in which anticoagulants, drugs intended to prevent blood clots, were administered to mice with Alzheimer’s disease. The motivator behind these tests comes from the fact that individuals with Alzheimer’s have poor circulation in the brain. Mice who were given the anticoagulants showed reductions in amyloid plaques and brain inflammation, making this a promising potential treatment for the disease. Read more here.
Change in Memory Test Scoring Could Help Catch Alzheimer’s Earlier in Women
We know thatAlzheimer’s disease tends to affect women in different ways than men, with women being more likely to develop the disease due to both social and biological factors; yet, more men are being diagnosed in the disease’s early stages. It has recently been discovered that adjusting the criteria in diagnosing early-stage Alzheimer’s to compensate for a female advantage in verbal memory could help improve diagnostic accuracy in both men and women. An early diagnosis could make all the difference when it comes to planning the future and making anticipatory lifestyle changes, making this a very important breakthrough. Read more here.
New Study Shows Potential Link Between Bad Quality Sleep and Alzheimer’s in Hispanics
A recent study conducted on a Hispanic demographic showed a possible link between insomnia, prolonged sleep duration for more than nine consecutive hours, and decline in neurocognitive functioning – a key precedent in Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. In past studies, it has been shown that Hispanics show a much higher risk of contracting Alzheimer’s than non-Hispanic whites. Dr. Alberto R. Ramos, the lead author behind the study, hopes to use his team’s analyses on sleep disturbances and cognitive impairment to find new discoveries on dementia prevention. Read more here.
