A Wiser Mind

The ‘Goldilocks Effect’ of Alzheimer’s

Rick — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 04:40:44 +0000

Most of us are familiar with the—too much…too little…just right—story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Something similar happens inside the brains, and around the lives, of individuals with Alzheimer’s.

Current theory holds that Alzheimer’s begins to manifest itself in a region of the brain called the hippocampus. It is made up of two curved structures that lie towards the center of your head. Some people believe that these structures look like sea horses, and so that’s where it gets its name from the Greek words for curved horse. The hippocampus helps us to filter and organize information, and it helps us to form new memories.

When we walk down a city sidewalk filled with strangers, the hippocampus is busy making decisions on whether we need to remember all the new faces that we are seeing. In this situation, the hippocampus determines that they are unimportant to us, and so we don’t remember every single person we encounter on the street. However, in a situation where we meet a new boss, or our future in-laws, our hippocampus determines that these are people worth remembering, and so we commit them to memory.

In the fall, when the trees turn gold and the air turns crisp, our thoughts may turn to the upcoming holiday season. For some, this will be a time to visit loved ones who have recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Families may even plan reunions right after a diagnosis, in the hopes of making the most of the time they have together. Interaction with family is important. If you have a large extended family, you might wish to modify your plans. Alzheimer’s is typically a slow, progressive disease, and it’s not contagious. Overtime, your interactions with your loved one will change as the disease progresses, but appropriate and purposeful interaction is essential to maintain a high quality of life.In a person with Alzheimer’s, the hippocampus starts to have problems filtering out information. It gets distracted by unimportant facts and it misses essential details. Researchers have shown that proper mental and emotional stimulation is essential to people with Alzheimer’s. In fact, it’s important for all people whether you have dementia or not. In patients with Alzheimer’s, the nature and level of this stimulation is critical.

As was mentioned, the hippocampus helps us to filter out stimulation coming at us, and in Alzheimer’s that part of the brain is under attack. This creates a situation that I call the Goldilocks effect, where an Alzheimer’s patient can be easily under-stimulated and easily over-stimulated. While each person is different, it’s possible to see this effect in a family reunion situation—too many people attempting to interact at the same time. The person can become overwhelmed emotionally and mentally.

As an alternative to a single, large family gathering, you might consider spreading the visits out over an entire day or a weekend. Instead of one holiday meal and party, split into smaller groups over multiple meals. This will create a longer period of more moderate levels of stimulation. If this is done, you might find that the person has better recall and more enjoyment.

Alzheimer’s is a disease not of just one person, but a condition that affects the entire family. There may be hard times and challenges, but with some small changes you can add quality to this time of life and make new, special memories that you might not have thought possible.

To view a PDF version of this article click here.

Reading and Resource List

Rick — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:50:17 +0000

If you are concerned about caring for a person living with dementia, or if you’re simply interested in brain aging and health, we’ve developed a list of resources and books to review.

Reading list:

The Mind & The Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force, by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D. and Sharon Begley

Train Your Mind Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves, by Sharon Begley

Keep Your Brain Alive, by Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D. and Manning Rubin

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Care for Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss Later in Life, by Nancy L. Mace M.A. and Peter V. Rabins M.D., M.P.H.

Visiting Mom: An Unexpected Gift (A guide for visiting elders with Alzheimer’s) by Sherry M. Bell, Ph.D.

The Alzheimer’s Sourcebook for Caregivers by Frena Gray-Davidson

New Hope for People with Alzheimer’s and Their Caregivers by Porter Shimer

Mom, Are You There? Finding a path to peace through Alzheimer’s by Kathleen Negri

Web Resources:

A WiserMind: www.aWiserMind.com

Alzheimer’s Association: www.alz.org

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: www.alzfdn.org

National Parkinson Foundation: www.parkinson.org

Parkinson Disease Foundation: www.pdf.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society: www.nationalmssociety.org

National Stroke Association: www.stroke.org

Disclaimer, please read:

The body of knowledge of dementia and dementia-care changes on a daily basis. Approach all sources with an openness and awareness that there are likely alternative views available and more current research that might change views or statements contained in any publication.

The preceding is a list of resources that you may wish to review on the subjects of cognition preservation, Neuroscience, and Alzheimer’s care. These resources have been suggested by a variety of sources and, as such, A WiserMind does not endorse any of the views or statements contained therein. This list is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical and expert advice. If you feel you need medical advice, you should consult a doctor immediately.

Parking-lot Croquet Event June 15th

Rick — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:42:41 +0000

At A WiserMind, we are always looking for new and unique ways to improve quality of life as we age and improve the quality of care delivered to those in need. This special event on June 15th at the Walgreens at Peoria and Mississippi in Aurora does just that. Starting at 4:00 we’re going to be playing parking-lot croquet, and we’re going to have senior care service professionals available to answer questions about aging with health and dignity and quality of life.

Why croquet? Well, physical activity, social engagement and good health information are essential to stay healthy as we age.

Croquet is a great game for any age. It can be played by the young of body and the young at heart. Players can sit or stand, and be at just about any health level.

If you’re caring for an aging adult–or if you’re concerned about your own healthy aging–come out and play, and enjoy the opportunity to meet and connect with senior health professionals. There’s no better way to have fun and learn about healthy aging.

Where: Walgreens at Mississippi and Peoria — 12051 E Mississippi Blvd. Aurora CO

When: June 15th, beginning at 4:00 till we’re finished having fun.

Alzheimer’s Symposium Notes

Rick — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:42:28 +0000

We were quite honored to have the opportunity to present, Enhancing Dementia Care with Person Centered Therapies at the May 3rd Alzheimer’s Association Education Symposium in Denver Colorado. During the presentation I promised to post the session notes on the website for download. I’d like to thank everyone who attended and asked such great questions. We also appreciate your feedback and support.

Click the following link to access the presentation handouts: Enhancing Dementia Care-April 2010-Handouts

Fall Factors: Balance

Rick — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 02:56:10 +0000

Body and environment factors contribute to falls. Body factors, consist of our sense of balance, muscle strength, flexibility, posture and muscle control. Environment factors are poor lighting, obstacles, slippery or unstable surfaces and lack of support. An issue or deficit in any one factor can increase your chances of taking a tumble, but in many instances multiple factors are present.

Our Sense of Balance

Our sense of balance comes from our ears, eyes and brains. In youth, our inner-ears provide the dominant sense of balance. But for many of us, as we age, our vision plays an increasing role in our overall perception of balance. The impact of vision on balance can be seen in the dizzying sensation of vertigo that some experience in high places. Over time, however, many of us begin to rely more and more heavily on our eyes to give us confidence about our balance and we trust and use our inner-ears less. So it is, that changes in our vision–or poor lighting–become contributing factors in falls.

As mentioned, our chief source of balance is our ears. It originates in three semi-circular tubes inside the ear and two other small organs. These three structures provide information to the brain stem and cerebellum, the parts of the brain at its base and connected to the spinal cord. These parts of the brain are not part of your conscious awareness, so you can make small changes to your posture, to your limb position and even make changes to eye movement to help manage balance without being aware of it.

When our sense of balance is thrown-off we can feel dizzy, disoriented or nausea. There are some diseases that permanently affect our balance, but temporary balance changes can be from something as simple as a new medication, an inner-ear infection, a bad head-cold, or dehydration.

Join us next week for Part 2 Fall Factors: Our Bodies

Go to the previous post in this series: Fall Cause and Survival–Introduction

Fall Cause and Survival Introduction

Rick — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:06:03 +0000

In-home falls are often caused by hazards that are easy to fix. Unfortunately, easy doesn’t get done, and so these hazards are ignored and overlooked. Each year more than a third of adults over 65 experience a fall. Statistics collected by the CDC indicate that if you have one fall you are two to three times more likely to fall again. Falling is a slippery slope that could be easily avoided. To make matters worse, falls don’t just mean the minor pumps and bruises of youth. In seniors, falls can lead to injury, disability, reduced physical function, loss of independence, drastically increased cost of care, and in the worst scenario–death.

At A WiserMind, we strive to help maximize quality of life. That’s not just limited to the brain and emotional health therapies that we specialize in, but also in all aspects of quality of life. Helping to reduce falls and their consequences can have a huge impact on improving quality of life and overall fitness.

In this multipart post, we’ll look at the internal and external causes of falls and we’ll provide simple suggestions to reduce your chances. In later posts we’ll provide some suggestions to help improve your chances of surviving a fall should you have the misfortune of taking a spill.

To learn more, click here to go to, Part 1, Fall Factors: Balance.

March 2010 Brain Boggler Answers

Rick — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:48:27 +0000

Okay, if you’ve gotten all the answers, or if you’ve given up, here are the answers to the Brain Blogglers in the March 2010 What’s on Your Mind?

D) A star is the shape in the middle of a Scrabble board.

B) A lion is not represented on the Chinese calendar.

D) Dom Perignon was a monk.

D) Phosphorous is represented on the periodic table with the letter P.

So, how’d you do?

What’s on Your Mind newsletter March 2010

Rick — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:38:40 +0000

What’s on Your Mind? It’s more than a question it’s also the newsletter for A WiserMind. It’s a quick and easy read filled with new brain research, upcoming events, brain bogglers and other puzzles, little known facts and much more. Each issue will be something new, so keep an eye out for future issues. In the March 2010 issue you’ll find:

What causes 40% of the mental decline in seniors. It’s not Alzheimer’s, and in most cases it’s reversible.
Information on resources to determine if a senior is safe living at home.
Links to the latest statistics report by the Alzheimer’s Association.
Event details for the April 24th Invisible Symptoms of MS seminar host by the Rocky Mountain MS Center.
Trivia questions to challenge your brain just a little.
and more…

Click here to open a free PDF copy of the newsletter

Happy reading!

2010 Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures Report Available

Rick — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:09:15 +0000

The Alzheimer’s Association has just published its 2010 annual Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. This report details the escalation of Alzheimer’s, which currently impacts over 5 million Americans. Facts and Figures conveys the burden of Alzheimer’s and dementia on our lives and our economy from individuals, families, local and state government up to the nation’s healthcare implications. The report details recent research that indicates higher risks of developing Alzheimer’s for certain ethnic and cultural groups.

Some of highlighted items from the report are:

There are indications that management of cardiovascular risk factors, such as high cholesterol, Type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity may help avoid or delay cognitive decline.
One in eight people aged 65 and older (13%) have Alzheimer’s disease
- 16% of women 71 and older have Alzheimer’s
- 14% of men over 71 have Alzheimer’s
- The higher frequency of occurrence in women over men appears to be only related to the fact that woman typically live longer than men.
People with fewer years of education appear to be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The underlying causes of this difference is debated amongst researchers.
Populations in the Southern, Midwestern and Western areas of the United States are expected to experience increases that will result in 30- to 50-percent (and greater) increases over the next 15 years.
Western states including Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming are forecast to experience a doubling (or more) of their populations with Alzheimer’s by 2025.
- Colorado is estimated to have 72,000 Alzheimer’s citizens today, that number is expected to grow to 110,00 by 2025.
A study of community-based seniors reports that most have changes in their brain that suggests the presence of dementia-causing diseases.
New studies show that the underlying causes of dementia are far more complicated that previously believed.
It is expected that there will be 454,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s diagnosed in 2010.
The number of people 85 or older is expected to quadruple in the next 40 years.
Alzheimer’s is the 5th leading cause of death in seniors 65 and older.
In the 6 years from 2000 to 2006 there was more than a 46% increase in Alzheimer’s deaths. During that same period that was an 18% decrease in stroke deaths and more than a 2% decline in breast cancer deaths.
Almost 11 million people provide unpaid care for individual with dementia…that’s more than 3.5% of the US population.
In 2009 unpaid caregivers provided 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care (estimated to be valued at nearly $144 billion at $11.50 per hour).
The report also includes a special report on Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s disease. It reports that African-Americans and Hispanics seniors appear to be more likely than older Caucasians to have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Some studies indicate that African-Americans have more than double the odds of developing Alzheimer’s. High blood pressure and diabetes, are more common in older African-Americans and Hispanics . It is possible that these conditions which are risk factors for Alzheimer’s account for some of the differences in frequency of diagnosis.

The Brain-Body Connection – March 18, 2010

Rick — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:33:17 +0000

Our brains control our bodies and our bodies power our brains. The two are linked together. Dr. Patrick Lovett and Rick Watson (A WiserMind) discuss how changes in our body affect our brains and how brain changes impact our bodies. This must-attend conversation will provide essential information on how to keep our bodies and brains healthy and active.

Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Location: Garden Plaza of Aurora, 14221 East Evans Avenue, Aurora, Colorado 80014

This is a free event open to the public.

Refreshments will be served.

Because these events fill up quickly, RSVPs are highly suggested. Call 303.750.0820 to reserve your seat.

This event is part of the monthly educational series presented by A WiserMind and hosted at Garden Plaza of Aurora.