Category: mind

1/12/2015 - This app could help cure Alzheimer’s, and all you have to do is download it

Folding@Home is a software that adds the computing power of your own PC into one giant fold of supercomputers, allowing researchers to run lightning-quick folding simulations. And the initiative has led to some great research. Read the full article at The Washington Post.

1/9/2015 - 20% of elderly likely to have dementia in ’25

The number of elderly people suffering from dementia in Japan will likely reach a maximum of 7.5 million in 2025, meaning one in five people aged 65 or older will have dementia, according to a study team of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. Read the full article at The Japan News.

12/27/2014 - Alzheimer’s, in the Open

Readers discuss the welcome trend toward acknowledging the disease. To the Editor: I commend Frank Bruni for speaking candidly about his grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s (“Confronting an Ugly Killer,” column, Dec. 16). Raising public awareness about this dreadful disease in mainstream media, books and movies is important. But it’s not nearly enough.

12/26/2014 - Can Alzheimer’s be treated with the arts? Researchers aim to determine the answer

As rock-and-roll fills a sunny recreation room at Birmingham Green in Manassas, residents of the assisted-living facility seem swept up in the music as if by a powerful wind. Read the full article at The Washington Post.

12/25/2014 - Bank Tellers Serve as Dementia Care Givers in Aging Japan

They would enter the bank and ask for their cash. Yuriko Asahara, behind the counter, would check where they would stash it — in the side pocket of a handbag or perhaps deep down in a shoulder bag. Asahara wasn’t spying. She knew she’d have to remind them within an hour or two. Many of… Read more 12/25/2014 - Bank Tellers Serve as Dementia Care Givers in Aging Japan

12/23/2014 - Seniors' Aging Brains Find Ways to Stay Financially Sharp

New research suggests that decades of financial experience help seniors stay smart about money matters, despite the mental declines that come with age. Read the full article at U.S. News and World Report.

12/17/2014 - Will retirement pay you a ‘happiness bonus’?

Consistent with the research of Laura Carstensen, a psychology professor and director of Stanford University’s Center on Longevity, a MassMutual survey finds that positive emotions increase and negative emotions decrease over time among those in or near retirement. For example, while 72% of retirees say they are “extremely or quite happy,” only 61% of pre-retirees… Read more 12/17/2014 - Will retirement pay you a ‘happiness bonus’?

12/15/2014 - The Myth of the Brain Game

Puzzles designed to sharpen mental acuity may not actually do much to improve memory or intelligence in the long run. Read the full article at The Atlantic.

12/9/2014 - Unmet Needs Continue to Pile Up

“Unmet needs,” a term gerontologists use, refers to care or help you require but don’t get. If, when you’re elderly or disabled, you aren’t able to shop or cook, you lack the strength to go outside, you can’t keep track of your bank account or your medications — and no one assists you with those… Read more 12/9/2014 - Unmet Needs Continue to Pile Up

12/9/2014 - This Nursing Home Calms Troubling Behavior Without Risky Drugs

Though antipsychotics are approved to treat serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the FDA says the drugs can increase the risk of death for people with dementia. Still, they’re prescribed for nearly 300,000 nursing home residents nationally. Read the full article at National Public Radio.