Diseases - IlCat.org

Annette Said:

What do you think about the pros and cons of coffee?

We Answered:

I think that if anybody bothered to read the entire question, then they are a fool. If you want to drink coffee, drink coffee. If you don't want it, don't drink it.

All the BS studies out there are of absolutely no consequence at your breakfast table.

Ryan Said:

can listening to music on a daily basis prevent Alzheimer's disease?

We Answered:

Exercise the brain!

Studying music, listening analytically to music, and doing other things which involve learning, analysis, solving cognitive problems can delay the onset of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. In a nutshell, exercise of the brain is what helps. The reason is interesting. Although the deterioration of the brain is still there, people who are accustomed to doing these things are more able to form new neural pathways, and so they more easily find alternative neural routes in the brain in order to compensate for brain deterioration.

It was observed that when highly intelligent, educated people were diagnosed with Alzheimer's their symptoms tended to be more severe than for less intelligent, educated people. This was a mystery for a while as it seemed to imply that Alzeimer's hit the intelligent & educated more severely. Then the explanation was discovered, that Alzheimer's progressed in the same way for these people but due to their mental capabilities they were more able to find alternative ways to do the same tasks. This meant that their Alzheimer's didn't become a problem, often it wasn't even suspected, until it had reached an advanced stage. Only then did they feel the need to seek medical help.

These mental capabilities were the result of a lifestyle which included much thinking and learning. These things form new neural pathways, and these people were accustomed to doing this. When a part of their mental processing ability became less efficient due to brain deterioration they naturally formed new pathways to compensate. As a result they lived, unknowingly, with Alzheimer's but with hardly any symptoms. For some people of this type several years can go by before the symptoms become noticable.

Here are some interesting links on the subject:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity/…
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/ment…
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?i…

Nancy Said:

loss of the sense of smell precedes Parkinson's and Alzheimer's?

We Answered:

ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2004) — Philadelphia, PA -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have linked smell loss in mice with excessive levels of a key protein associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Smell loss is well documented as one of the early and first clinical signs of such diseases. If smell function declines as the levels of this protein increase in brain regions associated with smelling, the research could validate the use of smell tests for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. Their findings appear in the March 12th issue of the journal Brain Research, the commemorative volume 1000.

The loss of smell – or olfactory dysfunction or Anosmia – has been known for more than a decade as an early sign of several neurodegenerative diseases,

No explanation exists for what causes the alterations in smell perception associated with neurodegenerative disorders.
What is known is that key physiological markers for these illnesses – increased levels of deposits of neurofibrillary tangles or amyloid plaques, Lewy bodies or tau and alpha-synuclein proteins – are commonly found in brain regions associated with the perception of odors in the bodies of people who suffer from these illnesses.


The researchers concluded that among older persons who have difficulty in identifying odors predicts subsequent development of MCI. (mild cognitive impairment) a precursor of Alzhemier's .

They said their findings suggest that testing for this loss of sense of smell in older people could be a useful diagnostic tool.for the early sign of Alzheimer's .

But, they said, since loss of smell is also linked to other diseases like Parkinson's, more research is needed to identify exactly what is going on neurologically when "olfactory dysfunction" develops in older people

Lifestyle changes to prevent or slow down Alzheimer’s
The latest medical research suggests that the best hope for preventing or slowing down Alzheimer's is to adopt a lifestyle that includes the following:

Avoiding jarring your brain
Staying engaged in social activities with friends, family and others
Exercising your mind to keep your brain in tone
Eating a healthy diet and get regular exercise
Scientists are not yet sure how or why good health habits work to overcome a predisposition to Alzheimer's; and since we don’t fully understand the causes of this disease, we can’t be sure that everyone can avoid getting it. What we do know is that people can reduce some of their risk .
Fish oils; Vit B-12 aupplements and cholesterol-reducing pills are apparently beneficial too.

For more preventative measures, go to the site below:

http://www.yourhealthbase.com/Alzheimer'…

Jason Said:

A President With Alzheimers?

We Answered:

We've already had one (Ronald Reagan). Remember how Nancy used to lead him around? McCain does NOT need to be president! I think Huckabee was staying in the race hoping Mc Cain would have a heart attack or something.

Leo Said:

Neurogloist - Researcher or .. Client doctor?

We Answered:

Hey.

If you become a neurologist, you will need an MD. But, many MDs also do research, especially at universities. So, you can choose to see patients 100% of the time, do part research and part patients, or do all research.

Universities are very flexible. THe National Institute of Health which funds alot of medical research, has a division for neurological disorders. You as a researcher would apply there and get money for your ideas. Then you pay part of your salary from research funds and part from seeing patients.

Good career goals. It is a great field and ALOT of work needs to be done.

Susan Said:

Will old people vote to legalize marijuana once they realize it may have the potential to prevent Alzheimers?

We Answered:

I forgot the question...oh yea, I would vote to legalize it...