A new study published in JNeurosci indicates that the sleep patterns that we have early in life can be predictive of whether or not we will develop Alzheimer’s disease later on in life. Frequently disrupted sleep, according to this research project, can be an early indicator that someone is at risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Because Alzheimer’s is associated with elevated levels of tau proteins in the brain, researchers wanted to try and find a way to determine whether this protein was present before symptoms of Alzheimer’s ever came to light. Disrupted sleep is one of the few things that is an indicator of this. When someone has higher than normal levels of this protein, it is harder to stay asleep at night. If the amount of sleep that someone gets per night consistently diminishes between the ages of 50 and 70, this can also be a strong indicator that Alzheimer’s is more likely to occur.
This is not to say that disrupted sleep is an indicator that someone will definitely get Alzheimer’s disease, but it is a warning that there is an elevated risk of it happening.
The good news here is that by analyzing sleep patterns, a better method of predicting whether or not someone is likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease can be developed. Researchers have already gotten underway with this line of study. If the chances of someone developing this disease can be better understood, then better safeguards can be put in place to help with the prevention of the disease. While there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s, researchers do know that there are things that can be done early on in life that can help prevent it from happening. Exercise and diet stand at the top of the list of things that can be done to help prevent Alzheimer’s. This is not a one hundred percent effective approach, but statistics show that it does have an impact.
This is of very little use to those of us who currently have a family member that is suffering from Alzheimer’s or any other type of dementia, though. Finding the right memory care to meet the needs of an elderly loved one with dementia is an important component of ensuring that your mom or dad has the best care out there. Memory care comes in a lot of different shapes and forms, but the underlying factor is that it is senior care designed to help someone with impaired cognitive abilities. The right caregiver will be compassionate, loving, knowledgeable, and able to handle any situation that comes their way. The rest is likely to be determined by your parent’s physical and emotional needs, along with the exact type of dementia that they have.
Finding the right care can be daunting, but it is possible. Start with what you know about your loved one, and work from there. You should be focused on finding the right care to meet those needs, and not settling for “good enough.” A truly skilled caregiver should improve the quality of your parent’s life.
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