A new study highlights the future of dementia treatment, and provides a rather optimistic outlook.
The newly published study states that brain cells might possibly be able to relearn how to clean plaque from the brain, one of the hallmark traits of Alzheimer’s. This type of dementia has traditionally been thought to occur because of the plaque buildup that occurs, but new research indicates that it might also be the result of a lack of a certain molecule in the brain.
Researchers studied mice with Alzheimer’s disease and found that they were missing the same molecule that mice with multiple sclerosis were missing–spleen tyrosine kinase. Also, when this molecule was reintroduced to the mice, plaque buildup was reduced. This suggests that there are things that can be done to help improve short term outcomes for those with dementia. Long term impact is still unknown. Obviously, there’s still a lot more that needs to be learned here.
This research comes out of the University of Virginia Health System. They published their findings in the medical journal, Cell. And while it points to a lot of useful information, there’s still a lot more research that will need to be done if future senior citizens are going to benefit from this study. Hopefully, this acts as a launchpad for future research projects, as the next step in research can use this as a starting point.
Right now, there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. There are things that we can do to help reduce the odds of someone getting it, and we can even take steps to help slow down its spread. But ultimately, when someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s it’s just a matter of time before they pass away because of the disease. It is a degenerative disease and the condition of the person with it will worsen over time.
That’s not to say that there will never be a cure for the disease. We’re just not there yet. Things like the above mentioned study might help bring us a little bit closer to a cure in the future, though.
If you have a loved one that has Alzheimer’s or any other type of dementia, please know that you have resources on your side. We’d love to be one of those resources if you’re still looking. Here at Paradise In-Home Care, we do provide senior care, but we can also help provide you with education and guidance. Senior care is a big topic, and memory care is an often overlooked part of it. But it’s something that we specialize in.
So, whether you’re looking for care, or just are not sure where to begin, we’re on your side. Give us a call to start the conversation. We can get you set up with a free consultation session and help you to figure out what your next steps should be. Once we’ve helped with that, we can get you pointed in the right direction so that the labyrinth of senior care is much easier to navigate.
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