An article recently published in Cell Metabolism outlines an exciting new discovery in the field of Alzheimer’s research. The main takeaway of this article is that it might be possible to help restore some memory functioning early on once someone has Alzheimer’s disease. This is not a cure, but preliminary research indicates that it might reverse some of the memory loss that occurs during early stages of the disease. And the best part of all of this? It’s a very easy treatment.
To reach this conclusion, scientists looked at mice for guidance. In mice that were suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, a nutritional supplement with a certain amino acid was given. These mice were able to regain some of the spatial memory that they had demonstrated prior to having Alzheimer’s. Because scientists were able to demonstrate that memories that had once been lost can be regained, there is a lot of hope that some of the memory loss that is associated with the disease can be slowed and reversed in humans, too.
It can be easy to become too excited about news like this. Researchers make progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s on a regular basis, but it can take years before this research shows any sort of positive effect on the lives of those impacted by the disease. While it is always good that we learn more about the disease, it doesn’t easily translate to help for those that need it, especially if they need that help right now. That is one of the unfortunate realities about medical research. It will likely have an impact down the road, but we’re not going to see the benefits of that in the immediate future.
And if you have a loved one that is struggling with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia right now, you want that help right now. There are some medications out there that can help, but these don’t always help everyone. Things like exercise and puzzles have been shown to help slow the spread of the disease, too. Again, these are only helpful for some people, and typically only in the early stages of the disease.
Although treatments are not as effective as we’d like them to be, there are still things that can be done to make life better for someone suffering from Alzheimer’s. There are also things out there that can help make life easier for the families of those with Alzheimer’s, too. Having a good, knowledgeable, senior care team on your side is a good place to start. Memory care is a difficult field and not all care services are equal when it comes to this. Whoever you decide to work with should have a lot of experience and be willing to customize the needed care to fit your family’s unique set of needs.
We’d love to help you figure out the best plan of care for your loved one. We offer free senior care consultations here in the San Francisco Bay Area so feel free to reach out if you’d like to learn more.
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