5 Habits That Can Drastically Improve Your Brain Health
Cavan Images via Getty Images There are a few daily habits that can improve your cognitive function and lower your risk for Alzheimer’s. As crucial as our brains are to our ability to function, they don’t get nearly the attention that certain muscle groups (or even wrinkles) do. Unless we’re dealing with a serious condition, […]
Certain Toxic Effects Higher With Newer Prostate Cancer Therapies
Second-generation anti-androgens (AAs) for the treatment of prostate cancer are associated with an increased risk of cognitive and functional toxic effects, according to results from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Across 12 randomized trials involving over 13,000 patients, increased risks of cognitive toxic effects (risk ratio [RR] 2.10, 95% CI 1.30-3.38, P=0.002) and fatigue (RR […]
Dementia Strikes One in Ten Americans Over 65
About one in 10 U.S. adults over 65 has dementia and even more have mild cognitive impairment, updated national estimates suggested. In a nationally representative cross-sectional study of about 3,500 older adults, 10% (95% CI 9-11) were classified as having dementia and 22% (95% CI 20-24) as having mild cognitive impairment, according to Jennifer Manly, […]
Higher CRP Levels Tied to Cognitive Problems in Older Breast Cancer Survivors
Higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were associated with cognitive problems in older breast cancer survivors, a longitudinal analysis showed. Among participants of the Thinking and Living With Cancer study, breast cancer survivors with higher CRP levels than others reported statistically worse cognition (P=0.040) — a relationship that was not seen in women with no […]
Doctors May Have Found A Way To Reduce The Effects Of Alzheimer’s
A ‘pacemaker’ for the brain has helped a number of Alzheimer’s patients regain some of the cognitive function that they had previously lost because of the disease. The process involves placing tiny electrical wires deep within the frontal lobes of the brain and then applying a small electrical current.
Herpes Viruses Linked to Brain Changes
Symptomatic herpes viruses were linked with several neurologic and cognitive features, but not with Alzheimer’s disease processes, a longitudinal cohort study showed. Among older adults who mainly were cognitively normal, herpes virus infection was associated with accelerated tissue loss in brain white matter over time, particularly in the temporal lobe, according to Keenan Walker, PhD, […]
Brain Structure, Cognitive Performance Linked With Tobacco Use in Kids
Children who started using tobacco by age 10 had significantly inferior cognitive performance and smaller brain structures after a 2-year follow-up period, a cohort study reported. Those reporting ever using tobacco products had significantly lower scores in the Picture Vocabulary Test of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery both at baseline and at 2-year follow-up compared […]
Persistent Olfactory Loss After COVID Predicts Cognitive Impairment
Persistent smell loss after SARS-CoV-2 infection predicted cognitive impairment in older adults, a longitudinal study in Argentina showed. One year after acute infection, anosmia was more strongly associated with cognitive impairment than severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, reported Gabriela Gonzalez-Aleman, MSc, PhD, of Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina in Buenos Aires, at the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International […]
Regular Exercise Program May Stall Cognitive Decline
Sedentary older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment who engaged in regular exercise for a year maintained their cognition without decline, topline data from the EXERT trial showed. Older adults who engaged in either moderate intensity aerobic training or stretching, balance, and range-of-motion exercises for 12 months showed no change from baseline in ADAS-Cog-Exec scores, […]
What Is Included in a Mental Status Examination? 5 Categories
A mental status examination is an assessment of the patient’s behavioral and cognitive functioning, which may include the following elements. A mental status examination includes: General observations made during the clinical encounter: Appearance: Body habitus Dressing/grooming Hygiene Grooming Posture General behavior: Eye contact Cooperativeness Defensiveness Irritability Shyness Relaxed Resistant Withdrawn Level of consciousness (state of […]