A new approach to solving Alzheimer's

We've all heard the saying that the older you get the worse your memory gets. Naturally as you get older your body, cognitive, and motor skills inevitably start to fade. Not only do you become more at risk for health issues but you also become more at risk for Alzheimer's after the age of 65. This is a progressive disease that affects your memory, social skills, and other mental functions. More than 5 million people have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and 1 in 10 people have a diagnosed family member. As the sixth leading cause of death in the United States the battle against Alzheimer's is hard. This is a disease that cannot be slowed, prevented, and does not yet have a cure. Researchers have been searching for a cure by looking at what is wrong with the brain but recently researchers are taking a different approach and are starting to look at what is right with the brain.



There is a special group of elderly people out there over 80 years old with the memory functions of people up to 30 years younger then them. They have respectfully earned the name the "super agers." Research done at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine takes MRI scans of theses super agers and tests their cognitive and memory skills. On MRI scans of the super agers the cortex, which is the area important for memory, was thicker than those of normal 80 years old. Their anterior cingulate, important for memory and attention, was also enlarged. Dr. Robert Morrison a Professor at Loyola University Chicago has also taken on this approach of researching super agers. Dr. Morrison talks about what indicators there are of Alzheimer's such as the brain showing elevated levels of plaques and tangle. By assessing these biomarkers in the patients with Alzheimer's and super agers him and his colleagues are learning more about early detection. This early detection will be a big step in helping to treat Alzheimer's sooner and helping to understand more about this disease.

These findings from Dr. Morrison and other researchers are being used to hopefully reveal how people keep their memory and other cognitive functions and being applied to Alzheimer's. By taking a different approach and trying to figure out what makes a healthy brain hopefully we are steps closer to understanding, helping prevent, and cure Alzheimer's.



Works cited

1. Emling, Shelley. "Meet The 'Super Agers' Who Could Unlock The Mystery Of Aging." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/23/super-agers_n_3804213.html

2. https://www.alert-1.com/blog/general/alzheimer's-awareness-month-facts-for-seniors/4881?keyword=_inurl%3A·%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alert-1.com%2Fblog&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Nonbrand-Dynamic&gclid=CIWlrtjBzckCFQ6QaQodgg8Dcg

3.slideshow shown in class by Dr. Morrison

images from: 
http://tpr.org/post/think-health-science-leap-toward-treatment-alzheimers-disease#stream/0

http://crazy4images.com/items/different-superman-logos.htm