Memory issue? Check out CPAP
DENVER
- Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may aid their memory by using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). A study in CHEST, the
American
College
of Chest Physicians (ACCP) peer-reviewed journal, shows the majority of patients with OSA, memory-impaired prior to treatment, showed normal memory performance after three months of optimal CPAP use. Patients who used CPAP for at least six hours a night were nearly eight times as likely to demonstrate normal memory abilities versus patients who used CPAP two or fewer hours a night. “Patients with OSA often complain of forgetfulness,” said senior study author Dr. Mark S. Aloia, of the National Jewish Medical and
Research
Center
. “Where memory is concerned, we may have the ability to reverse some impairments by providing effective and consistent use of CPAP treatment.” Dr. Aloia and colleagues examined the degree to which varying levels of CPAP adherence improved memory in 58 memory-impaired patients with clinically diagnosed OSA. After three months of CPAP treatment, 21% of poor users, 44% of moderate users, and 68 % of optimal users demonstrated normal memory performance.
WASHINGTON - Monday Morning in Washington, DC noted Brookdale Foundation Group issues a request for proposals for start-up social model group respite programs for people with Alzheimer's disease and their family caregivers (deadline: July 6, brookdalefoundation.org). In November, Brookdale will award up to 15 seed grants for such programs and up to five seed grants for the development of specialized programs for people with early memory loss. The seed grants are $7,500 each for the first year, with an opportunity for a second year grant of $3,000. Funds may be sought by private 501(c)(3) or public agencies to develop a new program. Funds may not be used to support or expand hours, days, or service of existing social, health, or medical model programs. Sponsoring organization must provide a 100% match of dollars and/or substantive in-kind support. Obtain the RFP and guidelines at the Brookdale Web site.
STOCKHOLM
- HealthDay News noted longer life raised the 2005 cost of caring for 6 million-plus Americans with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia forms to about $76 billion. That is nearly one-sixth of what the
U.S.
government is expected to spend this year on Medicare. The global cost of caring for 29.3 million people with dementia in 2005 was $315 billion, stated Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. That is significantly higher than the 2003 global figure of $250 billion by the same scientists, showing costs accelerated in two years and underscoring the need for more study of the disease. The $315.4 billion figure is higher than the total budget of all but the
U.S.
,
Japan
,
Germany
,
France
,
Italy
,
England
,
China
, and
Spain
, scientists said. Lead author Dr. Anders Wimo, of the Karolinska Institutet, said the rise reflected the "graying of the world," and higher gross domestic product in developing countries that boosts the wages of medical personnel and caregivers.
BOSTON
- Did you know diabetics need more than sunglasses to shield their eyes? Diabetics are at risk for cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss. In many cases, vision can be saved if the disease is caught early and treated.
Joslin
Diabetes
Center
's Beetham Eye Institute offers tips to keep your eyes well throughout the year: *The earlier you can catch diabetic eye disease the more likely you save your sight. *You can have perfect vision and still have diabetic eye disease. *An annual dilated eye exam can identify eye complications early. *If your doctor finds early signs of diabetic eye disease, treatments may be urged, including laser eye surgery, contact lenses, glasses, and medications. *Keep your A1C (average monthly blood glucose levels) on target, control blood pressure, and quit smoking.
WASHINGTON
- Monday Morning in Washington, DC noted Job Accommodations for People with Traumatic Brain Injury data, with ideas for accommodating people with TBI in the workplace, has been updated and is available at www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=5066.
PHILADELPHIA
- The Philadelphia Inquirer noted for years doctors urged older men with early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer to "watch and wait" - skip treatment until tests showed cancer was growing aggressively. A study at
Fox
Chase
Cancer
Center
and the
University
of
Pennsylvania
suggests there is a significant benefit from treating men over 65 surgically or with radiation therapy. The study was in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "We found men who had either a radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy within six months of their prostate cancer diagnosis were 30% less likely to die than those who didn’t undergo treatment," said Dr. Yu-Ning Wong, medical oncologist at Fox Chase and study lead author. Using several national cancer databases, Dr. Wong and her colleagues examined the overall survival of 44,630 men with low- and intermediate-stage prostate cancer. The patients, 65-80, were diagnosed 1991-1999. Doctors reported that over a 12-year period, 37% of the men with prostate cancer who took the watchful-waiting approach died versus 24% of those who chose active treatment.
WASHINGTON
- Monday Morning in Washington, DC noted Mattel Co. (www.mattel.com) has grants for programs serving children in need (deadline June 15). Through its Children's
Foundation
,
U.S.
charitable groups that can demonstrate they serve children in need directly may be eligible for one-year grants of $5,000-$20,000 each. Funds may go to programs or operations. Groups can’t be tied in any way with a national entity. Programs must align with Mattel's philanthropic priorities: Learning, Health, Girl Empowerment. Two types of grants will be considered: program-specific to launch efforts or expand existing ones, and operating support. The Mattel site has guidelines, eligibility quiz, and application form.
BOSTON
- Over time, more women develop Multiple Sclerosis (MS) than men, research shown at the
American
Academy
of Neurology annual meeting noted. In 1940, the ratio of
U.S.
women to men with MS was almost two to one. By 2000, the ratio was nearly four to one. "That's an increase … of nearly 50% per decade," said author Dr. Gary Cutter, of the University of Alabama/Birmingham School of Public Health. "We don't know why more women are developing MS than men." He said scientists must explore multiple changes that have occurred for women over several decades; i.e., oral contraceptives use, earlier menstruation, obesity, smoking rates, and later age of first births. "We must ask general questions about what women do differently than men, such as hair dye and cosmetics that may block vitamin D absorption," he said. Dr. Cutter said the largest ruse in the ratio has been for those whose MS began at younger ages.
SAN
ANTONIO
- The Good Bytes Cafe has stained concrete floors, jars of scones and a small bank of computers in the corner, making it much like any Internet cafe. The computers - with a joystick mouse, magnifying software, and equipment allowing people to point and click with their eye movements - make Good Bytes one of just a handful nationwide specifically designed for disabled users. The cafe is a first for Goodwill Industries, the nonprofit best known for selling used clothing and furniture at its thrift stores. Goodwill has long had job centers around San Antonio to help disabled residents find work, but surveys found 70% of the area's disabled are unemployed and 60% don't have computer skills, she said. Due to the tie between joblessness and lack of computer skills, Goodwill wanted to build something that would give more disabled people access to assistive technology. The cafe, funded with a $125,000 grant from San Antonio-based AT&T Inc., will be supported by food sales and will double as a location to train disabled food service workers, she said. Good Bytes doesn’t charge for access to the technology.
BOSTON
- Sleep protects memories from outside interferences - and helps strengthen them, stated research presented at the
American
Academy
of Neurology's annual meeting. The study looked at memory recall with and without competing information; 48 people ages 18-30 were studied. All had normal, healthy sleep routines and weren’t taking medications. Participants were divided into four even groups: wake group without interference, wake group with interference, sleep group without interference, and sleep group with interference. All were taught the same 20 pairs of words in the initial training session. The wake groups were taught at
9 a.m.
and tested on them at
9 p.m.
after 12 hours awake. The sleep groups were taught at
9 p.m.
and tested at
9 a.m.
after a night of sleep. Just prior to testing, the interference groups were given a second list of word pairs to remember. The first word in each pair was the same on both lists - the second was different, testing the brain to handle competing information. Interference groups were tested on both lists. People who slept after learning the data successfully recalled more words. The sleep group without interference recalled 12% more first list word pairings than the wake group without interference. With interference, the recall rate was 44% higher for the sleep group. "This is the first study to show sleep protects memories from interference," said study author Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, of
Harvard
Medical
School
, and Fellow of the
American
Academy
of Neurology.
