March 28, 2024

Memory, Migraines, Sleep & More

Posted on January 31, 2015 by in NewsUCanUse

Dietary Flavanols Reverse Age-Related Memory Decline

Dietary cocoa flavanols (naturally occurring bioactives found in cocoa) reversed age-related memory decline in healthy Feb2015CacaoBeansWolder adults, according to a study led by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) scientists. The study, published in an online issue of Nature Neuroscience, provides the first direct evidence that one component of age-related memory decline in humans is caused by changes in a specific region of the brain, and that this form of memory decline can be improved by a dietary intervention.

Age-related memory decline is different from the often-devastating memory impairment that occurs with Alzheimer’s, in which a disease process damages and destroys neurons in various parts of the brain, including the memory circuits. The researchers point out that the product used in the study is not the same as chocolate, and they caution against an increase in chocolate consumption in an attempt to gain this effect.

Men Who Exercise Less Likely to Wake Up to Urinate

Men who are physically active are at lower risk of nocturia (waking up at night to urinate), according to a study led by a Feb2015SrGolferWLoyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researcher. The study is published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Nocturia increases with age, and is estimated to occur in more than 50 percent of men 45 and older.

Among men in the study group, those who were physically active one or more hours per week were 13 percent less likely to report nocturia and 34 percent less likely to report severe nocturia than men who reported no physical activity. (Nocturia was defined as waking two or more times during the night to urinate; severe nocturia was defined as waking three or more times to urinate.)

Nasal Spray for Migraine Pain?

Researchers are developing a novel prochlorperazine nasal spray as a potential new treatment for migraines, which are Feb2015NasalInhalerWmanifested by severe pain and headache, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. According to the Migraine Research Foundation, migraine ranks in the top 20 of the world’s most disabling medical diseases.

Venkata Yellepeddi, Ph.D., and colleagues from Roseman University of Health Sciences, developed a prochlorperazine nasal spray that could prove useful. Comparative clinical studies have shown that prochloperazine provides better pain relief than other anti-migraine drugs. Currently prochlorperazine is only available in tablet form. It is thought that a nasal spray version of prochlorperazine will not only be effective, but fast acting and have better patient compliance overall.

Worry, Jealousy, Moodiness May Increase Alzheimer’s Risk

Women who are anxious, jealous, or moody and distressed in middle age may be at a higher risk of developing NewsMar2013PuzzleHeadAlzheimer’s disease later in life, according to a nearly 40-year-long study published in an online issue of Neurology®. The study found that women who scored highest on the tests for neuroticism (being easily distressed and personality traits such as worrying, jealousy or moodiness) had double the risk of developing dementia compared to those who scored lowest on the tests. Being either withdrawn or outgoing did not appear to raise dementia risk alone, however, women who were both easily distressed and withdrawn had the highest risk of Alzheimer’s disease in the study.

Poor Sleep and Dementia

People who have sleep apnea or spend less time in deep sleep may be more likely to have changes in the brain that are Feb2015CountSheepWassociated with dementia, according to a new study conducted by VA Pacific Islands Health Care System and the Pacific Health Research and Education Institute in Honolulu, Hawaii and published in an online issue of Neurology®.

The study found that people who don’t have as much oxygen in their blood during sleep, which occurs with sleep apnea and conditions such as emphysema, are more likely to have tiny abnormalities in brain tissue, called micro infarcts, than people with higher levels of oxygen in the blood. These abnormalities are associated with the development of dementia.

In addition, people who spent less time in deep sleep, called slow wave sleep, were more likely to have loss of brain cells than people who spent more time in slow wave sleep. Slow wave sleep is important in processing new memories and remembering facts. People tend to spend less time in slow wave sleep as they age. Loss of brain cells is also associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Your Pet and Your Health

Feb2015DogOwnersWThe American Heart Association says pets — especially dogs — may be an ally in the management of blood pressure and overall cardiovascular disease prevention, according to a study published in the online journal Circulation. Specifically, pet ownership may be linked to lower blood pressure, lower levels of cholesterol and less incidence of obesity.

Some scientists hypothesize pet owners may just be healthier people to begin with. Dog owners who walk their dogs may also find this activity an excellent way to stay active.

Studies of the link between pet ownership and systemic blood pressure haven’t always found that dogs and cats have the power to lower blood pressure, but some did note what appear to be significant benefits.

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