High blood pressure increases risk of cognitive decline

Published 7 November 2011

Vascular risk factors, including high blood pressure and signs of heart disease, increase your chance of developing cognitive problems according to a study published in Neurology on 7 November.

Since 2003 researchers in the United States have been following more than 30,000 people aged 45 and older to track their risk of stroke and monitor their cognitive health.

Existing evidence shows that stroke increases the risk of cognitive decline anddementia. However, this study reveals that people who have not experienced a stroke are still at increased risk if they have vascular risk factors.

Alzheimer's Society comment:

'We've known for some time that high blood pressure increases your chances ofdeveloping dementia. High blood pressure narrows the blood vessels making it harder for blood to reach the brain which restricts oxygen and kills brain cells. This study adds weight to the fact that high blood pressure must be treated early, even if the condition is not so severe as to lead to a stroke. We estimate that effective treatment could reduce the number of people dying from dementia by 15,000 a year.

'Having a low salt diet, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise and regulating your alcohol intake can help. If you are over 40 with a family history of dementia or cardiovascular disease you should get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly.'

Dr Anne Corbett
Research Manager
Alzheimer's Society

Research Reference: Unverzagt FW et al. "Vascular Risk Factors and Cognitive Impairment in a Stroke-free Cohort." Neurology, Nov. 8, 2011, Vol. 77 (19), p. 1729

Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy May Be Beneficial For Treating Traumatic Brain Injury

Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy May Be Beneficial For Treating Traumatic Brain Injury, But Further Research Needed

There is some evidence about the potential value of cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) for treating traumatic brain injury(TBI), but overall it is not sufficient to develop definitive guidelines on how to apply these therapies and to determine which type of CRT will work best for a particular patient, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

Research has yielded promising data on the effectiveness of some forms of CRT for helping patients with TBI, but the majority of the evidence is limited due to methodological shortcomings in the studies and challenges in studying the use of CRT in this patient population, said the committee that wrote the report. Obtaining the necessary evidence requires improvements to the way those data are collected and standardization of the terms used to describe these personalized therapies and their outcomes. 
Source:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/235855.php

Study Identifies Fish Oil's Impact On Cognition And Brain Structure

Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital's Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center have found positive associations between fish oil supplements and cognitive functioning as well as differences in brain structure between users and non-users of fish oil supplements. The findings suggest possible benefits of fish oil supplements on brain health and aging. The results were reported at the recent International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, in Paris, France.

The study was led by Lori Daiello, PharmD, a research scientist at the Rhode Island Hospital Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center. Data for the analyses was obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a large multi-center, NIH-funded study that followed older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's Disease for over three years with periodic memory testing and brain MRIs.Read full article:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/232952.php

Too Much Salt In Diet And Too Little Exercise Increases Risk Of Cognitive Decline In Seniors

Older adults who lead sedentary lifestyles and consume a lot of sodium in their diet may be putting themselves at risk for more than just heart disease.

A study led by researchers at Baycrest in Toronto - in collaboration with colleagues at the Institut Universitaire de Geriatrie de Montreal, McGill University and the Universite de Sherbrooke - has found evidence that high-salt diets coupled with low physical activity can be detrimental to cognitive health in older adults. Read in full:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/233181.php

Cognitive retraining

Cognitive retraining is a therapeutic strategy that seeks to improve or restore a person's skills in the areas of paying attention, remembering, organizing, reasoning and understanding, problem-solving, decision making, and higher level cognitive abilities. These skills are all interrelated. Cognitive retraining is one aspect of cognitive rehabilitation, a comprehensive approach to restoring such skills after brain injury or other disability.

Read more: http://www.minddisorders.com/Br-Del/Cognitive-retraining.html