Rock Steady Boxing comes to Atascadero

December 29, 2017

Program helps those with Parkinson's disease

ATASCADERO — Rock Steady Boxing, a unique exercise program, based on training used by boxing pros, and adapted to people with Parkinson's disease, will now be available in the Atascadero area. The program involves regular exercises such as stretching, bicycling, running, jump-roping, push-ups, balancing and lots of non-contact boxing, led by experienced trainers/coaches. Rock Steady serves both men and women of all ages and levels of ability.

“We are fortunate to be able to bring this program to Atascadero,” Debbie Brewer said, who successfully completed the Rock Steady Boxing Training Camp and is certified to offer Rock Steady Boxing training classes to individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Classes started Oct. 3 at S6 Martial Arts, 5890 Entrada Ave., Atascadero.

Next month come out to S6 Martial Arts Studio on Jan. 19, from noon until 2 p.m. for the Rock Steady Boxing ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. You will have the opportunity to meet the amazing boxers that attend, watch live demos and grab some refreshments.

The Rock Steady Boxing Method was developed in Indianapolis over the course of seven years. In 2012, the training camp launched to share the Rock Steady Boxing Method with other people who are fighting back against Parkinson’s. Today there are 448 Rock Steady Boxing affiliates in the 50 states and international affiliates in Italy and Canada that have been initiated by the trained coaches. All coaches complete the requirements of Rock Steady Boxing and have been officially certified in the Rock Steady Boxing headquarters and training center in Indianapolis. 

“We have always believed in the Rock Steady Boxing Method,” said Joyce Johnson, the Executive Director of Rock Steady Boxing Inc. “When evidence began to emerge that our program had a very positive impact on the ‘boxers’, our mission became clear — to share our knowledge and experience with all people with Parkinson’s.That is why we decided to make our training available worldwide — to train as many as we can so together we can improve the care of people with Parkinson’s everywhere.” 

Rock Steady Boxing Inc. is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2006 with six participants. Participation has steadily increased to more than 155 members today, including men and women ranging in age from 35-90. Classes are geared to people at all stages of Parkinson’s disease and multiple volunteers contribute their time and talents to assist with the classes.

Debbie Brewer has rented space in the S6 gym from Sensei Brock Statton and runs, managers and coaches for Rock Steady Boxing. Brewer began teaching fitness back in 2009 when she started coaching jazzercise classes and quickly began teaching kickboxing at S6 Martial Arts. 

“My father-in-law was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about six years ago,” Brewer said.  “And his neurologist suggested that we try out this program called Rock Steady Boxing.”

Until Brewer brought the program to Atascadero the closest available gym that provided Rock Steady Boxing techniques was in Santa Maria. Brewer has only been teaching the classes for a couple months but has been inspired for a lifetime. 

“To come in here and have these people fight for their lives, fight to get their lives back, to feel good again is amazing,” Brewer said. “I spent three days in Indianapolis at the training facility and just saw the most amazing people.”

https://atascaderonews.com/article/rock-steady-boxing-comes-to-atascadero

Discovery of key protein’s structure may help improve drug design

December 29, 2017

Probes (shown glowing here) revealed the inner architecture of the protein A2aAR in the new study. (Image courtesy Matthew Eddy and Kurt Wüthrich) 

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have peered deep into the heart of a key protein used in drug design and discovered dynamic structural features that may lead to new ways to target diseases. The protein, called the A2A adenosine receptor (A2aAR), is a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family, which are the targets of roughly 40 percent of all approved pharmaceuticals.

The new, more detailed image of A2aAR's signaling mechanism reveals key parts of its inner workings, including an amino acid that acts like a "toggle switch" to control signaling across the cell membrane.

"This basic knowledge is potentially helpful for improving drug design," says Nobel laureate Kurt Wthrich, PhD, the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Professor of Structural Biology at TSRI and senior author of the study.

The findings were published today in the journal Cell.

Imaging technique reveals how protein changes shape

All human cells contain A2aAR and other GPCRs embedded in their plasma membrane. More than 800 GPCRs have been discovered in the human body, and each has a role in regulating a bodily function. For example, A2aAR regulates blood flow and inflammation and mediates the effects of caffeine. A2aAR is also a validated target for treating Parkinson's disease and a relatively new target for targeting cancers.

"GPCRs do just about everything you can imagine," says Wthrich. "But for a long time, drug design was being done without knowing how GPCRs looked."

For the new study, the researchers aimed to better understand the relationship between A2aAR function and dynamic changes in its structure to help inform drug design.

The research built on previous studies where scientists used an imaging technique called x-ray crystallography to determine A2aAR's three-dimensional structure. The images showed that A2aAR looks like a chain that crisscrosses the cell membrane and has an opening on the side facing out of the cell. The region of the GPCR structure that sticks out of the membrane interacts with drugs and other molecules to signal to partner proteins inside the cell.

Although crystal structures provided a key outline of the receptor's shape in inactive and active-like states, they could not show motion and changes in structure when A2aAR meets new binding partners, such as pharmaceutical candidates. In short, the researchers in the new study needed to investigate why A2aAR works the way it does.

To solve this problem, the researchers used a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which creates strong magnetic fields to locate the positions of probes in a sample. Wthrich is a world-renowned leader in the NMR field and won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002 for pioneering work in NMR to study the structures of biological molecules. With NMR, scientists can determine the structures of proteins and study their dynamic properties in solution at physiological temperatures--the way they exist in the human body.

In work spearheaded by TSRI's Matthew Eddy, PhD, first author of the new study, the researchers used NMR to observe A2aAR in many different conformations, shedding light on how it changes shape on the surface of human cells in response to drug treatments.

Importantly, NMR let the team visualize changes in the internal architecture of A2aAR. This took them beyond previous solution NMR studies, which focused on the technically less demanding observation of NMR-observable probes attached to flexible parts of GPCRs, mostly located at or near the surface of the receptor. The approach in the new study enabled researchers to follow the effects of drug binding at the extracellular surface on changes in protein structure and dynamics at the intracellular surface--the structural basis of signal transfer--across the heart of the GPCR.

It was like the researchers had seen a car, and with NMR, they could finally inspect its engine.

Rethinking how we design drugs

Two details in A2aAR's structure gave researchers insight into how future drugs could manipulate the receptor. One key finding was that replacing one particular amino acid in the receptor's center destroyed the receptor's ability to send signals into the cell.

"With this finding, we can say 'A-ha! It is this change in structure that kills the signaling activity.' Maybe we can make a change in a drug to overcome this limit," says Wthrich.

The researchers also revealed the activity of a "toggle switch" in A2aAR. Previous studies suggested that one of the tryptophan amino acids in A2aAR flips up and down in concert with A2aAR's activity. With NMR, the scientists directly observed this unique tryptophan as it changed orientations in response to different drugs. Chemists could potentially modify drugs to manipulate this switch and control A2aAR signaling.

The researchers emphasize that this new study is potentially relevant for much of the large family of GPCRs. In fact, structural details from this study could apply to more than 600 "class A" GPCRs in our bodies.

Source:

https://www.scripps.edu/news/press/2017/20171228wuthrich.html

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20171229/Discovery-of-key-proteine28099s-structure-may-help-improve-drug-design.aspx

Why is exercise good for people with PD?

By Tom Seymour - December 30, 2017

Exercise is a vital part of daily life for all people who want to stay fit and healthy. For people with Parkinson's disease, however, it is more than just about staying healthy. For them, the right exercises can improve vital aspects of daily living, such as mobility and maintaining balance.

In this article, we examine why exercise benefits people with Parkinson's disease (PD), and how it affects the brain. We also take a look at some examples and tips for exercising with the condition.

Why is exercise good for people with PD?

The Parkinson's Foundation say there is growing evidence of the short and long-term benefits of exercise for people with PD.

A study, known as the Parkinson's Outcomes Project, by the same organization, found that people with PD who did exercise for at least 2.5 hours a week experienced a slower decline in their mobility and quality of life than others.

One of the main benefits of exercise for people with PD is symptom management. This includes improvement of:

• walking
• balance
• tremors
• flexibility
• grip strength
• motor coordination
• posture
• stiffness

Impact of exercise on the brain

Exercise not only helps the physical aspects of PD but the mental ones as well. It has been shownto help relieve symptoms of fatigue, mood, sleep problems, and mental health.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that controls the brain's reward and pleasure centers, as well as regulating movement and emotional responses. In PD, there is a dopamine deficiency.

While exercise has not been shown to increase the amount of dopamine in the brain, research does show that it helps it to be used more efficiently.

Types of exercise

The exercises that someone with PD should undertake will depend on how limiting their symptoms are. In all cases, the exercise should focus on three areas:

• flexibility and stretching
• aerobic, also known as cardio
• resistance or using the muscles against opposing force

There are many different types of exercise that involve all three of these areas. These exercises include:

• tai chi
• yoga
• cycling
• skipping
• running
• Pilates
• dancing

The exercise type known as "random practice" has been shown to benefit people with PDparticularly. This is an aerobic exercise that challenges the individual to change speed, activity, or direction.

It is also essential for someone with PD to vary activities. This is because people with the condition may have trouble changing activity and doing two activities at the same time. As a result, random practice and variation will help to challenge those symptoms.

Things to consider

There is no specific exercise program that someone with PD should undertake. The best exercises to do will take into consideration an individual's symptoms.

The support charity Parkinson's UK recommend that people with mild symptoms should focus on vigorous exercise, such as working out in a gym.

People with moderate symptoms should focus on exercises that target those symptoms. Individuals with more complex symptoms should simply focus on using exercises to help them complete daily activities that are problematic.

It is worth noting that cycling, in particular, requires both balance and reaction time. These two qualities are both impaired by PD. As a result, using a traditional bicycle could be a safety risk. Alternatives include three-wheeled bikes and tandems.

The University of California also say that weight training is not the best choice for people with PD, although strengthening exercises do have value.

Strengthening exercises that are alternatives to weight training include:

• pushing up to rise onto the toes
• modified squats
• repeatedly getting up from and sitting in a chair
• wearing weights on the ankles and wrists at home or on a walk
• push-ups or wall push-ups

Swimming is a good exercise for coordination, but it does not require balance. As such, it may not be the best exercise for people with PD.

The ideal time for someone with PD to exercise is when their mobility is best, which is often around an hour after they have taken their medication. This can vary, however, so every individual will have to work out when their mobility is at its best.

Exercise tips for PD

Be safe

Before someone with PD begins a new exercise program, they should speak with their neurologist, doctor, and physical therapist about what would be the best for them individually.

Use a pedometer

Also known as a step counter, this will tell the person how many steps they take on an average day. They can then work their way upwards from there.

Consistency

The best way for people with PD to see benefits from exercise is to do it on a consistent basis. People with PD who have been on exercise programs for 6 months or more have shown significant gains in comparison with those who do shorter programs.

Greater intensity, greater benefit

People with PD should exercise, as often as possible, for as long as possible. The amount they can do will vary, depending on their symptoms, but the general rule is that the more the person does, the more they will benefit.

Integration and variation

People with PD can start to add exercise to their lives with minor changes, such as:

• walking instead of driving whenever possible
• climbing stairs instead of taking an elevator
• avoiding long periods of being inactive

Also, varying the exercises and where they are, for example, indoor or outdoor, will not only help PD symptoms but also ease boredom and increase motivation.

Cool down

Allowing a proper cool down slowly decreases the heart rate and stops the muscles from becoming stiff. A proper warm-up and doing stretches are also vital for this.

Have fun

Enjoyment of exercise will make it easier to undertake. Group activities, including exercise classes, are often beneficial for this.

When to see a physical therapist

When someone is first diagnosed with PD, they should also have an appointment with a physical therapist to work out an exercise program tailored to them.

All people with PD should ideally have an exercise program for their individual needs. Seeing a physical therapist will help them avoid risks, get advice about their specific type of PD, and give them confidence.

As the disease progresses, a person should continue to meet with the physical therapist to maximize the benefits from their exercise program by changing it whenever necessary.

Takeaway

There are so many benefits of exercise for people with PD. Those with the condition should speak with their doctor or an advisory group to work out a specific program to help them start or maintain an exercise program.

It is also helpful to find out more information about the many PD-specific exercise classes going on throughout the country. There may be a group nearby that someone can link with for advice and support.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320469.php

Muralist gives Costa Mesa woman with dementia a new view of her world

December 29, 2017

Ruth Clausen sits in her bedroom as muralist Bethan Clayton paints a Mediterranean scene on a wall in an enclosed patio in Costa Mesa on Thursday, Dec 28, 2017. Clausen, who suffers from dementia and Parkinson’s disease, had a wallpaper mural of a Tuscan ocean-side country villa that fell apart during the heavy rains a couple years ago. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

For several years, Ruth Clausen has awakened up to the sight of a bare wall outside her Costa Mesa bedroom.

But on Friday, Dec. 29, the 84-year-old awoke to hummingbirds, colorful flowers, sunny green pastures and the ocean.

Ruth Clausen, left, with muralist Bethan Clayton and the artwork Clayton is painting on a wall in an enclosed patio in Costa Mesa on Thursday, Dec 28, 2017. Clausen, who suffers from dementia and Parkinson’s disease, had a wallpaper mural of a Tuscan ocean-side country villa that fell apart during the heavy rains a couple years ago. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

“This just delights me,” said Clausen, who has Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. “We went to Europe and saw things like this.”

As part of an addition to the home where Clausen has lived for more than four decades, the wall is viewable through a glass door in her bedroom.

Her daughter, Nancy Clausen, a marketing professional who lives in Illinois and commissioned the painting, said the mural will have an immediate impact since her mother spends most of her time in the room.

Several years ago, the wall was lined with wallpaper featuring a Tuscan vineyard. Ruth Clausen cherished the view, but the wallpaper immediately began to deteriorate because of water damage.

During a visit home in September, her daughter decided she would hire someone to create something similar to the wallpaper design.

“She doesn’t really have a view of anything and that was her only view,” Nancy said. “The idea of going back to this wall with nothing on it was kind of depressing. I knew she loved what we had before so I was trying to find something along those lines.”

As she started fielding quotes from artists, she realized the endeavor wouldn’t come cheap. Some estimates for the mural ran as high as $2,500, well beyond Clausen’s price range.

When she reached out to Bethan Clayton, a, Long Beach-based artist who also has a mother who is sick, however, she found herself a muralist.

Clayton’s 87-year-old mother is battling cancer in England and suffers from pain and other health issues, she said, which is prompting her to make a visit in the near future.

She quoted Clausen around $500, a steep discount.

“I’m happy to do this,” Clayton said while using her paintbrush to dot Clausen’s wall with rose petals. “We don’t know how long our moms are going to be around. I would hope someone would do something like this if my mother needed it.”

Clayton began working on the wall around 9 a.m. Thursday, using only paintbrushes and sponges.

Usually, artists come into a project with drawings and measurements of the canvas, Clayton said. She did none of that.

“I just came in with guns firing,” she said, adding that in preparation she did make a small drawing on a cash register receipt.

With each brushstroke, the wall was transformed into a serene Mediterranean locale.

Sailboats sit on the ocean water while butterflies and Clayton’s calling card — the hummingbird — soar above flower shrubs.

While the mural resembles the Mediterranean, the location is open to Ruth Clausen and her imagination.

“This could be Catalina,” Clayton said. “It can be anywhere you want.”

The mural exceeded Ruth Clausen’s expectations, she said, adding that the artwork will help lift her spirits.

“Wouldn’t you like to wake up and see that in the morning?” she asked.

https://www.ocregister.com/2017/12/29/muralist-gives-costa-mesa-woman-with-dementia-a-new-view-of-her-world/

An Attitude of Gratitude: Changing Your Brain

By Gretchen Church—December 28, 2017

Each November, we have a special tradition – #30daysofThanksgiving. We express gratitude on our Facebook page for the 30 days of November for the many blessings in our lives. We also try to encourage others to get involved with the campaign to do the same thing. Living with the effects of Parkinson’s disease on a daily basis not only causes depression and apathy, but can really be a daily reminder of things that are going WRONG in our lives! Having at least a month of an “Attitude of Gratitude” may help us start a habit we can continue throughout the year of reminding us of what is RIGHT, but it also can change our brain!

The neuroscience behind gratitude

Studies on gratitude and the brain are not new. They have been going on for quite a while. According to UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center, “regularly expressing gratitude literally changes the molecular structure of the brain, keeps the gray matter functioning, and makes us happier and healthier.”

A study done with keeping “gratitude journals”, showed that young people had more determination, energy, and less anxiety, while others had less pain and depression. (Emmons and McCullough, 2003) Other researchers found that the expression of gratitude increased the quality of sleep patterns and less anxiety and depression. (Ng et al, 2012) Maybe instead of counting sheep, we need to start counting our blessings before bed each night!

Probably the most important study in regards to Parkinson’s disease came from the National Institutes of Health. The overall effects of gratitude had a major effect on the hypothalamus. This is important because it controls a wide array of our bodily functions, including metabolism, and stress levels. (Zahn et al, 2009)

Also, researchers found that feelings of gratitude directly affect the brain regions responsible for the neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin. DOPAMINE! Hey, that is the stuff we need!

Creating gratitude 365 days a year

So now we know that expressing gratitude can help us with Parkinson’s by easing our depression, helping us sleep, easing our pain, and even giving us a shot of dopamine and serotonin here and there! What can we do to all year long to be grateful?

1. Start a gratitude journal. Start simple – list three to five things that you are grateful for. Some days it may be that you managed to get out of bed! But you are grateful! As you get used to it, you could start to make your entries longer.
2. Be AWARE of expressing gratitude whenever possible! This does not have to only be a thing we do in November. Try to be grateful for the little things in life. This may even include returning small acts of kindness – doing something special for someone that did something nice for you.
3. Thank someone who did a random act of kindness for you. This can include your care partner – try to thank your care partner when you can.
4. Send a sticky note in your kids’ lunch box.
5. BE GRATEFUL FOR YOURSELF!

Get creative these are only suggestions, but the idea is to be more aware of the people and things we HAVE and not of the stuff we DON’T have.

You will be happier and healthier for it in the long run!

I am so grateful that you read my article!

https://parkinsonsdisease.net/living/attitude-gratitude-changing-your-brain/

PARKINSON FOUNDATION WPA- MARATHON 2018

BENEFITING:  Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania

EVENT: 2018 Pittsburgh Marathon

EVENT DATE: MAY 06, 2018

THE STORY:

This is our first year as an Official Charity with the Marathon! We are so excited to get things rocking and rolling.  If you run, or know anyone who does, send them our way.  We'll welcome them with open arms. They will be helping our local neighbors impacted by Parkinson's and allow us to support our 23 local monthly support groups, develop and deliver cool programs like yoga, boxing, and care giver stress relief. Together, we will replace anxiety with hope.

https://www.crowdrise.com/pfwpapitt2018

Stool-sample-sniffin' electronic nose detects diseases

 Ben Coxworth,  December 27th, 2017

Team members pose with the Moosy 32 eNose(Credit: RUVID)

Typically, colon-related illnesses such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are diagnosed via invasive tests. Thanks to a new "electronic nose," however, it may soon be possible to detect such disorders by analyzing a whiff of the patient's feces.

Known as the Moosy 32 eNose, the device is being developed by a Spanish team from Valencia's Polytechnic University and the La Fe Health Investigation Institute. 

In lab tests performed on 445 stool samples so far, it's proven to be almost 90 percent accurate at differentiating between Crohn's and colitis – this is based on a three-minute analysis of the volatile organic compounds emanating from those samples. The technology can also ascertain the severity of the disease.

"Volatile organic compounds are created by physiological processes of the human body's metabolism and are expelled as waste through feces," says La Fe's Dr. Pilar Nos. "The concentration of these components can be a differentiating marker between certain bowel diseases, and their accurate detection by way of non-invasive devices such as the electronic nose would be a great step forward for the detection and monitoring of the evolution of these diseases."

Before the eNose can enter common use, however, its detection algorithms need to be improved in order to boost its accuracy. Down the road, the device could conceivably be utilized to diagnose other disorders, and may even find use in measuring the microbial contamination of water or assessing the ripeness of fruit.

Source: RUVID

https://newatlas.com/electronic-nose-chrons-colitis/52750/

FDA to crack down on "harmful, unproven homeopathic drugs"

Rich Haridy - December 18th, 2017

The FDA has set its sights on homeopathic medicine in a new push to control this unproven, yet massive, alternative medicine industry(Credit: erierika/Depositphotos)

It hasn't been a great year for advocates of homeopathy – a pseudoscience that has been practiced for over 200 years. Following on from authorities in the European Union, United Kingdom and Australia cracking down on homeopathic treatments, the FDA is proposing a new "risk-based enforcement approach" promising greater scrutiny of the massive US$3-billion-dollar industry.

While homeopathic drugs should be regulated in the same way as any other drug, the FDA created a special dispensation in 1988 allowing homeopathic drugs to be distributed in the US without regular approval. As times changed so did alternative medicine markets, and the recent FDA announcement now recognizes that what may have been a small fringe community 30 years ago, is now a major billion-dollar industry, and greater oversight could be necessary

"In recent years, we've seen a large uptick in products labeled as homeopathic that are being marketed for a wide array of diseases and conditions, from the common cold to cancer," says FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. "In many cases, people may be placing their trust and money in therapies that may bring little to no benefit in combating serious ailments, or worse – that may cause significant and even irreparable harm because the products are poorly manufactured, or contain active ingredients that aren't adequately tested or disclosed to patients."

The announcement is most certainly spurred on by the discovery in late 2016 of dangerous levels of a toxic substance called belladonna in a brand of homeopathic teething tablets. In the years leading up to this product's ultimate discontinuation there were over 400 adverse events reported and up to 10 deaths potentially related to this homeopathic remedy.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also turning its sights on homeopathy, announcing in late 2016 that any health-related claims made by a product must be backed up by scientific evidence. The FTC claims it will be increasing scrutiny into homeopathic marketing that doesn't clearly add the disclaimer that any health benefits, "are based only on theories of homeopathy from the 1700s that are not accepted by most modern medical experts."

Over the last 12 months, several regulatory bodies around the world have turned their focus on the field of homeopathy. In September, the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) released an expansive set of recommendations suggesting that public health bodies in the European Union should not reimburse homeopathic products. 

EASAC cites numerous studies suggesting not only has homeopathy been effectively discredited time and time again, but that the field also presents dangers to patients by potentially delaying more robust and proven medical treatments. The advisory council sharply concluded its report quoting an influential study from 1998 on the risks of untested and unregulated medicines: "There cannot be two kinds of medicine – conventional and alternative. There is only medicine that has been adequately tested and medicine that has not …"

Both Australia and the United Kingdom also set out to scrap any public subsidies for homeopathic treatments in 2017. The chief executive of the National Health Service England described homeopathy as, "at best a placebo and a misuse of scarce NHS funds."

Despite 2017 at times feeling like a year where an anti-science sentiment was stridently taking hold, it is good to know that common sense can still prevail, and while those who choose to treat water as medicine are still entirely free to do so, it's reassuring that governments and public health bodies are not supporting the large-scale spread of misinformation.

Source: FDA

https://newatlas.com/fda-crackdown-homeopathy/52674/

Try Exercise to Improve Memory and Thinking

NEUROSCIENCE NEWS  DECEMBER 28, 2017
Source: Mayo Clinic.

New guidelines recommend twice weekly exercise for people with mild cognitive impairment to improve memory and cognition.

The academy’s guideline authors developed the updated recommendations on mild cognitive impairment after reviewing all available studies. Six-month studies showed twice-weekly workouts may help people with mild cognitive impairment as part of an overall approach to managing their symptoms. NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.

For patients with mild cognitive impairment, don’t be surprised if your health care provider prescribes exercise rather than medication. A new guideline for medical practitioners says they should recommend twice-weekly exercise to people with mild cognitive impairment to improve memory and thinking.

The recommendation is part of an updated guideline for mild cognitive impairment published in the Dec. 27 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“Regular physical exercise has long been shown to have heart health benefits, and now we can say exercise also may help improve memory for people with mild cognitive impairment,” says Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., lead author, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Mayo Clinic, and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. “What’s good for your heart can be good for your brain.” Dr. Petersen is the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research.

Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia. Symptoms can involve problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment that are greater than normal age-related changes.

Generally, these changes aren’t severe enough to significantly interfere with day-to-day life and usual activities. However, mild cognitive impairment may increase the risk of later progressing to dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease or other neurological conditions. But some people with mild cognitive impairment never get worse, and a few eventually get better.

The academy’s guideline authors developed the updated recommendations on mild cognitive impairment after reviewing all available studies. Six-month studies showed twice-weekly workouts may help people with mild cognitive impairment as part of an overall approach to managing their symptoms.

Dr. Petersen encourages people to do aerobic exercise: Walk briskly, jog, whatever you like to do, for 150 minutes a week — 30 minutes, five times or 50 minutes, three times. The level of exertion should be enough to work up a bit of a sweat but doesn’t need to be so rigorous that you can’t hold a conversation. “Exercising might slow down the rate at which you would progress from mild cognitive impairment to dementia,” he says.

Another guideline update says clinicians may recommend cognitive training for people with mild cognitive impairment. Cognitive training uses repetitive memory and reasoning exercises that may be computer-assisted or done in person individually or in small groups. There is weak evidence that cognitive training may improve measures of cognitive function, the guideline notes.

The guideline did not recommend dietary changes or medications. There are no drugs for mild cognitive impairment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

More than 6 percent of people in their 60s have mild cognitive impairment across the globe, and the condition becomes more common with age, according to the American Academy of Neurology. More than 37 percent of people 85 and older have it.

With such prevalence, finding lifestyle factors that may slow down the rate of cognitive impairment can make a big difference to individuals and society, Dr. Petersen notes.

“We need not look at aging as a passive process; we can do something about the course of our aging,” he says. “So if I’m destined to become cognitively impaired at age 72, I can exercise and push that back to 75 or 78. That’s a big deal.”

The guideline, endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association, updates a 2001 academy recommendation on mild cognitive impairment. Dr. Petersen was involved in the development of the first clinical trial for mild cognitive impairment and continues as a worldwide leader researching this stage of disease when symptoms possibly could be stopped or reversed.

ABOUT THIS NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH ARTICLE

Source: Susan Barber Lindquist – Mayo Clinic

Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.

Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.

Original Research: The study will appear in Neurology.

http://neurosciencenews.com/exercise-memory-thinking-8240/