Seabridge Bathing's Blog » dementia

Googling Fights Dementia, Study Suggests

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:21:32 +0000

Who would have thought?

Using search engines may help stave off dementia and memory loss, a new brain-scan study suggests.

Scientists found that middle-aged and older adults with little Internet experience showed increased activity in key brain regions after surfing the Web for an hour a day for just two weeks.

It’s not so much the Internet itself as it is the seeking of new information and keeping your brain stimulated with new things,” said study team member Susan Bookheimer, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Playing Sudoku puzzles or immersing yourself in a new hobby, for example, has similar benefits, the team says. But Bookheimer says the Web is less likely to bore users after prolonged use.

“There’s an infinite amount of information on the Internet every time you get on,” Bookheimer said.

Read more on how “Google searches pumps the blood” from National Geographic News.

Artificial intelligence aid for dementia sufferers

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:01:10 +0000

A form of artificial intelligence has been designed to help make life easier for people with dementia.

Researchers have developed a computer system that reminds patients about their daily appointments.

The computer-generated face known as MANA can talk, recognise faces and turn itself on when someone enters a room.

MANA, or Memory Appointment and Navigation Agent, is designed for older people with early onset dementia, who have trouble remembering even basic things.

Watch a video and read more about MANA.

Painkillers Do Not Delay Dementia in the Very Elderly

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:35:07 +0000

Painkillers ibuprofen and naproxen, did not delay the onset of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia in the very elderly, according to the April 22 early online issue of Neurology.