Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com
While exercise and brain fitness games are often linked to forestalling memory loss, a new study finds another important prevention method: people.
The bond between patient and caregiver - whether it's a family member or professional - can have a powerful effect upon how slowly dementia progresses, according to a group of researchers from Utah State University, Johns Hopkins University, Duke University and Boston University.
Alzheimer's - a fatal disease affecting brain cells - triggers the most common form of dementia, a general term for the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities that can hinder daily activities.
About 5 million Americans have the disease, and the incidence is expected to triple by 2050. One in eight boomers is expected to develop Alzheimer's, which is already the sixth leading cause of death in the US.
"Considering the aging of the 'baby boomer' generation, finding ways to reduce risk for development of dementia and slowing the rate of decline in affected individuals are urgent public health priorities," said Maria Norton, a Utah State researcher.
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, started in 2002 and monitored 167 participants with Alzheimer's disease for three years. It measured participants cognitive and functional status, as well as the relationship they had with their caregiver.
Close Counts
It was found that higher levels of "closeness" to caregivers were
significantly associated with slower cognitive and functional descents -
especially in persons with spouse caregivers, according to researchers.
"This is the first study to demonstrate that, in addition to medications that help slow the progression of the disease, there are non-pharmacological factors in the caregiving environment that may also help to extend functional abilities and quality of life for the person with dementia," Norton said.
Researchers are now focusing on finding out which caregiver activities promote longevity and quality brain function among dementia patients. That new focus may lead to interventions that will enhance the caregiving relationship and help slow memory decline.
The most recent findings about caregiver relationships will be published in the September 2009 issue of "The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences."
