New York Times
By LAURIE TARKAN
Published: June 24, 2008
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Laurie Tarkan writes in todays New York Times on the misuse and overprescription of drugs in the treatment of dementia
The use of antipsychotic drugs to tamp down the agitation, combative behavior and outbursts of dementia patients has soared, especially in the elderly. Sales of newer antipsychotics like Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa totaled $13.1 billion in 2007, up from $4 billion in 2000, according to IMS Health, a health care information company.
Part of this increase can be traced to prescriptions in nursing homes. Researchers estimate that about a third of all nursing home patients have been given antipsychotic drugs.
The increases continue despite a drumbeat of bad publicity. A 2006 study of Alzheimer’s patients found that for most patients, antipsychotics provided no significant improvement over placebos in treating aggression and delusions.
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Source: New York Times
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New research published in the  Journal of the American Medical Association, suggest that dementia could be slowed significantly by treatments that reset the body’s natural clock.
The Dutch team used brighter daytime lighting – with or without the drug melatonin – to improve patients’ sleep, mood and cut aggressive behaviour.
Link to BBC article
Socializing with friends and family can do more than lift the spirits of elderly women — it can improve cognition and might help prevent dementia, according to a new study.
The study began in 2001 and included women at least 78 years old who were free of signs of dementia. Researchers conducted follow-up interviews between 2002 and 2005. [continue reading…]
Published: April 10, 2008
There may be constituents in wine that protect against dementia. This is shown in research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
The findings are based on 1,458 women who were included in the so-called Population Study of Women from 1968. When they were examined by physicians they were asked to report how often they drank wine, beer, and liquor by selecting from seven categories on a scale from ‘never’ to ‘daily.’ The researchers know nothing about how much they drank on each occasion, or how correct the estimates were. For each beverage the women reported having drunk more than once a month, they were classified as a consumer of that particular beverage. [continue reading…]
