In today's NY Times Benedict Carey describes a couple of research studies focusing on people who are in the 80-100 years old range, how well are their cognitive and memory functioning and how they can detect signs of encroaching dementia in peers (dementia apparently can occur throughout the lifespan and doesn't diminish after an age of 80). One of the interesting finding is that some elderly seem to have brain conditions indicating serious disease but they still appear to be functioning quite well. Quoting from the article:
|Drawing the Line | |In studies of the very old, researchers in California, New York, |Boston and elsewhere have found clues to that good fortune. |For instance, Dr. Kawas's group has found that some people |who are lucid until the end of a very long life have brains that |appear riddled with Alzheimer's disease. In a study released |last month, the researchers report that many of them carry a |gene variant called APOE2, which may help them maintain |mental sharpness. | |Dr. Nir Barzilai of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine has |found that lucid Ashkenazi Jewish centenarians are three times |more likely to carry a gene called CETP, which appears to |increase the size and amount of so-called good cholesterol particles, |than peers who succumbed to dementia. | |"We don't know how this could be protective, but it's very strongly |correlated with good cognitive function at this late age," Dr. Barzilai |said. "And at least it gives us a target for future treatments." For more, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/health/research/22brain.html?_r=1&th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
