Posted 8/30/22
The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. -Matthew 28:4
Hi all! Happy Tuesday to you 🙂 I am booked to the gills today, but wanted to share the clinical study which I will be involved in tomorrow. 🙂 Here is the Cliff’s Notes:
“Thank you for considering participation in our research study, “In vivo Measurement of Brain Biomechanics”. This study is being conducted by Professor Philip Bayly in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Washington University. In this research study, we will ask you to lie in an MRI scanner for about 60 minutes while we obtain images of your brain. During a portion of this time, we will be applying gentle vibrations to your skull. After the scan, we will analyze the skull vibrations and the images of your brain to determine how the brain moves in response to different types of skull vibrations. “
I am also giving some blood and doing a few other things for another study while I am there.
There are many unknown things about brain movement, whether gentle or violent. Studies like this fill in gaps. Why does this matter for a dementia blog? My rationale in burning another vacation day on a study is this link:
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/related_conditions/traumatic-brain-injury
From Alz.org: “TBI resulting from an impact to the head disrupts normal brain function and is a threat to cognitive health in two ways:
- A traumatic brain injury’s direct effects — which may be long-lasting or even permanent — can include unconsciousness, inability to recall the traumatic event, depression, confusion, difficulty learning and remembering new information, trouble speaking coherently, unsteadiness, lack of coordination and problems with vision or hearing.
- Certain types of TBI may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia years after the injury takes place.”
More of a rationale, from the same link:
“Falls are the most common cause of TBI, and falling poses an especially serious risk for older adults. According to the CDC, approximately 1 in 4 Americans ages 65 and over reports falling each year. Falls lead to 3 million emergency department visits per year. The number of deaths from falls is rising. Between 2007 and 2016, the number of deaths among older Americans rose 62%, to 29,668. Those ages 75 and older are three times as likely as those between 65 and 74 to be hospitalized from a fall. Men are twice as likely to be hospitalized as women.
When a person over 65 years old sustains a serious TBI in a fall, direct effects of the injury may result in long-term cognitive changes, reduced ability to function and changes in emotional health. Older adults who experienced loss of consciousness after a TBI were 28% more likely to report subjective memory impairment than seniors who did not experience a TBI.”
If you know anything about dementia (and aging in general), you may know that one of the determiners of long term success, if you will, is not something you do, it something you DON’T DO: Fall. Falling is terrible on folks with dementia. Terrible! Here are a couple links about the topic: LINK and LINK . We need better prevention methods. We need better, more restorative treatments. Falling is even more common because of the “Right to Fall” laws starting in 1986. I have beat that dead horse to a second death… So off I go to get my brain shaken. 😉
BTW…one of the nifty things SeniorAge has been involved with is called Matter of Balance (and similar wellness programs). We shoot for building resilience and enhancing fall prevention skills in seniors. Want to live at home long term? Not falling will help…
Anywhoooo…have a great week, friends. 🙂 I hope your Labor Day weekend is also wonderful. 🙂
#EndALZ
Update: I had a nice private concert with mom and my cell phone, playing Alan Jackson singing the old hymns. 🙂 She is still eating although every day it gets slower. You have to alternate food, drink, food, drink…or she will keep the food in her mouth instead of swallowing it. But we march on. 🙂
Last note: A song. 🙂 SONG
OK…really the last note: There are still a couple of the Sweet 17 remaining and 2 live in the general population with mom. They are also not well. The memory unit is jammed to the ceiling again…and they are waiting to get in. We really need a cure.
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is coming soon. Here is my Fundraiser link:
https://www.facebook.com/donate/485347779680154/3263657717246326/
Did you really think I wouldn’t shill a little? 😉
