Singing Showtunes Improve Cognitive Function For Seniors With Dementia

Personal confession time.

I love showtunes. I said it and I am not ashamed. If ever you drive by my home while I am mowing the lawn there is a 92.7% chance that I am minding my turf to strains of West Side Story. When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way. There is almost always a song in my heart and frequently I feel compelled to share my heart song with those around me. Before today, I could only explain those unexpected songbursts by attempting to claim some rare form of Broadway Turret's. Now, I will sing unabashedly knowing the health benefits which new research proves are brought by singing showtunes.

Researchers at George Mason University conducted a study of two groups of seniors, one group with moderate dementia and another with a more advanced form which required them to be housed in a secured facility. In both groups, tests were administered to ensure that all of the participants in each group were at a similar cognitive level. Vocal music sessions were then held three times a week for 50 minutes at a time where half of the group was encouraged to sing along with songs such as The Sound of Music,  When You Wish Upon A Star, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow while the other half of the group just listened. After the sessions, researchers found that the test scores for the seniors who sang along with the showtunes rose far more dramatically than the scores for the seniors who simply listened.

The implications of this research are obviously profound. I would be interested in seeing further testing done using musical theater pieces of varying difficulty and studying the outcomes. I would theorize that a senior singing along to the brilliantly complex music created by Stephen Sondheim would fare better in the post session testing than a senior singing more simple tunes like those crafted by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I digress.

In conclusion, I would encourage you, dear reader, to crank up the showtunes and belt out the 11 o'clock number of your choice. When those around you look down their noses in disdain, simply look them directly in the eye and try singing this...





For more on the study see below.
http://www.abstractsonline.com/Plan/ViewAbstract.aspx?sKey=c3d1c2d8-065c-4b92-9533-b6e7685ce64a&cKey=72397e83-498c-4e27-a769-81275de1c9f5&mKey={8D2A5BEC-4825-4CD6-9439-B42BB151D1CF}

New Program Pairs Seniors with Dementia and Preschoolers

A special program in New York is pairing elders with dementia and young people. At a custom-designed facility in Mt.Kisco, New York, seniors who are struggling with dementia spend their days working with preschoolers. "The kids look right past the dementia, connecting instead with the people who have gotten lost underneath."

"My Little Friends," directed by Megan Mylan from David Shenk on Vimeo.

Preventing Alzheimer's. Is It About to Become a Reality?

Scientists at the Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston are about to embark on one of the most anticipated, longest Alzheimer's drug studies in history. The study will be conducted on 1,000 subjects over a three year period at a cost of well more than $100 million. They are just hoping they can find enough people.

The folks they are looking for must already have amyloid building up in their brains but aren't currently showing any symptoms of Alzheimer's. The idea is to treat the amyloid proteins with an experimental drug before they become toxic and turn into the dreaded plaques and tangles that scientists have been battling for years in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

In order to find the 1,000 participants, the directors of the study anticipate that they will  need to screen about 5,000 people throughout the United States and Canada. They are also exploring the possibility of a site in Australia. To qualify, participants in the study must be at least 65 yrs old, willing to take a drug or placebo, willing to get a genetics test, willing to have a brain scan done twice a year, and willing to answer all kinds of questions about every facet of how they live their lives.

In previous clinical trials, the drug being tested showed promise in slowing the effects of mid-stage Alzheimer's symptoms. This success, in addition to the size and scope of the study, has turned a number of heads in the scientific community who will be watching the results very carefully.

One of the frustrating aspects of dealing with the disease is that most of the work is being done in the proverbial rear-view mirror. Since there is no way to predict where the disease will appear, scientists are forced to study patients who have already begun to manifest symptoms. The hope of this new study is that it will give doctors a glimpse at not only the effectiveness of the new drug but also a window into the way the disease develops. Perhaps it will at last show them how to prevent the disease from developing entirely. Perhaps.

http://capeandislands.org/post/new-study-will-test-possibility-preventing-alzheimers

Alzheimer's and Red Meat

A recent study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease suggests that higher levels of iron in the body may contribute to Alzheimer's disease. While the study utilized a relatively small sample size, researchers believe that the iron may trigger a tissue breakdown associated with the disease. There are three things specifically mentioned as a way to address the elevated iron levels. The researchers suggest  that people reduce or stop red meat consumption, reduce or stop iron supplements, or that women have hysterectomies before menopause.

http://www.counselheal.com/articles/6463/20130822/red-meat-linked-alzheimers-disease.htm

So You Think You Can Dance

I am not ashamed to say that I am a reality TV junkie. I don't find there to be much programming on TV worth watching these days but I do have several favorite shows and virtually all of them fall into the reality TV category. Near the top of my DVR list is Fox's hit, So You Think You Can Dance.

In the show, pairs of dancers are asked every week to pair with a new choreographer and learn a new dance in a new style. For example, a classically trained ballerina and a hip hop dancer with no formal dance education will be paired together for a Viennese waltz. It is captivating.

While I watch it strictly to "ooh" and "ahh" at the feats displayed each week, there are benefits to dance which go far beyond entertainment. According to an article in yesterday's USA Today, dance offers some incredible benefits to seniors who are struggling with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's.

 Enjoy!


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/19/health-dance-art-alzheimers/2674973/

Remember to Have a Cup of Hot Cocoa with Grandma

There is something nostalgic about the image of sitting down and having a cup of hot cocoa with grandma. Even though most of the hot cocoa I have consumed in my life has been done as an effort to stave off hypothermia during Boy Scout campouts, there is still something about the image of grandma fixing a cup of cocoa that is strangely comforting. As it turns out, perhaps my subconscious was trying to send me messages about improving cognitive function in seniors. My subconscious is, after all, very intelligent and concerned with matters of seniors and memory retention. I digress.

A new study has shown that seniors who consume an average of two cups of hot cocoa a day shown a slight improvement in their cognitive function. The sources releasing this study are quick to point out that drawing factual conclusions at this point would be unwise due to the small sample size and the relatively small differentiation they observed between the two groups studied. The scientists expressed concern that this in no way advocates the consumption of hot cocoa and cautioned against the dangers of obesity brought about by the needless consumption of hot cocoa with regards to cognitive function. Killjoys.

We could wait to have a cup of hot cocoa with grandma until the results of the study have been more fully flushed out. As for me and my house, we will take no chances by minimizing our chocolate intake until slow-poke scientists finish their work. Hot chocolate for all!

Below you will find a link to my favorite hot cocoa recipe. I recommend adding in a dash of cayenne and subbing in bittersweet chocolate chips for half of the chips it calls for. Salud!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/semi-homemade-cooking-with-sandra-lee/the-best-hot-chocolate-ever-recipe/index.html