Memories of Alzheimer's patients probed
24 July 2008
 A new study has found that Alzheimer's patients have a better memory than has been earlier presumed. Scientists from the universities at Dundee, Abertay and St Andrews asked people suffering from the disease to define over 30 words.Researchers found that they "struggled" to define simple words but could generate more detailed information when asked "more specific questions".Professor Trevor Harley, from Dundee University, said that is has been previously assumed that Alzheimer's "causes this knowledge to be destroyed"."However, we found that if you probe the patient in the right way with appropriate questions that support them to search their stored knowledge, they can often generate more detailed information," he added."The knowledge isn't always lost, it's just not as accessible."A different recent study found that immune-based treatment using anti-tumour necrosis factor–alpha could improve language skills in Alzheimer's patients.  © Adfero Ltd
© 2008 Adfero Ltd. All rights reserved. Any views and opinions expressed in news articles are not those of Craegmoor Limited and its associated companies. News supplied by Adfero DirectNews.
Bookmark with:
What are these?
 Delicious
 Digg
 reddit
 Facebook
 StumbleUpon
Related stories
04/12/2008 Care home to create 50 jobs
Mid Suffolk district councillors have given the green light for a proposed specialist care home to be built in the region, creating an estimated 50 jobs, it has been reported.
03/12/2008 Britain spends 14p on Alzheimer's research
Funding for Alzheimer's research in the UK is among the lowest in Europe, with just 14p per person spent on investigating the disease last year, it has been reported.
02/12/2008 Banned Alzheimer's drug 'could improve quality of life'
A banned Alzheimer's drug could significantly improve the quality of life of sufferers, according to new research.
28/11/2008 Pratchett demands dementia funding
Author Terry Pratchett has warned the prime minister that the UK faces "tsunami of Alzheimer's" unless more funding is given to the neurological illness.
26/11/2008 "Unfit" mental health ward closed
An essential hospital ward that supports hundreds of elderly patients with mental health problems is set to close, it has been reported.
|