Recently, two studies were published regarding  aids to help slow down the destructive process of Dementia. I wrote about one of them last year when I interviewed a local research company called Synergy Research about their Alzheimer’s studies.

“The Medical Food”

It’s called Souvenaid and it’s something you may soon find next to Ensure at your local drug store.

What is it?

The drink has 3 components: uridine, choline and omega-3 fatty acid DHA.  They can help restore synapses according to researchers. These are junctions between two neurons or between a neuron and a muscle. Research has shown that there may be a connection between low numbers of synapses in a person’s brain and Alzheimer’s symptoms such as memory impairment and language deterioration.

The research

• studygroup: 225 patients with mild Alzheimers
• 12 week study where they had 1 drink per day; 1/2 drank medicated rink 1/2 drank a placebo.
• Patients showed some improvement

Some researchers like Yian Gu, postdoctoral researcher in neurology at Columbia University Medical Center believe that it may be too early to make any claims about the effectiveness of this drink on memory retention. He believes that more studies need to be conducted such as comparing this drink to other supplements and vitamins already available in the market.

“The Scan”

Researchers in Italy have published a report in journal Neurology that a particular MRI scan called diffusion tensor may help in detecting signs of Alzheimer’s in healthy elderly patients. Dr. Giovanni Carlesimo, of Tor Vergata University stated that although this is a preliminary study, it can potentially help in future drug therapies.The study looked at the hippocampus of the brain to study the mean diffusivity or the measurement of water distributed within the tissues. They found a relationship between that and how well patients responded to visual and verbal memory.

For the millions of people suffering from this terrible disease and the families affected, this is good news. We’ve come a long way since the problem became addressed. Some day soon, there will be a cure but until then, studies and subsequently marketed products will help make a difference in the fight for a cure.

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• Medical drink, imaging show Alzheimer’s promise (cnn.com)
• Milkshake promises to improve memory of Alzheimer’s sufferers (telegraph.co.uk)