Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted By: Nolan Crane

ncrane@klkntv.com

September is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and everyday this week Channel 8 Eyewitness News Anchor Nolan Crane is going to take a closer look at the disease.

As a neuropsychologist here in Lincoln, Dr. Robert Arias studies the brain and tries to help people who suffer from memory loss… Including Alzheimer’s patients.

"Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive degenerative brain disorder where the functions of the brain sort of get gunked up with little tiny things called plaques and tangles. Then the brain ends up shrinking beyond what would be expected for age and doesn’t work very well," says Dr. Arias.

This video from the Alzheimer’s Association shows the damaging effect that gunk as arias calls it, has on the 5 million Americans who currently suffer with the deadly disease, which makes getting a diagnosis early on so critical.

"We want to identify what problems someone is having functionally like their memory, their problem solving, or judgment, or those sorts of things so we can make a plan of maintaining as much independence as possible, but not leaving somebody where they are unsafe," says Dr. Arias.

Research suggests 5 percent of people around the age of 65 have a dementia and when we get to age 85 the number goes up to 25 percent. In addition to eating healthy and exercising Dr. Arias has some tips to help keep our brains healthy and our memory sharp.

"Sleep is on the short list of ways actually to maintain yourself and actually prevent Alzheimer’s disease. That’s going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time with good quality and quantity sleep, or regular sleep seven days a week."

Other advice the doctor prescribes is learn how to play an instrument or a new language. There’s currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, so following the doctors orders could be the difference between life and death.

This Sunday, September 20th here in Lincoln at Holmes Lake is the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Registration begins at 11 and the walk starts at 1 pm.