Current and Ongoing Interventions

1. Current and Ongoing Interventions Dementia & Alzheimer’s

2. What Is Dementia? • Deterioration of intellectual faculties such as, memory, concentration, and judgment; resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain. • Dementia is sometimes accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes.

3. Types of Dementia • Dementia Praecox: Schizophrenia • Any of several psychotic disorders characterized by distortion of reality and disturbances of thought, language, and withdrawal from social contact. • Senile Dementia: Senility • A progressive abnormally accelerated deterioration of mental faculties and emotional stability in old age, occurring especially in Alzheimer's disease.

4. Treatments for Dementia:Namenda • Approved by the FDA on October 16, 2003. • First and only medication approved to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. • Works differently than current medications • Proven effective with use in over one million people worldwide. • Can be used on its own or in combination with donepezil.

5. How Namenda Works • Namenda works by attaching to the NMDA receptors in the brain and regulating the activity of glutamate. The right amount of glutamate helps to create the chemical environment needed for the brain to process, store and retrieve information, resulting in learning and memory.

6. Possible Side Effects • Possible side effects for Namenda include: • Dizziness • Confusion • Headache • Constipation

7. Herbal & Dietary Use of Supplements for Alzheimer’s Disease Herbal remedies and dietary supplements are suggested as effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. However, the safety and effectiveness of these treatments are based on a small percentage of scientific research.

8. Ginkgo Biloba • A plant extract containing several compounds that may have positive effects on cells within the brain and the body. • Researchers speculate that ginkgo biloba have both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to protect cell membranes and to regulate neurotransmitter function. • Ginkgo biloba has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and is currently being used in Europe to alleviate cognitive symptoms associated with some neurological conditions.

9. Huperzine - A • A moss extract that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. • Huperzine – A has similar properties to those of FDA approved Alzheimer’s medications. • Because huperzine-A is a dietary supplement, it is unregulated and manufactured with no uniform standards. • Use of huperzine-A could increase risks of serious side effects if used in combination with FDA approved Alzheimer’s drugs.

10. Coral Calcium • A form of calcium carbonate claimed to be derived from the shells of formerly living organisms that once made up coral reefs. • Coral calcium is heavily marketed as a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and other serious illnesses.

11. For more Information • For more information on these and other treatments on Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, please refer to these websites: www.alz.org www.namenda.com