Evidence based dietary approach: A Mediterranean diet
A systematic review carried out by Exeter University in 2013 suggests that greater adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with slower cognitive decline and lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease.
This study is considered to be the first systematic review of the diet's benefits to the brain. The findings are published in Epidemiology.
The team, supported by the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care in the South West Peninsula, studied 12 eligible pieces of research, 11 observational studies and one randomised control trial.
Researchers claim that nine of the 12 studies showed following a strict Mediterranean diet lead to superior cognitive function, lower rates of cognitive decline and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease. "Mediterranean food is both delicious and nutritious, and our systematic review shows it may help to protect the ageing brain by reducing the risk of dementia," Lead researcher Iliana Lourida said.
Finnish Study - a Multidomain Approach - FINGER TRIAL
2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial
Background: Modifiable vascular and lifestyle-related risk factors have been associated with dementia risk in observational studies. In the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER), a proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial, aimed to assess a multidomain approach to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people from the general population.
In a double-blind randomised controlled trial individuals aged 60–77 years were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia) Dementia Risk Score of at least 6 points and cognition at mean level or slightly lower than expected for age. THEY randomly assigned participants in a 1:1 ratio to a 2 year multidomain intervention.
Outcome:
Between Sept 7, 2009, and Nov 24, 2011, 2654 individuals were screened and randomly assigned 1260 to the intervention group (n=631) or control group (n=629). 591 (94%) participants in the intervention group and 599 (95%) in the control group had at least one post-baseline assessment and were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. Estimated mean change in NTB total Z score at 2 years was 0·20 (SE 0·02, SD 0·51) in the intervention group and 0·16 (0·01, 0·51) in the control group. Between-group difference in the change of NTB total score per year was 0·022 (95% CI 0·002–0·042, p=0·030). 153 (12%) individuals dropped out overall. Adverse events occurred in 46 (7%) participants in the intervention group compared with six (1%) participants in the control group; the most common adverse event was musculoskeletal pain (32 [5%] individuals for intervention vs no individuals for control).
Interpretation:
Findings from this large, long-term, randomised controlled trial suggest that a multidomain intervention could improve or maintain cognitive functioning in at-risk elderly people from the general population.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60461-5/abstract
A systematic review carried out by Exeter University in 2013 suggests that greater adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with slower cognitive decline and lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease.
This study is considered to be the first systematic review of the diet's benefits to the brain. The findings are published in Epidemiology.
The team, supported by the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care in the South West Peninsula, studied 12 eligible pieces of research, 11 observational studies and one randomised control trial.
Researchers claim that nine of the 12 studies showed following a strict Mediterranean diet lead to superior cognitive function, lower rates of cognitive decline and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease. "Mediterranean food is both delicious and nutritious, and our systematic review shows it may help to protect the ageing brain by reducing the risk of dementia," Lead researcher Iliana Lourida said.
Finnish Study - a Multidomain Approach - FINGER TRIAL
2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial
Background: Modifiable vascular and lifestyle-related risk factors have been associated with dementia risk in observational studies. In the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER), a proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial, aimed to assess a multidomain approach to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people from the general population.
In a double-blind randomised controlled trial individuals aged 60–77 years were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia) Dementia Risk Score of at least 6 points and cognition at mean level or slightly lower than expected for age. THEY randomly assigned participants in a 1:1 ratio to a 2 year multidomain intervention.
Outcome:
Between Sept 7, 2009, and Nov 24, 2011, 2654 individuals were screened and randomly assigned 1260 to the intervention group (n=631) or control group (n=629). 591 (94%) participants in the intervention group and 599 (95%) in the control group had at least one post-baseline assessment and were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. Estimated mean change in NTB total Z score at 2 years was 0·20 (SE 0·02, SD 0·51) in the intervention group and 0·16 (0·01, 0·51) in the control group. Between-group difference in the change of NTB total score per year was 0·022 (95% CI 0·002–0·042, p=0·030). 153 (12%) individuals dropped out overall. Adverse events occurred in 46 (7%) participants in the intervention group compared with six (1%) participants in the control group; the most common adverse event was musculoskeletal pain (32 [5%] individuals for intervention vs no individuals for control).
Interpretation:
Findings from this large, long-term, randomised controlled trial suggest that a multidomain intervention could improve or maintain cognitive functioning in at-risk elderly people from the general population.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60461-5/abstract
Lifestyle changes, not a magic pill, can reverse Alzheimer’s
The study by a research group from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is notable not only for its remarkable outcomes, but also for the alternative paradigm it represents in the treatment of a complex, chronic disease. We’ve spent billions of dollars in an effort to understand the molecular basis of Alzheimer’s in the hope that it will lead to a cure, or at least to more effective therapies. And although we have greatly enlarged our knowledge of the disease, it has not yielded many successful treatments.
Beginning from the premise that Alzheimer’s disease is a particular manifestation of a highly complex system in disarray, the researchers at UCLA sought to optimise the system by changing the inputs. Put another way, the scientists chose to set aside the molecular box which has proven so vexing, and to focus instead on the context of the box itself. Although we cannot say precisely how the intervention worked, on a cellular level, the important thing is that it did work.
Reversal of cognitive decline in Alzheimers disease
The therapeutic approach used was programmatic and personalized rather than monotherapeutic and invariant, and was dubbed metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration (MEND). Patients who had had to discontinue work were able to return to work, and those struggling at work were able to improve their performance. The patients, their spouses, and their co-workers all reported clear improvements. Here we report the results from quantitative MRI and neuropsychological testing in ten patients with cognitive decline, nine ApoE4+ (five homozygous and four heterozygous) and one ApoE4-, who were treated with the MEND protocol for 5-24 months. The magnitude of the improvement is unprecedented, providing additional objective evidence that this programmatic approach to cognitive decline is highly effective. These results have far-reaching implications for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, MCI, and SCI; for personalized programs that may enhance pharmaceutical efficacy; and for personal identification of ApoE genotype.
More information about the MEND programme here.
Evaluating the effect of Brain food groups on people with Mild Cognitive Impairment and mild dementia: a preliminary mixed methodology study at UCL
The study by a research group from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is notable not only for its remarkable outcomes, but also for the alternative paradigm it represents in the treatment of a complex, chronic disease. We’ve spent billions of dollars in an effort to understand the molecular basis of Alzheimer’s in the hope that it will lead to a cure, or at least to more effective therapies. And although we have greatly enlarged our knowledge of the disease, it has not yielded many successful treatments.
Beginning from the premise that Alzheimer’s disease is a particular manifestation of a highly complex system in disarray, the researchers at UCLA sought to optimise the system by changing the inputs. Put another way, the scientists chose to set aside the molecular box which has proven so vexing, and to focus instead on the context of the box itself. Although we cannot say precisely how the intervention worked, on a cellular level, the important thing is that it did work.
Reversal of cognitive decline in Alzheimers disease
The therapeutic approach used was programmatic and personalized rather than monotherapeutic and invariant, and was dubbed metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration (MEND). Patients who had had to discontinue work were able to return to work, and those struggling at work were able to improve their performance. The patients, their spouses, and their co-workers all reported clear improvements. Here we report the results from quantitative MRI and neuropsychological testing in ten patients with cognitive decline, nine ApoE4+ (five homozygous and four heterozygous) and one ApoE4-, who were treated with the MEND protocol for 5-24 months. The magnitude of the improvement is unprecedented, providing additional objective evidence that this programmatic approach to cognitive decline is highly effective. These results have far-reaching implications for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, MCI, and SCI; for personalized programs that may enhance pharmaceutical efficacy; and for personal identification of ApoE genotype.
More information about the MEND programme here.
Evaluating the effect of Brain food groups on people with Mild Cognitive Impairment and mild dementia: a preliminary mixed methodology study at UCL