After Cindy’s diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s in September of 2013, we decided to share that part of our journey on our blog. We knew that lifestyle factors during our American Discovery Trail journey helped reversed Cindy’s cognitive decline. Unfortunately, she declined again after the journey. I set Google Alerts to “brain health” and “Alzheimer’s” in order to provide useful information on brain health and lifestyle factors.
Right from the start there was much chaff to sift from the wheat. The “Alzheimer’s” alerts listed articles mainly intended for an investment audience. In addition to the fact that I am not an investor, my interest in combating Alzheimer’s focused mainly on “Living Well with Adversity.” My announcement page featured that title on this website at the time. Lifestyle factors were my focus, not the potential investment profits from medical cures.
The “brain health” alerts featured more university research, less drug trials by pharmaceuticals. Press releases aimed to simply report on the research and legitimize the university researchers conducting them. A variety of brain health matters in addition to dementia were covered, ranging from genetic to environmental factors. These tangents occasionally provided useful information as well.
Early on I created a few brain health features compiled from research articles. Over time noteworthy new information became scarce. One month an article would be about exercise boosting brain health, as would be the case for the next month and the month after that. The research varied in terms of type of exercise, workout intensity and length, and the time spent. The articles featured a common subtext of finding the minimum necessary for a society too busy doing other things.
Then there are the mice. Lots of mice studies! All touting the potential of some new drug, treatment or environmental condition … as long as we find a way to transfer the findings to humans. Their promises never being met provided a lesson that maybe beta amyloid plaques are not the ultimate problem.
I do not wish to sound like a total cynic about cures for Alzheimer’s and dementia that involve profits. I have encountered some interesting research related to mRNA and how the immune system functions in relation to brain cells. Yet I still apprehend the profit angle and a subtext of what can be done so lifestyles do not have to change.
I understand that at any moment in time there are people new to familiarizing themselves with brain health. To that end I will continue to receive Google Alerts and link or embed articles for others to read. I may include research into medical treatments, but no mice studies. The previous decades of mice studies provided enough rabbit holes.
Expanded coverage of brain health will be part of the Unenlightened Wisdom Project: Journeying from Brain Health to Democracy. That website will start to become active at the start of the New Year. Check it out and subscribe!
And of course continue to like and share this website. Introduce a friend to the site as well.