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Navigating Memory and Cognitive Health: A Guide for Families Facing Dementia

Thursday, January 9, 2025

While some cognitive decline—such as occasional word-finding difficulties or minor memory lapses—is a normal part of aging, the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease are much different, says David Gill, MD, Chief of the UR Medicine Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology.

Here’s what Dr. Gill says to look for, along with guidance for families facing difficult conversations and decisions associated with memory and cognitive challenges.

Recognizing Early Signs of Dementia
Look for:

• Memory disruptions that interfere with daily life
• Difficulty planning or solving problems
• Challenges with familiar tasks
• Confusion about time or place
• Misplacing items with an inability to retrace steps
• Poor judgment
• Withdrawal from social or work activities
• Significant mood or personality changes

Identifying these signs early allows for timely clinical evaluation and care that can make a meaningful difference.

Common Sleep Aid May Leave Behind a Dirty Brain

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Getting a good night’s sleep is a critical part of our daily biological cycle and is associated with improved brain function, a stronger immune system, and a healthier heart. Conversely, sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea can significantly impact health and quality of life. Poor sleep often precedes the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and is a predictor of early dementia.

New research appearing in the journal Cell describes for the first time the tightly synchronized oscillations in the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, cerebral blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that combine during non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep in mice. These oscillations power the glymphatic system—a brain-wide network responsible for removing protein waste, including amyloid and tau, associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

New research appearing in the journal Cell describes for the first time the tightly synchronized oscillations in the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, cerebral blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that combine during non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep in mice. These oscillations power the glymphatic system—a brain-wide network responsible for removing protein waste, including amyloid and tau, associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

“As the brain transitions from wakefulness to sleep, processing of external information diminishes while processes such as glymphatic removal of waste products are activated,” said Maiken Nedergaard, MD, DMSc, co-director of the University of Rochester Center for Translational Neuromedicine and lead author of the study. “The motivation for this research was to better understand what drives glymphatic flow during sleep, and the insights from this study have broad implications for understanding the components of restorative sleep.”

The study also holds a warning for people who use the commonly prescribed sleep aid zolpidem. The drug suppressed the glymphatic system, potentially setting the stage for neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, which are the result of the toxic accumulation of proteins in the brain.