Treatment for People with Alzheimer
The proper treatment of persons with Alzheimer’s disease is essential, even when suffering from memory loss. People with this condition miss events as a conversation or a joke, but the happy feelings associated with these moments may survive and improve their mood.
To these conclusions did a study at the University of Iowa (USA). “A simple visit or phone call by a relative may have a very positive influence on the happiness of patients, even if quickly forgotten the event. By contrast, negligence in the treatment given in an institution where they are interned could generate sadness, frustration and loneliness but can not remember why, “said Justin Feinstein, the lead author of the research.
Bad Brain
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is generated by the progressive deterioration and death of brain cells. This evil is strongly associated with age. The first symptoms often include memory loss and confusion, but it gets worse causing personality change, loss of cognitive skills and difficulty recognizing other people.
By 2050 an estimated 100 million people suffer from this disease. Currently there is not a cure, but treatments that aim to relieve symptoms and slow its progression.
Enduring Emotions
The researchers worked with people suffering a deterioration in the hippocampus, a brain region that is essential to transform short-term memory long-term memories. Damage to these neurons produce the type of amnesia that affects people with Alzheimer’s.
Each of the participants looked for 20 minutes, sad or happy scenes of movies, with the aim to generate an emotion in them. Next, the authors tested whether the volunteers could recall what they had seen. According to expectations, none managed to retain many details of the images.
However, all maintained the sensations generated by the movies. “They could retain the emotion. Tended to take more sadness than happiness, but both feelings lasted much longer than the memory of the movie,” said Feinstein.
The specialist noted that in healthy people these feelings eventually dissolve, but it lasted even longer in research volunteers. “We found clear evidence that treating Alzheimer’s patients with respect and dignity is much more than a matter of simple morality,” he said Feinstein.
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