Are My Memory Changes Normal?

This fact sheet discusses memory changes. As we age, our brains age right along with the rest of our bodies. Our reaction time may begin to slow as a result of aging, and we will continue to experience “mild forgetfulness” as a normal part of life. If your memory changes are greater, or these changes seem to be noticeably impacting your ability to carry on your normal day-to-day activities, these are indicators that it is time to be evaluated by a physician for MCI, dementia, or other cognitive problems. An accurate diagnosis of dementia will help you and your physician plan the best course of action for you, to keep your memory as sharp as possible as you get older

Time-resolved X-ray microscopy of nanoparticle aggregates under oscillatory shear

Of all current detection techniques with nanometer resolution, only X-ray microscopy allows imaging nanoparticles in suspension. Can it also be used to investigate structural dynamics? When studying response to mechanical stimuli, the challenge lies in applying them with precision comparable to spatial resolution. In the first shear experiments performed in an X-ray microscope, we accomplished this by inserting a piezo actuator driven shear cell into the focal plane of a scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM). Thus shear-induced reorganization of magnetite nanoparticle aggregates could be demonstrated in suspension. As X-ray microscopy proves suitable for studying structural change, new prospects open up in physics at small length scales.Comment: submitted to J. Synchrot. Radia

A Healthy Brain: Use It or Lose It!

Challenging your muscles makes for strong healthy muscles, and challenging your brain cells makes for a strong healthy brain. Build up your brain’s cognitive reserve – create a well-connected, high-capacity brain – through overall healthy behaviors (diet and exercise) and making mentally challenging activities part of your daily life. The more options your brain has to get its signals sent, the better able it is to handle areas of damage. A well-connected brain may be better able to delay or prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s

Maximizing the Quality of Life for Persons with Dementia

This fact sheet show how through simple adjustments to the environment and by providing opportunities for meaningful activities or pleasant experiences, caregivers can play a key role in maximizing the quality of life that people with dementia can maintain despite their impairments

Dementia Risk: Is It Nature or Nurture?

Alzheimer’s is a complex disease for which there is no known method for reversing its effects and no known cure for those who develop it. While a large part of the risk for developing AD comes from genes we inherit, there is evidence suggesting that an even greater part of our risk comes from our “environment,” and more specifically, our lifestyle

Making Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Late-Life Depression Risk

Depression is a complex condition involving insufficient levels of brain chemicals, life stressors, thought processes, behaviors, and coping mechanisms. Medications and counseling therapy are effective in treating depression, and research suggests that several lifestyle practices also help to protect us from depression, and speed up our recovery if we do experience it. These behaviors, such as being socially connected, eating healthy and exercising, cost little to nothing but can have profound benefits on our overall quality of life and help us to stay depression-free

Coping With Grief and Loss for Agricultural Producers

As humans, we are social beings who form strong relationships; when these relationships end, through death, divorce, or estrangement, it is natural to feel a sense of loss. This resource is meant to provide some ideas for agricultural producers (individuals and families) seeking to cope with and respond to losing a loved one. We also include information for agricultural producers experiencing other types of loss, such as losing the farm or livestock