Story by Jon Tevlin in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune for Tuesday 27 April 2010 tells how citizens oppose the building of an Alzheimer's care facility in Stonemill Farms addition of Woodbury. Headline reads: "Vexing Undercurrent Wells up in Woodbury".

 The reasons given for the objection are at best, outrageous and ignorant.

Examples are: "are not a good fit', "scare the kids" and "drive down real estate prices"....one lady suggested that people "with brain damage probably led lives of daring and danger which might return...They don't have the fear, the healthy fear that the rest of us have"...a man opposed it "if there were one-tenth of one percent chance that anything could happen to a kid." and "Some of whom can get belligerent or aggressive when they are confused." There were concerns that "Their Children might be Attacked".

This lack of common sense and understanding of Alzheimer's disease and the victims of Alzheimer's is appalling and the level of ignorance is most astounding.  This suggests certain people in Woodbury have the intelligence or education of an Amoeba. Such comments are insulting to Alzheimer's victims and their families who must struggle daily with the heartaches of this disease.

Alzheimer's residents in Alzheimer's facilities are not out roaming the neighborhood. If there is anyone that is safe with an Alzheimer's victim it is a child. Most Alzheimer's victims love children. Very few are aggressive and those who are, show this demeanor to the caregivers who are attempting to make some change in the activities of the victim that they do not like. Most are quiet and gentle.

It is this high level of ignorance that suggests the reason that while Alzheimer's is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States, the funding for research is abysmally low. Alzheimer's research gets a small fraction of the funding that AIDS receives and AIDS is not even one of the 15 leading causes of death!

(Submitted as a letter to the Editor of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune 4/27/2010.)

The AARP Magazine's March-April 2010 edition has a most startling article entitled: "Boost Your Brain Health". This article by Dr. Murali Doraiswamy makes some very bizarre statements that appear to have no established factual basis. A subtitle states "With a Few Easy Changes, You can Stay at Your Sharpest."  (Working, stimulating and challenging your mind.) What a farce and what an insult to every victim and every Alzheimer's victim's family.

The opening paragraph tells the story of Dr. Gary Small and a patient who he describes as an accomplished mathematician in his early 70s. Small was said to have tested this man and found that he had a perfect score of 30 out of 30 on a memory test and had a "whopping 140 on his IQ test." ..."he was "still doing high level mathematics"..

A brain scan of this man was said to have had "all the markings of full-blown Alzheimer's disease"....he goes on to say that "Though this case is extreme, it is not unique"...the story then goes on to state "in fact, up to 20 percent of people autopsied who had no major memory problems are discovered to have had Alzheimer's", says Yaakov Stern, PhD., Columbia University..

Wow...Can this really be true?

     Note: Yaakov Stern is a or the prime promoter of a theory called "Cognitive Reserve." A theory that says one can bypass age or disease related trouble spots in the brain by simply working your mind, stimulating the mind and challenging the mind. This process thereby develops the claimed "cognitive reserve". Many variation's of this theory are prevalent today in the group who feel one can avoid Alzheimer's simply by stimulating the brain. They can be said to be the "use it or lose it" theorists... The many Alzheimer's victims who were people with lives that required active and stimulating mental activity puts a lie to this theory. Even Mayo Clinic is one of the promoters of this thinking. In their publication “Age of Wellness,” Summer 2007, much space is devoted to this subject. Dr. David Knopman in an article on Lifestyle Habits in preventing Alzheimer’s Disease”, after discussing “Eat Healthy, Exercise Regularly, and Stay Mentally Active!” ends the article with the following admission....”The reality is that the information we have doesn’t really answer the question whether any of these behaviors alone serve to protect the brain from AD.”  

While this avenue of thinking has a wide following today, as Mayo admits, there is scant little supporting facts or data to validate it. If it were a court case, it would be quickly challenged and labeled "Junk Science".

Where did this information come from...that is said to make up 20 percent of people autopsied who had no Alzheimer's symptoms but were found to have Alzheimer's. I feel I am up-to-date on the latest in Alzheimer's research and I had never heard this claim before. I have never heard the claim that a person without memory problems or without dementia symptoms (Cognitive, Personality and Functional symptoms) has ever been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

I suspect that it's origin for this speculation came from the U.K. study of aging brains as reported in AMDA "Caring for the Ages" September 2009 "Oldest Brains Can Belie Dementia Status." This article states: "In some patients who die very old, the brain might show the classic pathologic features of Alzheimer's disease even though the patient did not exhibit dementia. According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine,. Assessment of 426 brains donated to the United Kingdom's Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS) showed that characteristic Alzheimer's pathology did not always correspond with dementia among the "oldest old."... "In an editorial comment accompanying this report, Douglas C. Ewbank, PhD, and Steven E. Arnold, MD of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia said "it is essential to understand why some elderly people fail to develop dementia when their brains show the same number of plaques and tangles seen in Alzheimer's disease."

These studies did not conclude that any of these people had Alzheimer's. What they concluded was simply that the previously accepted benchmarks that indicated Alzheimer's, such as the findings of Protein Beta-Amyloid plaques and the Tangles called Tau were and are no longer solely reliable indicators for the diagnosis of the disease of  Alzheimer's. It also strongly suggests that the research for a cure needs to take a new direction!

     Note: The following research clearly shows that the presence of plaques and tangles of Beta Amyloids do not in themselves indicate that an individual has Alzheimer's: Dr. Ganesh M. Shankar and Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe of Harvard Medical School. “Researchers have caused Alzheimer’s symptoms in rats by injecting them with one particular form of Beta-Amyloid. ...other forms of Beta-Amyloid did not cause illness, which may explain why some people have Beta-Amyloid plaque in their brains but do not show disease symptoms.

"(1.) Two-molecule form of soluble Beta-Amyloid produced characteristics of Alzheimer's in the rats." 

(2.) There was no detectable effect from the (a.) insoluble plaque or the (b.) soluble one-molecule or (c.) soluble three molecule forms. The question is why one has the damaging effect and not others. (Note that four varieties of plaque are involved here.) "We have learned a great deal about the possible pathogenic role that amyloid in its various forms might play in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, but the final demonstration that reversing amyloid pathology ameliorates the disease itself is still lacking." It also clearly does not indicate that the presence of amyloid alone or in of itself establishes Alzheimer's disease.

It appears to me that the thrust of the AARP article results in the taking of a giant leap into speculation and wishful thinking that is unsupported by facts or science..

Science needs to focus their efforts and attention on the finding a cure and not with wishful thinking....or deluding themselves and others into thinking we can make simple changes in our life styles to prevent this terrible disease. Our energies and financial resources need to be concentrated on finding a cure and not wasted “tilting with windmills” in the pursuit of a means of prevention by simplistic methods.

     Note: If we are to look at the ranks of the victims, we will find that many are/were persons of razor sharp mentality and intellect. Person’s who used their brains vigorously during their lifetimes prior to developing Alzheimer’s. These many examples effectively put a lie to the notion that one can avoid Alzheimer’s by simply vigorously utilizing one’s brain on a daily basis.  Many of the victims were individuals who depended on their mind, their brain and intellect to conduct their profession. Many were in the arts. Many were prominent statesman and political figures.

Here is a listing of a few of the many well known personalities who have been struck down by this dreaded disease. - Abe Burrows (Actor), Perry Como (Singer), Aaron Copland (Composer), Thomas Dorsey (Song Writer), Arlen Francis (Actor), Ralph Waldo Emerson (Poet), Barry Goldwater (Senator), Rita Hayworth (Actor), Raul Silva Henriquez (Roman Catholic Cardinal), Charlton Heston (Actor and Political Activist), William B. Konar, (Started the CVS drug chain after living thru the Holocaust.) Burgess Meredith (Actor), Edmond O’Brien (Actor), Otto Preminger (Director), Ronald Reagan (40^th US President), Norman Rockwell (Artist), Margaret Thatcher (British Prime Minister), Harold Wilson (another British Prime Minister). My wife June K. Berg, (Photo on right) who was one of the brightest, most active and alert people I have ever known. I have often wondered how she kept all the balls in the air at once!

This “use it or lose it” mentality and thinking results in a myth, and a cruel hoax and by its very implications it is an insult to the many victims of this terrible disease. The suggestion that the victims sat around and vegetated until they got Alzheimer's is despicable.

See an earlier and a related blog - click this link:  

 "A Vigorous, Active Mind Will Avoid Alzheimer's - A Myth and a Cruel Hoax"

Newspapers can print the most frustrating and misleading articles on Alzheimer's and dementia diseases. The tone of the articles is such as to suggest that Alzheimer's is a disease of little consequence.

When will the Minneapolis Star - Tribune (and other newspapers) stop trying to glamorize and make light of Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases?

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune for 27 February 2010, published an article "Dementia's Glimmers of Delight" This article is a prime example of what I am talking about...The terrible disease Alzheimer's  is portrayed as simply a short term memory problem and that if everyone is understanding and has a sense of humor about it, all will quietly and happily fade into the sunset.

This is so typical of a newspaper's handling of human interest stories that relate to the victim's of Alzheimer's disease. It is also clear that they do not understand the terms dementia and Alzheimer's nor the distinction between such terms. 

Dementia is not a disease but rather it is a group of symptoms. In order to have dementia symptoms, there must be an overlying disease that causes such symptoms. Alzheimer's Disease causes most (70-80%) cases of dementia symptoms. Other diseases causing dementia symptoms are Huntington's disease, Lewy Body Disease, Pick's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and others. The death of brain cells is the cause of dementia symptoms. Short term memory alone does not constitute dementia symptoms but may be the signal of early stage Alzheimer's. Dementia symptoms are Cognitive changes (memory, decision making, judgement), Personality changes and Functional changes.

The subject of the article was an elderly lady "Ruby", with a good sense of humor and a very active daily life. The disease was suggested to be a simple problem of short term memory defects. The article demonstrated how this elderly lady handled her Alzheimer's with humor and a good attitude and in such a manner that it did little to detract from her daily life. It was obvious that this lady was in the very earliest stages of the disease and handicapped only by a short term memory loss. Some quotes from this article demonstrate my concerns...."under her shroud of forgetfulness remain Ruby's buoyant personality. Ruby retains her innate curiosity about people, although some words are lost, her agile mind creates new and often playful word combinations...joking and proclaiming joy over nearly everything..." Even the title of the article which utilizes the word "Delight" borders on the obscene in describing this sad and tragic disease.

This portrayal of Alzheimer's could hardly be further from the truth. Unfortunately the press seems intent on telling the story of Alzheimer's from the standpoint of the earliest stages and symptoms and with little regard to the pain, mental and physical suffering that is soon to follow.

This is not what Alzheimer's and dementia is all about. The Minneapolis Star and other news sources always tend to show this terrible disease in the early stages and in the best possible light. No wonder this fifth (5th) leading cause of disease death gets little funding or attention from the lawmakers or the public.

The Minneapolis Star and other's need to tell the story like it should be told...they need to tell it like it is. They need to tell how in the late stages, total memory is gone, the victim no longer recognizes anyone. As the disease progresses the victim no longer can walk, may no longer talk, may sit with eyes closed, may have seizures, may have difficulty eating and swallowing food, their quality of life is reduced to a mere existence...that the brain is slowly dying and at the time of death the brain is only 2/3rds the normal size ...this is the story that needs to be told and stop the tendency to "sugar coat" the most vicious of all diseases...They need to tell how over 200 people die every day from this cruel disease and that many may die in loneliness and in a disease formed and erected state of mental isolation.

When I think of my mother Ellen and my wife June's last days in light of such grade school type of reporting and misleading portrayals, it makes me, angry, emotional and brings tears to my eyes.

I have brought this matter to the attention of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, but as I expected, they ignored my "letter to the editor."

Apparently newspaper editors, including the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, assume that their readers do not want to hear about the darkness, misery and sadness that the Alzheimer's victims must bear as they travel deeply into the shadows of this terrible disease. This conclusion is however an erroneous one. I have over 140 articles on this web site dedicated to my wife June K. Berg. The number one article in popularity, as determined by the visitors to this web site, is the article in which I describe in detail, what it is like to live in the shoes of a late stage Alzheimer's victim. To visit that article, click on the below link:

                   (June K. Berg - 80 Years of Age - 2007)

(Photo below is June K. Berg at the Benedictine Health Care Center in November 2007. This is life in the late stages for an Alzheimer's victim. This picture by Jim Gehrz was taken in the same time period as my description of June in the above link. She sat with her eyes closed most of the time. She was not responsive to voice greetings or questions. She could not walk and did not talk. She had trouble with food intake and swallowing. She appeared to be in another world that did not recognize this one. She could not survive without total care. She gave up the battle one year later on 23 October 2008. She was and is the love and light of my life.)

Note:  After battling Alzheimer's for almost 11 years, an exhausted June was finally called home by God on October 23rd, 2008. Her funeral notice as published in the Minneapolis Star in October 2008 can be seen on this website under the "In Memoriam" label -   Click on:"June K. (Rolstad) Berg - In Memoriam".

Time Magazine for Wednesday 26 August 2009 contained an article by Alice Park on work now being conducted by researchers at Cleveland Clinic into a new method of early detection of Alzheimer's. "What Britney Spears Can Reveal About Alzheimer's"

The article says "they may have found a way to identify those most at risk of developing the neurological disorder long before symptoms develop - simply by asking them whether they recognize celebrities such as Britney Spears and Johnny Carson. It turns out that when people who are at highest risk of Alzheimer's try to recognize a famous name, their brains activate in very different ways from those of people who aren't at risk...scientists can actually see this difference using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI."

Reported in the journal "Neurology".  "team led by Stephen Rao, a brain imaging specialist...study of 69 healthy men and women aged 65 to 85...Rao's team found that when volunteers saw names such as Britney Spears, George Clooney, Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe, those who were at the highest risk of developing Alzheimer's - those with the genetic makeup (Version of gene for a protein called apolipoprotein E4..(ApoE4) and a family history - showed high levels of activity in the hippocampus, posterior cingulate and regions of the frontal cortex, all areas involved in memory. The control group showed the opposite pattern. Their brains became more excited when they saw unfamiliar names, which included Irma Jacoby, Joyce O'Neil and Virginia Warfield....This could mean that the at risk people were working harder to recognize the well known celebrities, compensating for already damaged or destroyed neurons that were no longer functioning, while the control group had to struggle only when trying to place the names of noncelebrities."

"The idea is not necessarily to diagnose Alzheimer's earlier, says Rao. But imaging studies can help to identify those most vulnerable to cognitive decline so they can participate in clinical trials of new drugs designed to postpone or reduce symptoms."

Note: I doubt very much that clinical trials will ever be based on pools of individuals that have been detected through the large numbers of testing needed for such a selection process...At the present time there are no drugs available to postpone or effectively reduce symptoms. Would the average person care to know this information if at the same time nothing can be done but worry...The early part of the article stated: "the disease has already been ravaging the brain for a decade or more, causing irreversible damage...However, .according to Knopman of the Mayo Alzheimer's research department, it is far longer than a decade...(He talks of 2-3 decades.)  In July 2009, Dr. Knopman was quoted in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune as stating: "Despite years of research, drug companies have struggled to find an effective treatment. Part of the problem, Dr. Knopman says, is timing: Symptoms only surface 20 to 30 years after patients develop the disease. By then, it's too late"  This is certainly an interesting development but does it have practical value. We need more attention to finding a cure and less to early detection.