Tag: therapy

Music for the Holidays

Holiday season is full of activities for the brain: socializing with friends, thinking about all the social events, and special season-only music that won’t come around for another year.

Ever admire someone who knows all the lyrics to Christmas carols or New Year party songs? What’s stopping you from being that person everyone else admires?

Start with just one or two songs, then continue on with your favourite songs. Learn the second or third verses that are rarely sung, or learn the same song in a different language. If it’s a popular song around the world, it should be easy to find lyrics on the Internet. Alternatively, learn a slightly unfamiliar song and be the only one in the room who recognizes it if it happens to come up.

Tone deaf or don’t have confidence in your singing abilities? Every song has a reason why it was written, and not many people know the background situation that inspired it. Dig for information on the composer or lyricist, read their biographies, and be surprised by some of the stories behind your favourite songs. Remember the trivia and start conversations when you’re in those awkward-silence situations at parties.

 

LMTX

Alzheimer’s is a chronic disease which starts slowly but turns swear gradually. Usually, it

is common in the patients with Dementia. Dementia is a broad category of brain disease

cause decrease in ability to think, while Huntington’s disease is inherited a progressive

form of dementia.

 

Usually, 60% to 70% of Dementia cases face Alzheimer’s. The most common early

symptom is short term memory loss i.e. facing difficulty in remembering recent events

others are forgetting names of friends or family and confusion in situations. With the

passage of time symptoms varies which includes disorientation, problems with language,

loss of motivation, mood swings, not managing self­care and behavioral issues. Persons

facing this disease often withdraw from family as well as society. Eventually, bodily

functions are lost, ultimately results in the death of the patient. It is a very severe problem

of many countries.

 

LMTX is TauRx’s second generation TAI (tau aggregation inhibitor). LMTX has a

chemical structure similar to a dye called methylene blue used as stain and medication.

Being similar to stain LMTX colors Patient’s urine bluish green. LMTX is used as medicine

for Alzheimer patients.

 

The researchers recruited 850+ patients from almost 16 countries. These patients were

split into three groups .The first group received a lower dose, the second group received a

higher dose and the third group was given LMTX in a very small amount so that color of

their urine couldn’t change and they wouldn’t suspect that they were part of the research.

Unfortunately, the drug failed. Almost 85% of patients who took LMTX showed no

improvement in symptoms. But according to TauRx rest of the 15% patients who took this

drug showed no decrease in cognitive skills. This means for these patients Alzheimer

stopped progressing during the trial period.

 

Claude Wischik, a founder and the chief executive of TauRx, spoke from Toronto at the

Alzheimer’s Association International Conference that, there were highly significant

effects in patients taking the drug alone, and no effect in patients taking it as an add­on.

Although this drug only slows down the Alzheimer symptoms but its results are

unprecedented compared as compared with anyone else said by CEO.

 

Many biochemical tests have been developed to diagnose condition before

symptoms begin. These tests prove beneficial in preventing this disease. Moreover,

intellectual activities such as playing chess can reduce the risk of AD although no casual

or practical relationship can be found. Although LMTX fails to cure this disease but still it

can stop the symptoms of Alzheimer by 80 per cent. Whether LMTX works or not, It is

clear that pharmaceutical companies and scientists will keep trying. TauRx has completed

2 Phase 3 clinical trials of LMTX in Alzheimer’s. An abstract from the 1st of its two phase

3 trials was presented at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in

Toronto, on 27th July 2016.Results are predictable to be available in August.

By recent survey, it is revealed that Alzheimer is affecting US economy by $200 billion

annually. An effective treatment can save many lives and money

Why Learning Music Is Better Than Brain Games

The brain can be trained at any age – the question is how. Crystallized intelligence is when the brain remembers relatively unchangeable facts, such as geographical locations or properties and traits of objects and living things. Fluid intelligence is being able to use crystallized intelligence to solve problems or adapt to changing circumstances. Throughout the range and mix of crystallized and fluid intelligences’ is the ability to pay attention, especially to increasing number of “moving parts” of information according to the level of difficulty.

A great trend in brain training, to use these forms of intelligence appropriately and pay attention, is brain games that test and challenge memory. N-back and dual n-back games are the technical terms, better known as games such as Bejewelled Blitz or any of the games on Lumosity. The argument is that playing these games will strengthen the brain, and most likely the strengthening will help stave off dementia.

However, consider learning a musical instrument instead. Being able to play an instrument (well) requires a tremendous amount of brain effort. The mind has an incredible number of things to keep track: the eyes reading the sheet music, the hands and fingers moving independently of each other, keeping to the timing and rhythm, maintaining good sound – and if playing with others – being in sync with other instruments. No other activity requires such an intricate puzzle of constantly moving parts, especially in an artistic manner.

From a practical level, brain games are generally a solitary activity. There is not really much social interaction, which is why sometimes the attention level that is strengthened does not translate to real life. Learning an instrument can be much more practical, and it connects people to others who have the same interest.

Robot Therapy (The Feed)

Robots are being used everywhere around the world. From manufacturing, to bomb disposal, robots have become a necessary part of our modern existence. Now robots are making their way in to therapy sessions. 

The Feed’s Marc Fennell looks at how robots are being used in therapy sessions.

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