Tag: Alzheimer's disease

The value I provide with my expertise in behavioral health.

I am Dr. Sylvester Orimaye, PhD, MPH. DBH-C. As the Founder and Director of the Behavioral Health Outcomes and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, I wanted to briefly overview what I do in behavioral health. As a data scientist and behavioral health researcher, I am particularly interested in early screening of behavioral health problems so patients can access timely interventions before their illnesses get severe. This process can potentially save substantial healthcare costs and decrease the need for emergency room visits or hospitalization.

More importantly, I am using my expertise in Artificial Intelligence to create screening technologies that guarantee accuracy and effectiveness in identifying behavioral health problems. This idea will revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat behavioral health problems.

Finally, as a researcher and someone with expertise in behavioral health, I intend to contribute to and enhance patient-centered care, manage population health, improve reporting, and support value-based payments in healthcare and community-based services for individuals with behavioral health disorders, particularly those with depression, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Deterioration in language can predict early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Dementia.

In a recent study, an independent linguistic battery comprising only the language components or subtests of popular neuropsychological batteries showed a better clinical detection for MCI-AD than using an exhaustive battery of test.

Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease (MCI-AD) is a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is characterized by a cognitive decline usually associated with aging or AD. However, some of the profound characteristics of MCI-AD are the gradual degrading of cognitive speech functions, which is often affected long before the diagnosis of MCI-AD. Research has shown that neurodegenerative disease such as MCI-AD deteriorates nerve cells that control cognitive speech and language processes, affecting an individual’s ability to make effective verbal utterances. As a result, the need for early detection of MCI-AD using linguistic biomarkers has grown. However, it is still prevalent to diagnose MCI-AD utilizing a combination of neuropsychological batteries and a doctor’s longitudinal observation of the individual. In a recent study, an independent linguistic battery comprising only the language components or subtests of popular neuropsychological batteries showed a better clinical detection for MCI-AD than using an exhaustive battery of tests. As confirmed by the study, the figures below compare the underlying patterns of the linguistic components and risk factors of MCI-AD and healthy control groups.

What is the Alzheimer’s Dementia Continuum?

…several findings suggest a possible reversal of AD-type MCI with carefully administered behavioral therapy, including brain-stimulating exercises.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the prodromal stage of Dementia. Imagine the disease as a continuum, beginning with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to possible/probable AD, and ultimately Dementia, the end-stage. Not all healthy people will have MCI, and not all MCI will result in AD. However, there is research evidence that a substantial proportion of people with AD-type MCI will progress to AD and subsequently Dementia. On the other hand, several findings suggest a possible reversal of AD-type MCI with carefully administered behavioral therapy, including brain-stimulating exercises. In addition to a good diet (the Mediterranean diet preferred), a minimum of 30 minutes of daily exercise, social connectedness (community groups, family, friends), and brain-stimulating exercises have been associated with possible reversal or delay of AD-type Dementia.

The figure below gives a clear overview of the Alzheimer’s disease Dementia continuum.

Overview of Alzheimer’s disease Dementia continuum. Image source: https://www.alz.org/

Below, I provide a list of websites where you can try out different brain-stimulating exercises:

BRAINGLE: Braingle is a place to solve puzzles, brush up on your trivia, play games and give your brain a workout.

brainHQ: American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) brain training exercise.

JigZone: Online Jigsaw Puzzles

Lumosity: Personalized brain training.

WholisticResearch: Brain exercises to improve cognitive performance and memory retention.

For additional information on Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia, visit https://www.alz.org/.

There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.

John Green