Exercise Alters Brain Chemistry to Protect Aging Synapses
UCSF researchers show how physical activity protects cognition by altering brain chemistry that maintains synapses, especially for the elderly.
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New Technology Allows Loved Ones to Monitor the Elderly; But at What Cost?
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Solo Seniors with Social Support Are Less Likely to Need Nursing Home Care
A new UCSF study shows maintaining ties with friends and family reduces seniors’ risk of moving into a nursing home. Elders with someone to count on are more likely to remain in their homes in a health crisis.
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Scientists Map Brain Circuit that Drives Activity in Fertile Females
A team of UCSF scientists have identified the specific neurons and signaling pathway that make sexually receptive females of many species more active at the time of ovulation.
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Happiness in Early Adulthood May Protect Against Dementia
Research has shown that poor heart health can increase the risk for dementia, but a new study shows that poor mental health in early adulthood may increase odds by 73%.
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For Struggling Older Adults, Support from Paid Peers May Alleviate Loneliness, Depression
An initiative that paired paid visitors with racially diverse older adults, many of whom lived alone and struggled with taking care of their basic needs, resulted in reduced loneliness and plunging rates of depression.
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UCSF Medical Center Ranks 1st Nationwide in Neuro, Among Top 10 Hospitals for 2021-22
UCSF Medical Center has been recognized as the nation’s best hospital for neurology and neurosurgery, and among the country’s premier medical centers overall, in the 2021-22 Best Hospitals survey by U.S. News & World Report.
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Over 65 and Lonely? Don’t Talk to Your Doctor About Another Prescription
The proportion of seniors who had prescriptions for opioids and anti-anxiety medications and sedatives correlated with their degree of loneliness, according to the study.
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Older Women Who Are Socially Engaged More Likely to Be Emotionally Abused or Mistreated
For older adults, participating in social activities can protect against physical and mental signs of aging, but it may also pose risks, especially for women. A new analysis of national data led by
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To Prevent Delirium, Increase Mobility, Connection and Sleep
UCSF researchers wanted to see if simple tweaks, like avoiding nighttime interruptions to promote sleep, nixing certain prescription drugs, and promoting exercise and social engagement, could decrease delirium in hospitalized older adults.
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Cancer Patients Lonely and Depressed During COVID-19 Pandemic
Loneliness and social isolation have been significant problems for the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic, but for cancer patients these issues were particularly acute, likely due to isolation and social distancing, according to a new UCSF study.
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Brain Wave Recordings Reveal Potential for Individualized Parkinson’s Treatments
Pioneering neural recordings in patients with Parkinson’s disease by UCSF scientists are providing the groundwork for personalized brain stimulation to treat Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders.
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Many Older Adults Lack Even Simple, Helpful Equipment
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Want to Be Robust at 40-Plus? Meeting Minimum Exercise Guidelines Won’t Cut It
Young adults must step up their exercise routines to reduce their chances of developing high blood pressure or hypertension – a condition that may lead to heart attack and stroke, as well as dementia in later life.
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For Seniors to Live Independently Longer, Inexpensive Home Hacks May Help
A new study by UCSF has found that many elderly Americans lack the basic self-care equipment that could enable them to live at home longer, postponing the need to move into residential care facilities.
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Science of Aging is Focus of New Bakar Research Institute
The new Institute will bring together scientists and clinicians from all UCSF sites to address the most critical questions related to the science of aging.
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Can You Hug Your Grandkids After Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine?
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Is the COVID Vaccine Less Effective in Older Adults, and Should I Worry About Which One I Get?
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Seniors Living Alone with Cognitive Impairment Hit Hard by COVID-19 Pandemic
Researchersare calling for tailored services and support for older adults living alone with memory issues, who are experiencing extreme isolation, and are exposed to misinformation about the virus and barriers to accessing medical care.
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Astonishing Animals That Illuminate Human Health
Giant lizards with superpowered hearts. Hairless rodents that don’t seem to age. Songbirds that babble like human babies. These and other scurrying, soaring, and slithering wonders are teaching scientists how our own bodies work – and how to fix them.
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Apathy Could Lead to a Greater Risk of Dementia, Study Finds
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‘Awe Walks’ Boost Emotional Well-Being
Older adults who took weekly 15-minute “awe walks” for eight weeks reported increased positive emotions and less distress in their daily lives.
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COVID-19 Pandemic Drives Telehealth Boom, But Older Adults Can’t Connect
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in video visits between patients and their doctors, but for many older adults, the shift has cut them off from care, rather than connecting them.
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Older Adults Who Can Really Smell the Roses May Face Lower Likelihood of Dementia
Seniors who can identify smells like roses, turpentine, paint-thinner and lemons, and have retained their senses of hearing, vision and touch, may have half the risk of developing dementia as their peers with marked sensory decline, according to a new UCSF study.
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How Exercise May Bolster the Brain
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To Let Neurons Talk, Immune Cells Clear Paths Through Brain’s ‘Scaffolding’
A new study by UCSF researchers identified a surprising way that the brain’s immune cells help to form new memories.
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People With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Might Be at Higher Risk for Dementia, Study Finds
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Older and Stuck at Home? Expert Advice on Fitness
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More Steps Needed to Manage Current Care of Older Adults
The COVID-19 pandemic is a critical time to think about how best to manage the care of older adults, both for their sake and for the near- and longer-term costs and stresses to the health care system, according to a new commentary by a UCSF clinician.
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Ageism Is Making the Pandemic Worse