Japanese Treatments for Alzheimers

Alzheimer's disease is frightening and debilitating no matter where you live. There are some places, however, that seem to have effective treatment and living conditions that support the condition. Japan's care and treatment for the elderly may lead to the United States adopting some of their tactics.

Diet

• The Japanese diet typically consists of 25% less calories than the American diet. A study at USC showed that a restriction in the diet of mice led to a reduced buildup of plaques in the brain that are connected with Alzheimer's. Since the obese are typically considered to be at high risk for Alzheimer's, this may mean that a restricted calorie diet will have similar effects in humans. UCLA researchers have found that another plaque-reducing method may be to include more fish in the diet. It seems that a protein called LR11 requires fish oil to fight off plaque accumulations in the brain. The Japanese diet is rich in fish, allowing the LR11 protein to get all the oil it needs. Another staple of the Japanese diet is green tea. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant found in green tea, has been found in a German study to be linked to the prevention of a toxic protein called amyloid fibrils, which is associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. These three facets of the Japanese diet are one form of Alzheimer's treatment (See Reference 2 and Resources 1 and 2).

Mental Studies

• A method called "Learning Therapy" developed by Ryuta Kawashima of Tohuku University has shown some promise with Alzheimer's patients. This treatment consists of meeting regularly in classes to read aloud from essays or novels and to perform simple calculations. Kawashima found that patients improved in tests that determine severity of disease. "Brain Training" events like one in 2007 in China have spread knowledge about how keeping the brain active with mental exercises may help to stave off Alzheimer's. One method that the Japanese are using is to pair elderly patients with early Alzheimer's symptoms with elementary school students. The staff of the Hikari no Soto home found that the children tend to behave better and the patients become more alert when working together. Japan has also begun using old textbooks to treat patients who suffer with senility. Clinical psychologist Yukiko Kurokawa found that there was a better chance for the elderly patients to remember things about the past when given books similar to those they studied at an early age (See Reference 1).

Clinical Trials

• Japanese researchers have published several studies of experimental Alzheimer's drugs that may have promising implications on future medication. A study in 2000 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology showed that donepezil was effective in mild cases of Alzheimer's. Donepezil has been used since that time, though there is still some question as to how effective it is. An experimental vaccine tested in 2006 has been shown to be effective in mice. The study conducted by Dr. Yoh Matsumoto reduced brain deposits that may cause the disorder. Further trials are still being conducted. In June of 2009, a small peptide was discovered by Japanese scientists under Masayusu Okochi that may be a marker that can lead to earlier treatment and the possibility of slowing down the disease (See Reference 1 and Resource 3).