Learn to hear like a young person again
If you can’t follow a conversation at a cocktail party or have trouble understanding fast-talkers, researchers at the University of Maryland have a few strategies to help you hear better. The Neuroplasticity and Auditory Aging study, funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health and conducted at the University of Maryland in College Park, is in its... READ MORE
Studying a drug for Alzheimer’s agitation
Alzheimer’s disease is devastating to a patient’s family not only because of memory loss but because of changes in a loved one’s behavior. In addition to wandering away from caregivers, patients can become anxious, irritable, agitated or even violent. Now a study is under way to see if a drug can help alleviate agitation caused by Alzheimer’s. Sponsored by Avanir Pharmaceuticals... READ MORE
Try out Virtual Reality (VR) to help research
It’s something out of a fantasy novel or a movie: You strap on a pair of oversized goggles, and suddenly you’re somewhere else. When you turn your head, you can see new scenes: a kitchen, a grocery store, your hands, and other 3-D images that aren’t really there. Rather than just leaving these high-tech devices to the younger generation, researchers want older adults to take part... READ MORE
Stroke survivors can help future recovery
A stroke can be permanently debilitating. Every year, of the nearly 800,000 Americans who have a stroke, only 10% make a full recovery, according to the American Stroke Association. In fact, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine are studying stroke survivors in... READ MORE
How to find out about Alzheimer’s studies
If you or a loved one has received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, you may want to join a community of people in the same boat. There’s strength — or at least comfort — in numbers, after all. A 21-year-old organization called UsAgainstAlzheimer’s invites everyone affected by the disease or other dementia to sign up for a health registry called the A-List. Everyone, including... READ MORE
A study to improve knee replacement surgery
For most people, knee replacement surgery improves their quality of life in a few weeks. A small percentage of patients, though, aren’t quite satisfied — up to 20 percent, in fact. Now researchers at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics are planning to study how well the two typical knee replacement implants work. “This study is going to be a game-changer in... READ MORE
Study tests ketogenic diet for Parkinson’s
Can a special high-fat diet help people with Parkinson’s disease? Although researchers haven’t found a cure for the degenerative disease, they’ve found ways to slow its progression — from medication to exercise such as boxing. This year, scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke are studying the effects of a specific diet on Parkinson’s... READ MORE
Volunteer at home to aid COVID research
Sometimes when you enroll in a health study, you have to drive to a hospital or clinic. Or you may have to roll up your sleeves and give blood. What if there was a way to help science just by taking a daily survey at home? If that sounds like the study for you, particularly during a pandemic, consider joining MedStar Health’s COVID-19 Community Research Partnership, which... READ MORE
Recovered from COVID? Help this study
If you’ve had the misfortune of contracting COVID-19 but have made a full recovery, the National Institute on Aging needs your help. A study is under way to learn more about how the body’s immune cells respond to infection of SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Because the virus is new, or novel, “the human population doesn’t have... READ MORE
Study pays volunteers 60+ to exercise
What’s the best way to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease? It might be by exercising several days a week. If that sounds daunting, consider enrolling in a study at the University of Maryland, which pays you to work out in your home for four hours a week. The Exercise for Brain Health — Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease study (E4BH-FAD) began in early 2019, but had to cancel... READ MORE
