Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington's disease, have no known cure. Interventions such as a healthy diet and regular exercise have in place been widely encouraged in order to delay onset or slow progression of symptoms. Yoga is one form of physical exercise that has been shown to positively impact the neuromorphology in the brain by increasing gray matter volume and stimulating the hippocampus to lower stress levels and improve memory retention. This review focuses on the effects of Yoga practice on the brain and its potential as a productive, noninvasive, and affordable practice for brain stimulation that could impact incurable neurodegenerative diseases.
Parkinson’s disease is an age-associated neurodegenerative disease that affects about 572/100,000 North Americans ages 45 and older. Typical treatment of symptoms includes dopaminergic medications, such as Levodopa; however, some patients cannot tolerate the side effects or do not experience symptom reduction. In these cases, more invasive treatments must be considered by treating clinicians. This review aims to evaluate the current evidence for proper treatment parameters for gait impairment, with particular focus on subthalamic deep brain stimulation—an invasive yet effective treatment for the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
“Imagine someone has taken your brain and it’s an old file cabinet and spread all the files over the floor, and you have to put things back together,” describes Greg O’Brian, an award-winning political writer who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2010. The disorienting feeling described by O’Brian in an interview with Medical Daily is familiar for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease ...
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a terminal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline. As the most common cause of dementia, AD affects over 24 million people worldwide, and this number is only expected to increase due to greater life expectancies. Although this disease affects a great number of people, there is currently much that remains unknown about it ...
A group of researchers studying brain cells have found a new potential target for pharmacological therapies that may help treat Alzheimer’s disease. Beta amyloid plaque, which appears to be a toxic build up of fragments of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the brain, has long been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and has been one of the major targets for Alzheimer’s treatment ...
