Maintaining good mental health means keeping brain, body engaged

INDIANAPOLIS – So it’s a day off from work. How about reading book, starting a new hobby, spending some time with friends over dinner or visiting an art museum? If you do any of those things, you could be doing your brain a favor.

That’s because certain kinds of activities appear to help maintain brain health throughout life. And it’s never too early — or too late — to give your brain a boost, said Steven Rumble, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist with St. Francis Outpatient Behavioral Health Services.

Rumble routinely tests referred patients for cognitive problems related to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or major depression in older adults.

“Brain health is a lifelong pursuit,” Rumble said. “and it should have the same priority as cardiac health.”

Based on the best available evidence for preserving brain health, the Alzheimer’s Association and other experts offer these suggestions:

Control risk factors. Keep your body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels within recommended ranges. All of these are risk factors for heart disease, stroke and diabetes — diseases that may increase the chances for Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Choose a brain-healthy diet. Good choices include foods low in fat and cholesterol, cold-water fish, and foods rich in antioxidants.

Pump it up. Because exercise stimulates blood flow, it may encourage new brain cells. Whatever you can do — even walking a few blocks daily — is better than doing nothing, Rumble said.

Avoid brain-damaging habits. Don’t smoke or use illegal drugs or misuse prescription medication.

Put your mind to work. Your brain benefits most when you try a variety of activities that differ in frequency, intensity and social setting. For example, read, write, or work crossword or other puzzles. Play games or plant a garden. Attend lectures, classes and plays.

Maintain social connections. Studies have found that participating in sports and cultural activities and close, positive personal relationships that provide emotional support tend to protect against dementia and negative effects of chronic
depression.

Learn as much as you can. People who have academic accomplishments and intellectually challenging jobs may be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s, Rumble said. And if they do develop dementia, it may occur later in life.

To learn more about St. Francis Outpatient Behavioral Health Services, go to http://www.franciscanalliance.org/hospitals/indianapolis/services/behavioral-health.

St. Francis research venture shows promise in diagnosing diseases

INDIANAPOLIS – New technology discovered and developed by a researcher at St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers could lead to improved standards for the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases as well as new biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, and future risk assessments for cancer and diabetes.

That is the goal of the recently established company, Redox-Reactive Reagents (3R), whose aim is to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases. The company is a partnership between the Hospital and Dr. John McIntyre, director of the HLA-Vascular Biology Laboratory at St. Francis.

McIntyre, an internationally recognized immunology research expert, recently received a patent for the technology used to produce redox-reactive autoantibodies from normally occurring antibodies. Autoantibodies are types of antibodies that attack parts of the body and tissues, and which can lead to a variety of autoimmune diseases.

“No one else in the world previously had been aware of these antibodies’ existence,” McIntyre said. “This is a very fundamental-level discovery with potentially vast implications for our understanding of the previously unknown functions associated with the immune system.”

3R is working in collaboration with several companies to produce positive controls and calibrators and other specialty products for diagnostic kit manufacturers.

“3R’s line of products will make it easier for manufacturers to reliably supply test kits with positive controls and calibrators for the autoimmune disease-testing market,” said Robert J. Brody, president and CEO of St. Francis Hospital. “The 3R partnership represents a significant move for St. Francis in becoming a key player in the life sciences industry.”

Current 3R research includes the development of biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, and establishing screening profiles for identifying at-risk individuals in cancer and type 1 diabetes. McIntyre said ongoing collaborations may enable the company to unveil a first commercial product in 2008.

“Imagine the ability to identify Alzheimer’s in its early stages, effectively monitor the efficacy of treatments, then plot the progress of the disease allowing a patient and physician to seek optimal treatments,” said McIntyre, who holds an adjunct professorship in the Department of Biology at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis.

Further down the road, the company will explore the potential for creating therapies for autoimmune diseases. Research also could lead to uses such as immune supplementation of infant formula. Research has shown already that veterinary applications of this technology mirrors that ascribed to human use.

Science advisor to 3R is Dawn R. Wagenknecht. M.S., who also manages the HLA-Vascular Biology Lab. More information about the lab is at http://www.stfrancishospitals.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=62.

3R received seed funding from the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. of Mishawaka, Ind. St. Francis Hospital is part of a network of 13 growing hospital campuses in Indiana and Illinois owned and operated by SSFHS, one of the largest health-care systems in Indiana.