Being studied

In the EdBiz (as Tom Lehrer once put it) we get used to studies as something we do or something we assign others to do. But now that we're retired persons in a city with a major university and medical school, we find that there are opportunities to be the object of study. Sounds grim, I guess, but not really.

Judy and I are now in a study of ageing and memory that looks at memory processes and, at the same time, will give us a longitudinal look at our own memories. We certainly experience enough "what IS that word?" moments to make us wonder sometimes, and this is a simple study that just requires us to take a few memory tests.

I'm also in a study of vascular function and cognition, looking at relations between how the functioning of our vascular system and our cognitive systems are related. This is a more complex study and will involve some blood and MRI studies as well as cognitive testing.

There are three reasons we like to do this sort of thing. One is that we believe it contributes to knowledge and science. A second is that we always learn something from them. And a third is that there is generally a modest stipend for contributing (though not always; a study I did a year ago paid almost exactly enough for parking and gasoline).

And, of course, it gives me something to write about in the blog when the days are slow...

Ginkgo

We've been taking ginkgo daily in the hope that it will help our memory as we grow older. It's not clear that it's helping me -- names and nouns are getting harder and harder to dredge out of my memory -- but with a sample of size one it's difficult to say anything for sure. Randy Brown, our son on Judy's side, once commented that in Los Angeles, ginko bottles come with the instruction "Take one a half hour before thinking." So you can draw any conclusions you want about the value of ginkgo as a supplement.

And so, apparently, can researchers, based on an Oregon State University study. If you look at a UPI report, a Newsweek article, or a supplement industry newsletter, all reporting on the same study, you get mixed results. The overall results are apparently relatively negative, but with some inconclusive evidence that regular use might be helpful and a general "need more study" feeling. But ... what was I saying? I forget.

Signs of a stroke

This was passed to me by a friend (Hi, John) and I thought that perhaps this blog would be a good medium to pass along the message. This isn't just for persons of a certain age (like us); younger people need to know it as well, especially if you're often around people and might encounter someone who is having a stroke.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke .

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE coherently (i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

And one other sign of a stroke -- Stick out Your Tongue
Ask the person to stick out his or her tongue. If the tongue is crooked, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.