Behavior: Case Studies

Alzheimer's disease

A dropped name. A forgotten fact. The creeping dementia of Alzheimer's begins with unremarkable forgetfulness, but ultimately robs the mind of its control of the body.

By the mid-1990s, research was beginning to suggest that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen could reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. To test that theory, Peter P. Zandi, John C.S. Breitner, James Anthony, and colleagues turned to the people of Cache County, Utah. Mostly Mormons, the residents lead a healthy lifestyle and have some of the longest life expectancies in the United States—78 years for men, 82 for women. That makes them excellent subjects for the study of a disease with onset late in life. 

Ninety percent of Cache County’s over-65 residents—5,092 people—volunteered for the study when it began in 1995. Researchers assessed the subjects’ mental status and collected genetic samples, medical and work histories, medication usage, and other information on each. Follow-up interviews were done in 1998 and 2003. The research showed that regularly taking anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 40 percent to 50 percent. Below: Even without Alzheimer’s, older adults fear the loss of mental acuity.

Ginkgo biloba

For centuries, Chinese herbalists have believed that the herb Ginkgo biloba improves mental powers. Alternative medicine practitioners in the West agreed—which raised the question: Could it help prevent Alzheimer’s? The Bloomberg School’s Center on Aging and Health is helping to find out, by participating in the national Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM). With 3,000 subjects aged 75 years and older, the controlled trial is studying the herb’s potential to prevent dementia and cognitive decline in older adults. GEM is supported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Guns

“The 4-year-old went to his mother’s night table, pulled out a gun and, for reasons nobody will ever know, pointed it at the 2-year-old and shot and killed him... If you can make an aspirin bottle that a little kid can’t open, why would anyone make a gun that a 4-year-old can operate?” —Stephen P. Teret, Public Health Lawyer

Frontal lobes

There’s a reason parents wince when teenagers drive. Recent research shows the BRAIN'S frontal lobes—responsible for planning and anticipating consequences—undergo a wave of development during adolescence. “The brakes of the brain are really in flux during that period,” says PhD candidate Sara Johnson (right), who hopes to translate the research into ways to prevent injuries to teens.