Sniffing out Alzheimer’s A peanut-butter smell test could help diagnose the neurodegenerative disease in its early stages.

In a small pilot study of patients displaying signs of cognitive decline, researchers at the McKnight Brain Institute Center for Smell and Taste and the University of Florida (UF) found that peanut butter can help identify those with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder often accompanied by a loss of smell.

Continue the story here:
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/37842/title/Sniffing-out-Alzheimer-s/

Walk Through Green Space Could Help Put Brain In State Of Meditation, Study Finds

Entering a more 'zen' mindset could be as easy as taking a walk in the park, according to a small new study.

New research from scientists at Heriot-Watt University in the U.K. conducted mobile brain electrical activity testing on volunteers to find that the brain enters a meditative state whengoing through green spaces.

The findings have "implications for promoting urban green space as a mood-enhancing environment for walking or for other forms of physical or reflective activity," they wrote in the study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Story continues here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/29/green-space-meditation-brain-walk-park_n_2964199.html?utm_hp_ref=gps-mindfulness-research

5 Things a Caregiver Should Know

There is a lot of information out there about how to be a cancer patient. Drink this. Inject that. Have this surgery. Stay away from these.

There's no guidebook giving instructions on how to be a caregiver. There are no physician consultations to tell you what the next step is in how to provide moral, physical, and emotional support to the person you love that has just been diagnosed with a possibly fatal disease. There are no rules about caring for yourself.

Story continues here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-sewell/caregiver-tips_b_3991691.html?utm_hp_ref=gps-for-the-soul&ir=GPS%20for%20the%20Soul

Organizing your medical info can save your life — literally!

If you have chronic illness(es) or are a caregiver, we believe this post is worth the read.  This is a true story, and while we hope no one ever experiences the same thing, we wish to help others prepare for any difficult situation that might arise.

http://organizemeny.com/organized-medical-information-can-lifesaver-literally/

Obamacare Is Now Live

Researchmatch ......A secure place for volunteers and researchers to get connected.

ResearchMatch has a simple goal – to bring together two groups of people who are looking for one another: (1) people who are trying to find research studies, and (2) researchers who are looking for people to participate in their studies. It is a free and secure registry that has been developed by major academic institutions across the country who want to involve you in the mission of helping today’s studies make a real difference for everyone’s health in the future.
https://www.researchmatch.org/

Obamacare Launches Today -- What Happens Now?

Obamacare is here.

Nearly 1,300 days after President Barack Obama signed his signature health care reform program into law, its most important feature finally takes effect. Americans are about to get their first hint of whether Obamacare will work for the 48 million people who lack health insurance and the millions more who buy coverage on their own.

Beginning on Tuesday and through March 31, consumers will be able to use a new system to buy health coverage: online insurance exchanges in each state, accessible via HealthCare.gov, that let people compare plans and learn whether they qualify for financial help.

Obamacare guarantees everyone access to coverage, whether they're sick, healthy, young or old. It establishes a baseline set of benefits and stronger consumer protections. And it offers low- and middle-income people help paying for coverage.

Continue reading here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/obamacare-launch_n_4013753.html