Early Alzheimer's Research Doesn't Mean You Should Hibernate Like a Bear

British researchers who studied how bears’ brains react after hibernation may have found a clue toward treatment and cures for Alzheimer’s disease.

“What the investigators noticed was when bears hibernated, the connections between nerves slowed down,” says Paul Wright, MD, chairman of neurology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and LIJ Medical Center in New Hyde Park. “And when the connections between the nerves slowed down, there was a protein that was manifested. So what researchers then said is, ‘What is the role of this protein and having the bears come back to where they were before?’”

So this protein may be part of a potential cure for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. This research is still in its early stages.

For people who are concerned about their family history of Alzheimer’s disease or they feel as if they have the disease, they should seek medical attention, Dr. Wright says. Some things people can do to ward off Alzheimer’s or slow its progression include mental stimulation activities such as crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, Sodoku and learning a new language, depending on the person’s abilities and interests.

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