Matt Kwong is a freelance writer for Alzlive.com based in Toronto, Ontario and Atlanta, Georgia. His work has also appeared in The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s magazine and CBCNews.ca. Reach him via Twitter at @matt_kwong or by email at kwong.matt@gmail.com.
Matt Kwong is a freelance writer for Alzlive.com based in Toronto, Ontario and Atlanta, Georgia. His work has also appeared in The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s magazine and CBCNews.ca. Reach him via Twitter at @matt_kwong or by email at kwong.matt@gmail.com.
Articles by Matt Kwong
Article: United States
Give enough care, earn some credit
by MATT KWONG
That's the basis of Social Security Caregiver Credit Act 2014. George Vradenburg of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s says Alzheimer's is “the sinkhole of the 21st century.” "Give enough care, earn some credit" will be the new model for Social Security if U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey has her way. She…
Article: Doctor
NMDA receptor antagonist
by MATT KWONG
What is an example of an NMDA receptor antagonist? The only drug in this newer class of Alzheimer’s disease drugs is Memantine, which is commonly marketed as Namenda or Ebixa. The FDA approved its use in 2003. The drug comes in pill form, to be taken twice a day. How NMDA receptor antagonist works:…
Article: Doctor
How well do these drugs work?
by MATT KWONG
It’s hard to say, mostly because Alzheimer’s disease is a “moving target” as far as how quickly it can progress. Rather than stop the clock from ticking, “what these drugs do is more like turning the clock back, than waiting as the clock keeps ticking at a normal pace,” explained Dr. William…
Article: Doctor
Dementia Drugs: What You Need To Know
by MATT KWONG
The latest innovation in Alzheimer's meds is just that — late. So much so that a novel treatment has failed to materialize in more than a decade. Developers hunting for a new, effective medication for treating Alzheimer’s are experiencing the longest dry spell since the introduction of Tacrine in…
Article: Body
Sniffles mean double trouble for caregiver and charge
by MATT KWONG
If you’re caring for Alzheimer’s or dementia patients, care for yourself first, doctors warn; especially at this time of year, when the shift from summer to fall tends to give way to seasonal sniffles. Everyday infections such as the common cold, a stomach bug, upper respiratory infection or urinary…
Article: Doctor
What about alternative treatments?
by MATT KWONG
Dr. Norman Relkin, director of the memory disorders program at Cornell University's Weill Medical College, noted that a “medical food” marketed as Axona is becoming popular. Axona, while approved by the FDA, is not a drug and has “not been vetted for efficacy; only for safety,” Relkin noted.…
Article: Home
Cue the Memory Cards
by MATT KWONG
One of the cruelest effects of Alzheimer's Disease and some other forms of dementia is the inability to express wants and needs. "The way Alzheimer's progresses, it starts off affecting the brain's hippocampus region, which is involved in short-term memory and language processing,"…
Article: Doctor
Cholinesterase inhibitors
by MATT KWONG
Examples of cholinesterase inhibitors All three drugs are widely available and are taken orally, although Rivastigmine is also available in patch form. (The generic drug name is listed first and the brand-marketed name is in parentheses.) Donepezil (Aricept) Galantamine (Razadyne) Rivastigmine (Exelon)…
Article: Routines
Try the Blue Plate Special, when Mom Won't Eat
by MATT KWONG
When managing appetites among Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers might want to consider what’s under the food as well as what’s in it. Supporting the expression that “we eat with our eyes,” Boston University researchers in 2004 found that meals served on top of brightly colored plates prompted…
Article: Body Science
The bilingual brain: A mental two-timer
by MATT KWONG
The good news: Speaking a second language keeps Alzheimer’s at bay. The bad news: Bilingualism makes it harder to test for the disease. The bilingual brain is a mental two-timer. One moment it appears faithful to a native tongue; the next, it’s summoning a second language like it’s a mistress…