Of mice, men and coffee...

I am returning to blogging after a few days vacation followed by the hospitalization of my mother...Will the reactions of little mice with induced Alzheimer's disease ring true for humans, too? A recent study fed the equivalent of 500 milligrams of caffeine to mice who had the same memory changes as those seen in Alzheimer's disease, according to a CBS News report and the San Francisco Chronicle. The researchers said the caffeine, roughly equivalent to five cups of coffee in humans, had a positive effect on memory and thinking actions over a two-month period. The brains of the mice receiving caffeine also showed a 50% reduction in the protein that contributes to dementia. This could mean that caffeine can reverse Alzheimer's progress, although more research is needed to obtain definitive results. The studies appeared in the July 5 online edition of the Journal of Alzheimer's Association.