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When it comes to Alzheimer's disease, head size may offer protection against progressing symptoms, according to a recent study published in the journal Neurology.

The study, conduced by researchers at the Technical University of Munich in Germany, found that Alzheimer's disease patients with the largest craniums had less brain atrophy and less advanced dementia and scored better on memory and cognitive skill tests than those study participants with smaller skulls.

One reason, speculated the researchers, may be because larger brains have more cognitive power in reserve, although it's not certain that head and brain size and progressing Alzheimer's symptoms are linked.

The scientists studied the medical records of 270 Alzheimer's disease patients from the United States, Canada, Germany, and Greece. The patients had all been given memory and cognitive skill tests as well as an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan of their brains to measure the extent of their disease determined by the amount of cell death found. The patients' head size was then taken using a tape measure.

The study results showed that patients with larger heads performed better on the memory and thinking tests even though they had the same degree of disease as their smaller head counterparts.

Staying Brain Healthy
Although the causes of Alzheimer's disease-the most common form of dementia-are unknown, risk factors for the ailment include a family history of the disease and aging. While you can't change those risk factors, there are many things you can do to keep your brain healthy as you age.

The Alzheimer's Association offers these suggestions:

• Stay physically active.
  Physical exercise helps maintain good blood flow to the brain and encourages the growth of new brain cells. Staying active also reduces your chances for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, giving you further protection against those risk factors for Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. Try getting 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a day, such as walking, bicycling, or gardening.
• Eat a brain-healthy diet.
  Research is suggesting a link between high levels of cholesterol and an increased risk for stroke and brain cell damage. Eating a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet can help you stay brain fit. Increasing evidence is showing that a diet high in antioxidants found in dark vegetables and fruits may protect brain cells.
• Stretch your brain.
  Participating in mentally stimulating activities str...

Alzheimer's disease is commonly thought of as an old-person's affliction. And it's true that the vast majority of cases occur in people age 65 and older. But did you know that up to five percent of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's are only in their forties and fifties when it strikes?

Known as early-onset Alzheimer's, this middle-aged disease affects about 200,000 people in the U.S. alone.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are a few specific differences between early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer's.

People diagnosed with Alzheimer's in their forties and fifties:

• May have greater microscopic damage in the brain such as twisted nerve cell fibers and plaques.
• May decline more quickly than older Alzheimer's sufferers.
• May experience myoclonus, which is muscle twitches and spasms, more than older people.
• Often experience the disease because of a genetic chromosomal defect.

Although Alzheimer's disease is difficult no matter what the age of the person affected, it brings special obstacles to people who are in the prime of life.

Unlike the elderly, who are the typical Alzheimer's sufferers, middle-aged people may:

• Still have children at home who depend on them.
• Have thriving careers.
• Be enjoying a newly empty nest with their spouse as children grow and go off to college.
• Be looking ahead to retirement and planning a life of travel or volunteer work or simply relaxing.
• Be caring for elderly parents with Alzheimer's or other health conditions.

If you're worried because you constantly misplace your keys, ask yourself if this is a new issue or you've always been absent minded. Also, minor forgetfulness is unlikely to be an indicator of Alzheimer's.

What are some red flags?

• Difficulty performing familiar tasks: While you may misplace your keys, forgetting how to use them should send up alarms.
• Memory loss: It's normal to be unable to remember the names of people you just met at a party. Forgetting the names ...