Monday, October 15, 2007

Health Tips for October 15

Health Tip: Baby Steps

Ever wonder at what age infants recognize that tools can make difficult or impossible tasks easier?

The psychology department at the University of Dundee in Scotland conducted a simple test with a number of infants. Researchers placed a towel on the floor, and put a toy on the far end of the towel. They wanted to see how old each infant had to be before he or she was smart enough to pull on the towel in order to get the toy.

As reported in the journal Developmental Behavior, infants discovered the use of tools earlier than you might think. In fact, most learned they could get the toy by pulling on the towel by the age of 6 months.

Health Tip: Symptoms of Depression in Alzheimer's Patients

People with Alzheimer's disease sometimes suffer from depression, often when they begin to understand their loss of memory.

The symptoms of depression may make it even more difficult for Alzheimer's patients to function.

The American Academy of Physicians lists these common warning signs:

* No desire to participate in any activities, or even to move around.
* Talking about feeling worthless or very sad.
* Not eating, and significant weight loss.
* Excessive sleeping, or not sleeping at all.
* Crying or being very emotional.
* Getting very angry or agitated.

No comments: