A new report from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania tackles the ethical and logistical challenges of safely and effectively communicating a diagnosis of pre-clinical Alzheimer's disease in light of the gulf between diagnosis and treatment.
People with high cholesterol may have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the September 13, 2011, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Any exercise that gets the heart pumping may reduce the risk of dementia and slow the condition’s progression once it starts, reported a Mayo Clinic study published this month in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Researchers examined the role of aerobic exercise in preserving cognitive abilities and concluded that it should not be overlooked as an important therapy against dementia.
Many common signs of aging, such as shaking hands, stooped posture and walking slower, may be due to tiny blocked vessels in the brain that can’t be detected by current technology.
Nerve cells that regulate everything from heart muscle to salivary glands send out projections known as axons to their targets. By way of these axonal processes, neurons control target function and receive molecular signals from targets that return to the cell body to support cell survival. Now, Johns Hopkins researchers have revealed a molecular mechanism that allows a signal from the target to return to the cell body and fulfill its neuron-sustaining mission.
A brain imaging scan identifies biochemical changes in the brains of normal people who might be at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, according to research published in the August 24, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Moderate social drinking significantly reduces the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, according to an analysis of 143 studies by Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researchers.
A new study suggests that the relationship between brain shrinkage and memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease changes across the age spectrum. The research is published in the August 10, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Scientists from Durin Technologies and the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine have developed a blood test that detects specific antibodies in the blood that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with unprecedented accuracy. The test has a sensitivity of 96 percent and a specificity of 92.5 percent.
Chimpanzees, the closest living relatives to humans, do not experience a decrease in brain volume as they age like humans do, according to a study by George Washington University researcher Chet Sherwood and his colleagues.
An existing anti-seizure drug improves memory and brain function in adults with a form of cognitive impairment that often leads to full-blown Alzheimer's disease, a Johns Hopkins University study has found.
Inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease may be detectable as many as 20 years before problems with memory and thinking develop, scientists will report July 20, 2011, at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease in Paris.
Experts from the Center of Excellence on Brain Aging at NYU Langone Medical Center will present new research at the 2011 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease to be held in Paris, France from July 16 – 21. Of particular interest is the presentation about mild cognitive impairment in retired football players, with Stella Karantzoulis, PhD, and the selected “Hot Topics” presentation about a new experimental approach to targeting amyloid plaques, with Fernando Goni, PhD.
Falls and balance problems may be early indicators of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reported July 17, 2011, at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease in Paris.
In a new study, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggest that Alzheimer’s disease-like neurodegeneration may be initiated or accelerated following a single traumatic brain injury, even in young adults.
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified how a gene for a protein that can cause Type 2 diabetes, also possibly kills nerve cells in the brain, thereby contributing to Alzheimer’s disease.
Retired NFL football players are at higher risk for mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to Alzheimer's disease, a Loyola University Health System study has found. A screening survey of 513 retired players and their wives found that 35 percent of the players had scores suggesting possible mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Researchers have discovered a new gene mutation they say causes Parkinson’s disease. The mutation was identified in a large Swiss family with Parkinson’s disease, using advanced DNA sequencing technology.
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that grape seed polyphenols—a natural antioxidant—may help prevent the development or delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Improving and maintaining health factors not traditionally associated with dementia, such as denture fit, vision and hearing, may lower a person’s risk for developing dementia, according to a new study published in the July 13, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Connecting a human gene to the risk of developing the Alzheimer’s precondition known as Mild Cognitive Impairment has been somewhat of a holy grail for scientists, but a team led by researchers from Cornell University has ended the quest.
When is it appropriate to perform genetic testing for Alzheimer disease (AD), and what information do patients need to understand their risk? The June issue of Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) presents a new practice guideline on genetic counseling and testing for AD.
New research provides the best evidence to date that the late-day anxiety and agitation sometimes seen in older institutionalized adults, especially those with dementia, has a biological basis in the brain.
A new biomarker may help identify which people with mild memory deficits will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published in the June 22, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The biomarker may be more accurate than the currently established biomarkers.
Two studies featuring research from Weill Cornell Medical College have uncovered surprising details about the complex process that leads to the flow of neurotransmitters between brain neurons -- a dance of chemical messages so delicate that missteps often lead to neurological dysfunction.
An international research team, co-led by scientists at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Florida, have discovered three potential susceptibility genes for development of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes symptoms similar to those of Parkinson’s disease but is resistant to Parkinson’s medications. Their report is being published online June 19 in Nature Genetics.
In one of the first studies of its kind, UCLA researchers used a unique brain scan to assess the levels of plaques and tangles — the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease — in adults with Down syndrome. The finding may offer an additional clinical tool to help diagnose dementia in adults with Down syndrome. Adults with this disorder develop Alzheimer's-like plaque and tangle deposits early, often before the age of 40.
Obesity is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, but weight loss due to bariatric surgery may reduce the risk of this common dementia, a new study suggests. The results will be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society’s 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.
A drug already approved for people with cancer shows early potential as a therapy for a common form of dementia, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the Medical University of South Carolina and American Life Science Pharmaceuticals of San Diego have demonstrated that oral administration of a cysteine protease inhibitor, E64d, not only reduces the build-up of β-amyloid in the brains of animal models for Alzheimer’s disease, but also results in a substantial improvement in memory deficit.
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have published new data on why the aging brain is less resilient and less capable of learning from life experiences. The findings provide further insight into the cognitive decline associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Scientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research discovered a molecule called c-Abl that has a known role in leukemia also has a hand in Alzheimer’s disease.
African-Americans who have multiple sclerosis (MS) have lower vitamin D levels than African-Americans who don’t have the disease, according to a study published in the May 24, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. However, most of the difference in vitamin D levels was due to differences in climate and geography.
A new study suggests more than half of people who develop Alzheimer’s disease before the age of 60 are initially misdiagnosed as having other kinds of brain disease when they do not have memory problems. The research is published in the May 17, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Researchers at UCLA have identified a gene, possessed by 88 percent of Caucasians, that impairs the development of myelin (the protective covering around the neuron's axons in the brain) in the young, making it weaker and more vulnerable to the onset of Alzheimer's much later in life.
The Einstein Aging Study, which examines both normal brain aging and the special challenges of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, has recently received a renewal grant of $11 million from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging to continue its work. Richard B. Lipton, M.D., the Lotti and Bernard Benson Faculty Scholar in Alzheimer’s Disease and professor and vice chair of The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, will continue to lead an interdisciplinary team of researchers and health care professionals working to discover dementia’s causes and potential therapies.
According to a new study, being overweight or obese during middle age may increase the risk of certain dementias. The research is published in the May 3, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Higher levels of cell chatter boost amyloid beta in the brain regions that Alzheimer’s hits first, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report. Amyloid beta is the main ingredient of the plaque lesions that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
According to research conducted at Rush University Medical Center, frequent social activity may help to prevent or delay cognitive decline in old age. The study has just been posted online in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.
Researchers at the University of Kentucky are working on what could result in a diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease, based on biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid.
As the nation’s population ages, so do the tens of thousands of caregivers for those stricken with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Experts say it’s just as important to take care of yourself as it is to give Alzheimer’s support to a loved one.
Paul Eshelman, professor of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University, comments on intervention strategies for earlier stages of Alzheimer’s Disease identified by the Alzheimer’s Association’s new guidelines for diagnosis.
Areas of the brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease may start shrinking up to a decade before dementia is diagnosed, according to a new study published in the April 13, 2011, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).
Treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other vascular risk factors may help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people who already show signs of declining thinking skills or memory problems. The research is published in the April 13, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Subtle differences in brain anatomy among older individuals with normal cognitive skills may be able to predict both the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in the following decade and how quickly symptoms of dementia would develop.