State Roundup: N.Y. Drug Pricing, Vermont Hospital Ads, Massachusetts Nursing Homes And Anti-Psychotics

Poughkeepsie Journal: A new report on New York drug prices, "issued by the New York Public Interest Research Group, Consumers Union, the Center for Medical Consumers and AARP, looked at the price of the 10 most popular drugs found in the state's pharmacies provided through a Freedom of Information Law request...

Alzheimer’s Association Honors Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue With Humanitarian Award

Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue is the recipient of the Alzheimer's Association's 2010 Humanitarian Award. The award is given each year to a public official who has made a significant contribution to help those who are struggling with Alzheimer's disease...

African-Americans And Hispanics More Likely To Have Alzheimer’s Disease And Dementia Than Whites

According to the Alzheimer's Association's® 2010 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, African-Americans are about two times more likely and Hispanics are about one and one-half times more likely than their white counterparts to have Alzheimer's and other dementias...

Has The Clock Struck 12 For Dimebon?

The Cinderella story eventually has a happy ending, but to revelers in the Dimebon story right now the time must feel like five past midnight. Some scientists have considered the sudden transformation of a modest hay fever medicine from Russia into the latest star in the AD drug development arena as a bit of a fairy tale all along...

Technology And Positive Attitudes Improving Older People’s Lives

The population of the UK is ageing. Sixteen per cent of the UK population is 65 or older, and for the first time, there are more people over the age of 65 than there are under the age of 18. This raises a lot of questions on issues such as pension provision, health care and wellbeing...

Major Depression More Than Doubles Risk Of Dementia Among Adults With Diabetes

Adults who have both diabetes and major depression are more than twice as likely to develop dementia, compared to adults with diabetes only, according to a study published in the recent Journal of General Internal Medicine. Dementia is the progressive decline of thinking and reasoning abilities...

Alzforum’s 5-Part Series On Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative

The field is abuzz with the word "prevention," but how to pull off this vaunted goal? It's been held back by a strange Catch-22 of cost, time, and biomarker validation. That might change with a bold initiative led by Eric Reiman, Pierre Tariot, and others at the Banner Alzheimer's Institute...

Scientists Find New Form Of Prion Disease That Damages Brain Arteries

WHAT: National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists investigating how prion diseases destroy the brain have observed a new form of the disease in mice that does not cause the sponge-like brain deterioration typically seen in prion diseases. Instead, it resembles a form of human Alzheimer's disease, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, that damages brain arteries...

New Prion Disease Damages Brain Arteries

A team of scientists from the US and the UK have found a new type of prion disease in mice that damages brain arteries and may help us better understand and treat types of Alzheimer's disease that cause similar damage. You can read a scientific paper about the discovery in the 5 March online issue of the journal PLoS Pathogens...

Pfizer And Medivation Announce Results From Two Phase 3 Studies In Dimebon (latrepirdine) Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Development Program

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and Medivation, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDVN) announced results from two Phase 3 trials of the investigational drug dimebon (latrepirdine*) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the CONNECTION trial, dimebon did not meet its co-primary or secondary efficacy endpoints compared to placebo. Co-primary endpoints were measures of cognition and global function...

Testing The Ability Of Embedded Sensors To Detect Onset Of Dementia, Infirmity

Carnegie Mellon University researchers in the Quality of Life Technology Center (QoLTC) will embed wireless sensors in the residences of about 50 older adults who live alone to see if they can detect subtle changes in everyday activities that indicate the onset of dementia or physical infirmities...

Mount Sinai School Of Medicine And Medisyn Technologies Discover Novel Compounds For Alzheimer’s Treatment

In an announcement today, Mount Sinai School of Medicine (MSSM) and Medisyn Technologies, Inc...

Clues To The Role Of Brain Plaques Typical In Alzheimer’s Patients

A study from EPFL's (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) Laboratory of Neuroenergetics and Cellular Dynamics in Lausanne Switzerland, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, may lead to new forms of treatment following a better understanding of how Amyloid-Beta found in cerebral plaques, typically present in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, may lead to neurodegeneration...

Nell McAndrew To Lead Team Alzheimer’s Society In Bupa Great North Run

Model and presenter Nell McAndrew is calling for people to join her in raising money for people with dementia by running for Alzheimer's Society, Bupa's nominated charity. Nell's grandad, Sam, was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and she will be running in honour of him...

Negative Phase III Trial Results For Latrepirdine (Dimebon)

"The Alzheimer's Association is disappointed to learn of the negative results from the Phase III clinical trial of latrepirdine (Dimebon)," said William Thies, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association Chief Medical and Scientific Officer. "People with Alzheimer's, their families and caregivers desperately need more and better treatment options for this devastating, fatal brain disease...

New Model For Testing Anti-Alzheimer’s Drugs: At A Pier Near You

Alzheimer's disease affects an estimated 27 million people worldwide. It is the most common form of age-related dementia, possibly the most feared disease of old age. There is no cure, and the available drugs only help to relieve symptoms without slowing progression of the disease...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Purpose Of Life Scores Reducing Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Greater purpose of life could significantly reduce a person's chance of developing Alzheimer's disease according to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Researchers in Chicago measured purpose of life of 951 older people who did not have dementia over an average of four years...

New Explanation For The Spread Of Key Protein Within The Brain, Suggesting New Ways To Diagnose And Treat Alzheimer’s

UMass Lowell Researchers' Findings Suggest New Ways to Diagnose and Treat Alzheimer's: Uncovers New Explanation for the Spread of Key Protein Within the Brain. A team of researchers at UMass Lowell has found a new mechanism by which a key protein associated with Alzheimer's disease can spread within the human brain...

New Ways To Diagnose And Treat Alzheimer’s Suggested By UMass Lowell Researchers’ Findings

A team of researchers at UMass Lowell has found a new mechanism by which a key protein associated with Alzheimer's disease can spread within the human brain. The research, led by UMass Lowell biological sciences professor Garth Hall, gives new hope that the disease may someday be cured...

Neuroimaging Technique Supports Reduction In Amyloid-Beta In Brains Of Patients Suffering From Alzheimer’s Disease Treated With Bapineuzumab

Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) announced that findings from a Phase II study which suggested bapineuzumab reduced amyloid-beta deposits in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients as measured using a neuroimaging technique known as [11C]PiB PET, were published in the February 28, 2010 online edition of Lancet Neurology...

Having Greater Purpose In Life Associated With A Reduced Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Individuals who report having greater purpose in their lives appear less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease or its precursor, mild cognitive impairment, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals...

Vision Of Shared Prevention Trials Lures Pharma To Table

On 26 January 2010, at an ordinary airport hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, an extraordinary gathering unfolded. High-level representatives of 19 different pharma, biotech, and medical companies from across the U.S. and Europe businesses that compete fiercely for the same market spent the entire day cooped up in one room...

According To 90+ Study Dementia In Extreme Elderly Population Expected To Become Epidemic

University of California researchers found that the incidence rate for all causes of dementia in people age 90 and older is 18.2% annually and significantly increases with age in both men and women. This research, called "The 90+ Study," is one of only a few to examine dementia in this age group, and the first to have sufficient participation of centenarians...

Immunosuppressive Drug Rescues Learning, Memory In Alzheimer’s Mouse Model

Rapamycin, a drug that keeps the immune system from attacking transplanted organs, may have another exciting use: fighting Alzheimer's disease. Rapamycin rescued learning and memory deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's, a team from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio...

National Alzheimer’s Project Act

As the leading voluntary health and advocacy organization in Alzheimer care, support and research, the Alzheimer's Association commends Senators Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) for their recognition of the escalating Alzheimer threat...

Results Of Pilot Study Published In Journal Of Alzheimer’s Disease Reveal That Meditation Improves Cognition In Those With Memory Loss

The Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation announced data demonstrating that a specific meditation performed daily for eight weeks increased brain activity in areas central to memory and actually improved cognition in patients suffering from memory problems...

Napping Boosts Brain Power

Researchers in the US found that napping boosts brain power by clearing out the brain's temporary storage space so it can absorb new information: they also propose that this clearing out process happens during a specific stage of sleep...

Damaged Protein Identified As Early Diagnostic Biomarker For Alzheimer’s Disease In Healthy Adults

Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have found that elevated cerebrospinal fluid levels of phosphorylated tau231 (P-tau231), a damaged tau protein found in patients with Alzheimer's disease, may be an early diagnostic biomarker for Alzheimer's disease in healthy adults...

Leaflet Launched To Help Hospital Staff Improve Care To People With Dementia, UK

Actor Kevin Whately is launching a new Alzheimer's Society leaflet today (Tuesday 23 February) to help tackle poor dementia care in hospitals. 'This is me' can be filled out and given to staff when a person with dementia goes into hospital and provides a 'snapshot' of the person behind the dementia...

Predicting The Progression Of Alzheimer’s

An assessment has been developed which reliably predicts future performance in cognition and activities of daily living for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Alzheimer's Research & Therapy followed 597 patients over 15 years to identify factors associated with slow, intermediate and rapid progression...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On The Care And Support Conference

The Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, held a conference discussing long-term care and support for older people on Friday. Ruth Sutherland, Acting Chief Executive, Alzheimer's Society attended the conference. 'Transforming the crumbling system of who pays for care into one which is transparent, sustainable and fair is a challenge...

Findings Suggest That A Biphasic Sleep Schedule Not Only Refreshes The Mind, But Can Make You Smarter

If you see a student dozing in the library or a co-worker catching 40 winks in her cubicle, don't roll your eyes. New research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that an hour's nap can dramatically boost and restore your brain power. Indeed, the findings suggest that a biphasic sleep schedule not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter...

Two Researchers Awarded $100,000 Potamkin Prize From American Academy Of Neurology

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is awarding its 2010 Potamkin Prize to two researchers for their work in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), a common type of dementia. Bruce L. Miller, MD, and Lennart Mucke, MD, both of the University of California San Francisco will receive the Award during the AAN's 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, April 10 - 17, 2010...

Computer Simulation Of Protein Malfunction Related To Alzheimer’s Disease

The research proposes a three-dimensional model which simulates the interaction between the peptide Amyloid beta and the different forms of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and offers a first molecular base for the comprehension of this phenomenon. Three possible ApoE forms exist in humans: ApoE2, ApoE3 and ApoE4. ApoE3 is the most common form, while ApoE4 is very closely linked to Alzheimer's disease...

VTT Has Developed A Rapid Image Analysis Method To Help Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a method for analysing MR images in just a few minutes when diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. The accuracy of the analysis is comparable to manual measurements made by skilled professionals, which are currently considered the most reliable method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On New Research Into Causes Of Fronto-temporal Dementia, UK

New research published in Nature Genetics has identified two genes located on chromosome 7 and 17 respectively that have variants that increase the risk of fronto-temporal dementia (FTD)...

New Risk Factor For Second-Most-Common Form Of Early-Onset Dementia

Examining brain tissue from over 500 individuals in 11 countries, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues found a new risk factor for the second-most-common cause of early-onset dementia after Alzheimer's disease...

Catching Calcium Waves Could Provide Alzheimer Insights

New insights on what causes Alzheimer's disease could arise from a recent discovery made by bioengineers from the University of California, San Diego. The finding concerns the infamous amyloid beta peptides (Aβ) - fragments of which form plaques thought to play a role in Alzheimer's disease...

OPKO Health Announces Development Of Blood Test For Alzheimer’s Disease

OPKO Health, Inc. (NYSE Amex:OPK) announced the development of a simple diagnostic blood test for Alzheimer's disease. The test, designed to detect elevated levels of antibodies unique to Alzheimer's disease, was approximately 95% accurate in initial testing...

QR Pharma Initiates Clinical Trial For Cognitively Impaired Patients

QR Pharma, Inc. (QR), a developer of novel drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), announced that it began a clinical trial of its lead compound, Posiphen, in early stage AD patients...

Social Security Administration For Adding Early-Onset Alzheimer’s To Its Compassionate Allowances Initiative - Alzheimer’s Association Statement

In its effort to improve and expedite the disability determination process, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that it will add early-onset Alzheimer's disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative...

ExonHit Chosen To Join The European Innovative Medicines Initiative Consortium On Alzheimer’s Disease

ExonHit Therapeutics S.A. (Paris:ALEHT) (Alternext: ALEHT) is pleased to announce that it has been chosen to participate in the European Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) consortium focused on identifying biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (PharmaCog). PharmaCog focuses on translational science and harmonization of research tools...

Feeding Tube Use More Likely At Big, For-Profit Hospitals

Larger, for-profit hospitals may be using too many feeding tubes on patients with advanced dementia without improving the quality of their care, a study finds, according to HealthDay News/Business Week...

Neuroimaging Study May Pave Way For Effective Alzheimer’s Treatments

Scientists have determined that a new instrument known as PIB-PET is effective in detecting deposits of amyloid-beta protein plaques in the brains of living people, and that these deposits are predictive of who will develop Alzheimer's disease...

Assistive Technology Helps Dementia Sufferers Get Through The Day

Tens of millions of elderly people in the EU suffering from mild dementia may be able to look after themselves, and free up their carers, thanks to a new European-developed system. One of the first and most debilitating symptoms of dementia is short-term memory loss, which means care is required for people who are otherwise quite capable of looking after themselves...

Marijuana Ineffective As An Alzheimer’s Treatment: UBC-Vancouver Coastal Health Research

The benefits of marijuana in tempering or reversing the effects of Alzheimer's disease have been challenged in a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute...

Drug Shows Promise For Huntington’s Disease

An early stage clinical trial of the experimental drug dimebon (latrepirdine) in people with Huntington's disease appears to be safe and may improve cognition. That is the conclusion of a study published in the Archives of Neurology...

Age Concern And Help The Aged Comment On Dementia Research, UK

Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director for Age Concern and Help the Aged, said: 'The fact that dementia research remains so disproportionately underfunded will be deeply concerning to older people, their families and anyone who has experienced this cruel disease...

Dementia Costs UK More Than Cancer But Gets Less Research Funding, Report

A new report reveals that the burden of dementia on the UK economy is twice that of cancer, yet dementia research receives one twenty sixth of the money that goes to studying cancer, agreeing with previous studies that concluded dementia research is severely underfunded...

Cigarette Smoking A Risk For Alzheimer’s Disease According To Study

A UCSF analysis of published studies on the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and smoking indicates that smoking cigarettes is a significant risk factor for the disease...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Terry Pratchett’s Richard Dimbleby Lecture, UK

Sir Terry Pratchett, who has a rare form of Alzheimer's, says he is ready to be a test case for assisted suicide 'tribunals' which could give people legal permission to end their lives. The author says he wants a tribunal set up to help those with incurable diseases end their lives with help from doctors...

Promising New Neuroimaging Techniques For Early Detection Of Alzheimer’s Disease: Surprising New Tricks For Old Drugs

Investigators from the International Center for Biomedicine and the University of Chile, in collaboration with the Center for Bioinformatics of the Universidad de Talca, have discovered that two drugs, the benzimidazole derivatives lanzoprazole and astemizole, may be suitable for use as PET (positron emission tomography) radiotracers and enable imaging for the early detection o...

Researchers Image Earliest Signs Of Alzheimer’s Before Symptoms Appear

Estimates are that some 10 percent of people over the age of 65 will develop Alzheimer's disease, the scourge that robs people of their memories and, ultimately, their lives. While researchers race to find both the cause and the cure, others are moving just as fast to find the earliest signs that will predict an eventual onset of the disease, well before any outward symptoms...

Allon Initiates Trial To Expand Safety Profile For Dementia Drug Davunetide

Allon Therapeutics Inc. (TSX:NPC) announced that patient enrolment has begun for a human clinical trial to broaden the demonstrated safety range and pharmacokinetic profile of its lead neuroprotective drug davunetide...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On House Of Commons Dementia Debate, UK

MPs debated the progress of the government's National Dementia Strategy in the House of Commons. Shadow health minister Stephen O'Brien said a Conservative government would make dementia services a 'priority'. He was speaking weeks after the National Audit Office found that as much as £8.2 billion is being spent inefficiently on dementia care every year...

Early Menopause Can Result In Earlier Onset Dementia

Women experiencing an early onset of menopause could develop dementia at a younger age. Research by Tonnie Coppus of Erasmus MC has indicated this. She studied women with Down Syndrome, who are known to have an early onset of menopause. The results of her research can be translated to apply to the general population. Her results are published in the Journal of Alzheimer Disease...

Alcohol Use And Cognitive Decline Among The Elderly

Studies of alcohol use and cognition among the elderly are rare and have mixed results. A study of drinking among the elderly in Brazil has found that heavy alcohol use is associated with more memory and cognitive problems than mild-to-moderate alcohol use, especially among women...

Geron Forms Collaboration To Investigate GRNOPC1 In Alzheimer’s Disease Models

Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) announced that it has entered into a collaboration jointly funded by Geron and a University of California Discovery Research and Training Grant to investigate the therapeutic potential of its human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based product, GRNOPC1, for Alzheimer's disease. The company is currently developing GRNOPC1 for the potential treatment of spinal cord injury...

Alzheimer’s Society Chief Executive Leaves For New Challenges

Neil Hunt is to leave as Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Society after nearly seven years in the role. Ruth Sutherland, Chief Operating Officer of Alzheimer's Society will become Acting Chief Executive until a replacement is appointed. Neil Hunt said: 'I have decided that after nearly seven years in post, now is the time to seek new challenges...

Lupin Receives US FDA Tentative Approval For Memantine HCl Tablets

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (LPI) announced that it has received tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for its Memantine Hydrochloride tablets, 5mg and 10mg. Lupin's Memantine HCl tablets are AB-rated to Namenda® tablets indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type. Namenda had annual sales of approximately $1...

Rush University Medical Center Leads Nationwide Clinical Trial Of Nutritional Drink For Alzheimer’s

Rush University Medical Center is leading a nationwide clinical trial of a nutritional drink to determine whether it can improve cognitive performance in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's...

Discovery Of Stroke’s ‘Death Signal’ May Aid Drug Development

Biomedical scientists from the University of Central Florida and Louisiana State University have identified a way to block a "cell death signal" that they believe triggers brain damage during strokes. Strokes, also known as cerebral ischemia, are caused by inadequate blood flow to the brain and are the third-leading cause of death in the United States...

Study Finds Unnecessary Mammograms Performed On Elderly Women With Dementia

A new study in the American Journal of Public Health found that 18% of elderly women with severe dementia undergo screening mammograms, despite guidelines from the American Cancer Society and other groups that recommended against such screening for women with a life expectancy of less than five years, Newsweek reports. Elderly women with dementia have an average life expectancy of 3...

Discovery Of Compounds That Help Protect Nerve Cells

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have found some compounds that improve a cell's ability to properly "fold" proteins and could lead to promising drugs for degenerative nerve diseases, including Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Misfolded proteins in nerve cells (neurons) are a common factor in all of these diseases...

Single-Molecule, Real-Time Measurements Of A Key Biological Process

Biophysicists at TUM, the Technische Universitaet Muenchen, have published the results of single-molecule experiments that bring a higher-resolution tool to the study of protein folding...

Treatment Of Alzheimer’s Disease In Mice With Anti-Homocysteic Acid Antibody

Recent research reporting the clinical inefficacy of amyloid treatment for Alzheimer's disease has introduced some confusion into this research field, and studies should be careful take into account the different pathogenic effects of amyloid between Alzheimer's in a mouse model and in humans...

Staring, Sleepiness, Other Mental Lapses More Likely In Patients With Alzheimer’s

Cognitive fluctuations, or episodes when train of thought temporarily is lost, are more likely to occur in older persons who are developing Alzheimer's disease than in their healthy peers, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Cognitive fluctuations include excessive daytime sleepiness, staring into space and disorganized or illogical thinking...

Singing On Prescription?

First it was exercise on prescription, then it was arts on prescription, soon it could be singing on prescription, as the clinical evidence builds up, and as more and more projects promote the benefits of singing to health and wellbeing, both for those in generally good health and those with physical and mental health problems, or who find themselves socially excluded or isolated...

Memory Loss And Alzheimer’s Disease: TGen-Led Team Finds 3 Proteins That Dismantle ‘Bridges’ Within Brain Cells

A scientific group led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) have identified three kinases, or proteins, that dismantle connections within brain cells, which may lead to memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease...

Eye Test Could Aid Alzheimer’s Detection

A simple and inexpensive eye test could aid detection and diagnosis of major neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's at an earlier stage than is currently possible, according to new research by UCL scientists...

Dementia Challenge Highlights Need To Get Funding Right, England

NHS Confederation deputy policy director Jo Webber says the National Audit Office's report on the dementia strategy highlights the need to get health and social care funding right...

Nurses: Greater Investment In Dementia Needed, England

Commenting on the National Audit Office report Improving dementia services in England - an interim report, Janet Davies, Executive Director of Nursing and Service Delivery at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: "It is deeply concerning that dementia care is still not getting the attention and investment it needs...

More Change Needed To Match Growing Challenge Of Dementia

As much as £8.2 billion is been spent inefficiently on dementia care every year a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) said yesterday. 'Improving Services for People with Dementia' found that while dementia is a national priority, it often isn't at a local level, despite the condition costing more than heart disease, stroke and cancer combined...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Eye Test To Monitor Death Of Cells On The Retina

A simple eye test monitoring the death of cells on the retina could move scientists closer to being able to monitor the progress of Alzheimer's disease in humans according to research published yesterday. The study, which appears in Cell Death & Disease, used specific dyes that bind to cells on the retinas of animals that had been modified to develop some aspects of Alzheimer's disease...

The ‘Noisiest’ Neurons Persist In The Adult Brain

MIT neuroscientists have discovered that when it comes to new neurons in the adult brain, the squeakiest wheels get the grease. "Before, scientists believed the cells with the most accurate performance were selected and the others were rejected," said Picower Institute for Learning and Memory researcher Carlos Lois...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Link Between CETP Gene And Memory Decline

New research published in JAMA has suggested that specific variations in the CETP gene were associated with slower memory decline and lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. There are rare inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease but the most common form is caused by a range of factors including: a combination of different genes, life style factors and life events...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On BMJ Research Into Impact Of Blood Pressure Treatments On Dementia

New research published in the BMJ shows that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), commonly used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease, could protect against Alzheimer's disease. The study from the University of Boston looked at predominantly male participants (98%) with cardiovascular disease over the age of 65...

Dual Role For Immune Cells In The Brain

We all have at one time or another experienced the typical signs of an infection: the fever, the listlessness, the lack of appetite. They are orchestrated by the brain in response to circulating cytokines, the signaling molecules of the immune system. But just how cytokines' reach extends beyond the almost impenetrable blood-brain barrier has been the topic of much dispute...

High Blood Pressure In Women Linked To Dementia In Later Life

High blood pressure may put women at greater risk for dementia later in life by increasing white matter abnormalities in the brain, report researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in a study published online in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension. "Hypertension is very common in the U.S...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Latest Study Linking Loss Of Smell And Alzheimer’s Disease

New research, to be published in the Journal of Neuroscience on 13 January, links a loss of smell with the build up of amyloid protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. New research, to be published in the Journal of Neuroscience on 13 January, links a loss of smell with the build up of amyloid protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease...

Neuroimaging May Shed Light On How Alzheimer’s Disease Develops: Investigators Report Findings In Special Issue Of Behavioural Neurology

Current Alzheimer's disease (AD) research indicates that accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein plaques in the brain is central to the development of AD. Unfortunately, presence of these plaques is typically confirmed only at autopsy...

Longevity Gene Variant Linked To Lower Risk Of Dementia, Alzheimer’s

New research from the US reveals that a variant of the plasma gene CETP that has already been associated with longevity may also be linked to slower age-related memory decline and a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease. The researchers said drugs that mimic the gene's effect and could protect against Alzheimer's are now being developed...

Loss Of Smell Function - A Common Symptom Of Alzheimer’s Disease - May Predict Early Onset

A study published in the January 13, 2010 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience links a loss of smell function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) model animals with amyloid β (protein) accumulation in the brain, a distinguishing hallmark of Alzheimer's disease...

Gene Variation Associated With Lower Risk Of Dementia, Alzheimer Disease

Preliminary research suggests that variation of a gene for a plasma protein is associated with slower age-related memory decline and a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD), according to a study in the January 13 issue of JAMA...

New Compound Improves Cognitive Decline, Symptoms Of Alzheimer’s Disease In Rodents

A fast-acting compound that appears to improve cognitive function impairments in mice similar to those found in patients with progressive Alzheimer's disease has been identified by scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program in Drug Discovery. Researchers hope to one day replicate the result in humans...

Blood Pressure And Heart Disease Drugs May Help Fend Off Dementia, Including Alzheimer’s Disease

Research published today on bmj.com reports that angiotensin receptor blockers are associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. These drugs are normally used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Government’s Dignity In Care Campaign

Legendary talk show host, Sir Michael Parkinson has highlighted the importance of dignity in care for older people in a personal account of his year as the government's Dignity Ambassador. The report's publication comes as the government launches plans for a Dignity Action Day and a £50,000 Bright Ideas Grant (BIG) for innovative projects that encourage dignity in care...

Neuroimaging May Shed Light On How Alzheimer’s Disease Develops

Current Alzheimer's disease (AD) research indicates that accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein plaques in the brain is central to the development of AD. Unfortunately, presence of these plaques is typically confirmed only at autopsy...

Examining The Impact Of FDA Safety Warnings

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine examines the impact of a safety warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration for commonly prescribed antipsychotic medications...

Claims That Diabetes Triples Risk Of Dementia In Some Older People

A new study claims that some older people with mild memory-loss are three times more likely to develop dementia if they also have diabetes. The research, by Alzheimer's Research Trust scientists at King's College London, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, investigated the connection between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older people and dementia...

University Hospitals Case Medical Center Testing Gene Therapy For Alzheimer’s Disease

University Hospitals Case Medical Center is one of 12 sites conducting the first Phase 2 clinical trial of a gene therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study uses a viral-based gene transfer system called CERE-110, which is designed to deliver nerve growth factor (NGF) into the brain. University Hospitals (UH) is the only site in the Midwest for the study...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Study Suggesting Mobile Phone Use Could Protect Against Or Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease

Using a mobile phone could protect against or even reverse the affects of Alzheimer's disease according to a study to be published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The University of South Florida-led research exposed mice throughout life to short bursts of electromagnetic waves similar to those generated by mobile phones. The mice were then given a series of complex memory tasks...

New Approach To Fighting Alzheimer’s Shows Potential In Clinical Trial

In the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, patients typically suffer a major loss of the brain connections necessary for memory and information processing. Now, a combination of nutrients that was developed at MIT has shown the potential to improve memory in Alzheimer's patients by stimulating growth of new brain connections...

Cell Phone Exposure May Protect Against And Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease

The millions of people who spend hours every day on a cell phone may have a new excuse for yakking. A surprising new study in mice provides the first evidence that long-term exposure to electromagnetic waves associated with cell phone use may actually protect against, and even reverse, Alzheimer's disease...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Latest Report On Artificial Nutrition

A report by the Royal College of Physicians and British Society of Gastroenterology into artificial nutrician was published yesterday, 6 January 2010. 'People in the later stages of dementia have complex end of life needs and it is vital that the use of artificial nutrition or hydration is not used in place of good quality care...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Research Suggesting Diabetes Could Triple Risk Of Dementia In Some People

A study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, by scientists at King's College London has provided fresh links between people who develop diabetes and risk of dementia. The study suggests that older people with mild cognitive decline are three times more likely to develop dementia if they also have diabetes...

New Brain Scan Better Detects Earliest Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease In Healthy People

A new type of brain scan, called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), appears to be better at detecting whether a person with memory loss might have brain changes of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study published in the January 6, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology...

Cell Phone Waves Protected Mice Against Alzheimer’s, Reversed Memory Damage

An international team of researchers studying the long term effects of electromagnetic waves like those emitted by cell phones on mice were surprised to find they protected their brains against Alzheimer's and even reversed the memory damage caused by the disease...

Study Investigates Immune System Alterations In Brain; May Shed Light On Alzheimer’s Disease-like Changes

What Using laboratory mice that had been bred to have brain changes similar to Alzheimer's disease, scientists were able to reduce two characteristic features of the disease by modifying the mice's immune systems with a special peptide (MOG45D) related to the myelin sheath that insulates nerve cells and nerve fibers...

Charity Calls On Political Parties To Address Social Care Failings - Alzheimer’s Society

Alzheimer's Society is calling for political party election manifestos to address serious failings in dementia care. The charity's survey of nearly 1,500 carers and people with dementia found major concerns about the standards of care being provided...

New Key Factor Identified In The Development Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Inheritance of an extra copy of the gene - beta - amyloid precursor protein, APP, in individuals with Down syndrome leads to the inevitable development of early onset Alzheimer's disease, known to be linked to the deposition of Amyloid beta peptide or A beta in the brain...

Vascular Pathology In Familial Alzheimer Disease

A group led by Dr. Gregory A. Elder of the James J. Peters Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY has demonstrated that presenilin-1 plays a role in the vascular pathology found in Alzheimer disease. Their report can be found in the January 2010 issue of the American Journal of Pathology. Alzheimer disease accounts for half of all dementias diagnosed each year...

Microcephaly Genes Associated With Human Brain Size

A group of Norwegian and American researchers have shown that common variations in genes associated with microcephaly - a neuro-developmental disorder in which brain size is dramatically reduced - may explain differences in brain size in healthy individuals as well as in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders...

Case Western Reserve Alzheimer’s Disease Researcher Named 2009 AAAS Fellow

Mark A. Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has been awarded the distinction American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. Election as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers. As part of the Section on Medical Sciences, Dr...

Case Western Reserve Alzheimer’s Disease Researcher Named 2009 AAAS Fellow

Mark A. Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has been awarded the distinction American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. Election as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers. As part of the Section on Medical Sciences, Dr...

How Amyloid Beta Reduces Plasticity Related To Synaptic Signaling

The early stages of Alzheimer's disease are thought to occur at the synapse, since synapse loss is associated with memory dysfunction. Evidence suggests that amyloid beta (Aβ) plays an important role in early synaptic failure, but little has been understood about Aβ's effect on the plasticity of dendritic spines...

FDA Approves Generic Aricept To Treat Dementia Related To Alzheimer’s Disease

Please note this is a corrected version of a press release that was posted to FDA's website today. The corrections include a modified headline and a revised second paragraph. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) orally disintegrating tablet s on Dec. 11...

Imaging Test Detects Alzheimer’s Disease That Is Likely To Progress

Early Alzheimer's disease detected by a compound that binds to brain plaques appears likely to progress into symptomatic Alzheimer's disease with dementia, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals...

Critical Communication For Caregivers

What works for a spouse with dementia? Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia represent an exponentially growing social and health care challenge for American families - not only family members who face the progressive brain disease, but also those who love them...

Nanotherapeutics Acquires Two Late Stage Clinical Programs For Alzheimer’s Treatment And CDA Disease

Nanotherapeutics, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has acquired in bankruptcy proceedings two late stage clinical programs: Ramoplanin from Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corporation and PRX-3140 from EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Ramoplanin - an oral antibiotic for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) - is entering Phase 3 trials...

New Study Published In JAMA Supports Neurotez Plans For The Development Of Leptin As A Therapy For Alzheimer’s Disease

This week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association features a report on a long-term, prospective study of elderly, dementia-free individuals led by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine and the Framingham Heart Study focusing on the association between the protein hormone Leptin and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD)...

Diet High In Methionine Could Increase Risk Of Alzheimer’s

A diet rich in methionine, an amino acid typically found in red meats, fish, beans, eggs, garlic, lentils, onions, yogurt and seeds, can possibly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study by Temple researchers...

Hormone Linked To Prevention Of Over-eating May Help Reduce Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease

High levels of the hormone leptin, which may help prevent over-eating, is linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's according to a new study published recently. The research, which appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at brain scans from 198 older people after measuring their leptin levels...

JAMA Editorial: Time For A New View Of Late-life Dementia

Two new studies published in the December 16, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association point to the need for a broader scientific perspective on late-life dementia, according to an editorial in the same issue by Thomas J. Montine, MD, PhD, University of Washington (UW) professor of neuropathology, and Eric B...

National Effort To Help Patients With Rare Brain Disease To Be Led By UF

When treating devastating brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, doctors can reach into their medical bags to find something to help a patient. But they come up empty-handed when they try to help the vast majority of patients with ataxia - disabling disorders that rob people of their balance and coordination...

Higher Levels Of Protein Hormone Associated With Lower Risk Of Dementia, Alzheimer Disease

Persons with higher levels of leptin, a protein hormone produced by fat cells and involved in the regulation of appetite, may have an associated reduced incidence of Alzheimer disease and dementia, according to a study in the December 16 issue of JAMA...

Drug For Alzheimer Disease Does Not Appear To Slow Cognitive Decline

Although there were promising results in a phase 2 trial, patients with mild Alzheimer disease who received the drug tarenflurbil as part of a phase 3 trial did not have better outcomes on measures of cognitive decline or loss of activities of daily living compared to patients who received placebo, according to a study in the December 16 issue of JAMA...

FDA Approves Generic Aricept To Treat Dementia Related To Alzheimer’s Disease

Please note this is a corrected version of a press release that was posted to FDA's website today. The corrections include a modified headline and a revised second paragraph. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) orally disintegrating tablet s on Dec. 11...

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On The Second Reading Debate Of The Personal Care At Home Bill, UK

Andy Burnham yesterday outlined how a £670million-a-year package would help 400,000 people - including people with dementia - to stay in their own homes instead of moving into residential care. In the second reading debate of the Personal Care at Home bill he described it as a 'significant moment' marking the beginning of a fundamental overhaul of care services in England...

Elan And Transition Therapeutics Announce Modifications To ELND005 Phase II Clinical Trials In Alzheimer’s Disease

Elan Corporation, plc and Transition Therapeutics, Inc. notified clinical investigators of modifications to the Phase II study AD201 and open label extension study AD251 for ELND005, a compound being developed for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The AD201 study is evaluating three dose levels of ELND005 compared to placebo in 353 patients...

Brain Plaques Linked To Increased Alzheimer’s Risk

Scientists have long assumed that amyloid brain plaques found in autopsies of Alzheimer's patients are harmful and cause Alzheimer's disease. But autopsies of people with no signs of mental impairment have also revealed brain plaques, challenging this theory. Now, for the first time, researchers at Washington University in St...

A Scaffold Regulating Protein Disposal Identified By MDC Researchers

How does a cell manage to identify and degrade the diverse types of defective proteins and thus protect the body against serious diseases? The researchers Sabine C. Horn, Professor Thomas Sommer, Professor Udo Heinemann and Dr. Ernst Jarosch of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany, have now found a crucial piece in this puzzle...

Delaying The Aging Process Protects Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Aging is the single greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In their latest study, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that simply slowing the aging process in mice prone to develop Alzheimer's disease prevented their brains from turning into a neuronal wasteland...

Early Defects In Intracellular Physical Transport System May Be Driving Force Behind Severe Neuronal Dysfunction

Stem cell derived neurons may allow scientists to determine whether breakdowns in the transport of proteins, lipids and other materials within cells trigger the neuronal death and neurodegeneration that characterize Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the rarer but always fatal neurological disorder, Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC), according to a presentation that Lawrence B. Goldstein, Ph.D...

HIV-related Memory Loss Linked To Alzheimer’s Protein

New research published in Neurology suggests that amyloid, one of the proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease, may also play a role in the memory loss of people with HIV...

Alzheimer’s Society Work With BBC To Reveal Power Of ‘Singing For The Brain’

BBC2 Wonderland Series ends on 10 December at 21.50 with 'Alzheimer's the Musical' - a powerful documentary about the impact of dementia on relationships and the enduring power of love and music. The BBC worked closely with members of Alzheimer's Society's Singing for the Brain groups in Bristol to show the difficulties faced by a number of couples at different stages in their dementia journey...

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals Announces Results Showing In-Vivo Reduction Of Aggregated B-Amyloid

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals reported the successful reduction in the levels of aggregated Abeta or Beta-Amyloid in an aged transgenic model (Tg2576) of Alzheimer's disease with its lead gamma-secretase modulator (GSM) EVP-0962. The aggregated Abeta, containing predominately oligomeric and larger Abeta fibrillar species, is considered to be the toxic entity in Alzheimer's disease...

New £1.5 M For Dementia Research Launched By Alzheimer’s Society And The Bupa Foundation

Alzheimer's Society and the Bupa Foundation announced yesterday the launch of a ground-breaking partnership to boost research into dementia and its causes. The two charities are together launching a £1.5million fund to support research into an issue that is affecting more and more people in the UK and internationally...

HIV Related Memory Loss Linked To Alzheimer’s Protein

More than half of HIV patients experience memory problems and other cognitive impairments as they age, and doctors know little about the underlying causes. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests HIV-related cognitive deficits share a common link with Alzheimer's-related dementia: low levels of the protein amyloid beta in the spinal fluid...

New Therapy Targets For Amyloid Disease

A major discovery is challenging accepted thinking about amyloids - the fibrous protein deposits associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's - and may open up a potential new area for therapeutics...

Reversing Abnormal Brain Activity In Alzheimer Models Improves Development Of New Nerve Cells Born In Adult Brains

Stimulating the growth of new neurons to replace those lost in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an intriguing therapeutic possibility...

Apathy Common In Dementia Patients With Brain Changes

Changes in the brain's white matter are common among the elderly and dementia patients, and often appear as blurred patches on CT and MRI images...

Brain Changes in Dementia Patients Signal Apathy

Dementia patients with a certain type of changes in their brain's white matter are more likely to be apathetic than those who do not have these changes, reveals a patient study carried out by the Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital...

Emeritus Senior Living Provides Holiday Tips To Alzheimer’s Caregivers

The holidays are a time for families to gather and celebrate generations coming together to enjoy each other's company. Though for those caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's or dementia, this time of year can bring increased anxiety as they strive to create a calm holiday environment while keeping family traditions alive...

Alzheimer’s Society Restructures To Meet Growing Dementia Challenge, UK

Alzheimer's Society is reorganising its management structure in order to deliver more services to more people in a greater number of locations...

Bayer Starts Phase III Trial With Florbetaben

Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, is progressing with the development of florbetaben to support Alzheimer diagnosis...

Alzheimer’s Researcher Joins UF To Fight Brain Disease

A leader in the fight against brain diseases and in drug discovery to help Alzheimer's patients has joined the University of Florida College of Medicine, interim dean Michael Good, M.D., announced. Todd Golde, M.D., Ph.D...

NICE Consults On New Quality Standards

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has launched a consultation on its draft quality standards for the treatment of dementia and stroke; once published the new standards will represent a benchmark to inform aspirations for high quality care across the NHS...

News From The American Journal Of Pathology, December 2009

New Molecule Implicated in Diabetes-Associated Blindness A group led by Dr. Jian-xing Ma at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK has demonstrated that the Wnt signaling pathway plays a role in diabetic retinopathy. Their report can be found in the December 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

Four University Of Montreal Discoveries To Be Commercialized By Univalor And Cognitive Sensing Inc.

Cutting-edge technologies are about to enter the marketplace, thanks to a new partnership between Gestion Univalor, Limited Partnership (Univalor) and Cognitive Sensing Inc. (CSI), a privately owned technology company based in Montreal.

Recovery Funds Advance Alzheimer’s Disease Research

American Recovery and Reinvestment Funds are being used to promote the national research efforts to better understand, diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease.

The Birth Of New Neurons Boosted By Polyphenols And Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) researchers have confirmed that a diet rich in polyphenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids, patented as an LMN diet, helps boost the production of the brain's stem cells -neurogenesis- and strengthens their differentiation in different types of neuron cells.

Alzheimer’s Study Leads To Better Drug For Infections

Research into Alzheimer's disease seems an unlikely approach to yield a better way to fight urinary tract infections (UTIs), but that's what scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere recently reported. One element links the disparate areas of research: amyloids, which are fibrous, sticky protein aggregates.

TAU Finds That A Destructive Protein Is Also Essential For Normal Brain Function

Alzheimer's disease is caused by the build-up of a brain peptide called amyloid-beta. That's why eliminating the protein has been the focus of almost all drug research pursuing a cure for the devastating neurodegenerative condition. But that may be counterproductive, says Dr. Inna Slutsky of Tel Aviv University's Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine.

Women At Increased Risk Of Dementia If Prone To Collecting Fat Around The Middle

Women who store fat on their waist in middle age are more than twice as likely to develop dementia when they get older, reveals a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy. The study has just been published in the scientific journal Neurology. "Anyone carrying a lot of fat around the middle is at greater risk of dying prematurely due to a heart attack or stroke," says Deborah Gustafson, senior lecturer at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

Fat Around The Middle Increases The Risk Of Dementia

Women who store fat on their waist in middle age are more than twice as likely to develop dementia when they get older, reveals a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy. The study has just been published in the scientific journal Neurology. "Anyone carrying a lot of fat around the middle is at greater risk of dying prematurely due to a heart attack or stroke," says Deborah Gustafson, senior lecturer at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

Science News From Weill Cornel: November 2009

Dr. Samie Jaffrey Receives Competitive NIH Director's T-R01 Award Speedier Lab Testing With Results That Glow in the Dark Dr. Samie Jaffrey, associate professor of pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medical College, is among the first researchers to win a prestigious NIH Director's Transformative R01 award from the National Institutes of Health. Dr.

AFFiRiS AG: Interim Analysis Of Clinical Phase I Data Triggered Decision To Move Alzheimer’s Vaccine Candidate AD02 Into Clinical Phase II Testing

AFFiRiS AG will focus its Alzheimer's vaccine program on one product candidate at an unexpectedly early stage of development: the vaccine candidate AD02 is planned to enter into Phase II clinical trial early in 2010. This decision by the company immediately follows the completion of two Phase I trials with the candidates AD01 and AD02. The company based its fast decision on the first interim analysis of the secondary endpoints at the six month time point.

Surgery Not Linked To Memory Problems In Older Patients

For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis questions those assumptions. In fact, the researchers were not able to detect any long-term cognitive declines attributable to surgery in a group of 575 patients they studied.

New Nursing Education Standards Address The Care Of People With Dementia

The NMC has been addressing many of the issues raised in the Alzheimer's society report Counting the Cost: caring for people with dementia on hospital wards as part of our review of pre-registration nursing education. Our review, which recently highlighted the need for future nurses to be educated to degree level, will help to prepare them for the challenges of caring for people with dementia.

NC State Researchers Advance Understanding Of Stem Cells

Researchers from North Carolina State University have identified a gene that tells embryonic stem cells in the brain when to stop producing nerve cells called neurons. The research is a significant advance in understanding the development of the nervous system, which is essential to addressing conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.

New Neuroimaging Analysis Technique Identifies Impact Of Alzheimer’s Disease Gene In Healthy Brains

Brain imaging can offer a window into risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). A study conducted at the University of Kansas School of Medicine demonstrated that genetic risk is expressed in the brains of even those who are healthy, but carry some risk for AD. The results of this study are published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

New Technology Drives Therapies For Older Patients, Those With Alzheimer’s

Technology advances are making life better for the elderly and those with Alzheimer's disease by allowing the older to stay in their homes and giving the ill a way to interact with society again. Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with

Analyzing Structural Brain Changes In Alzheimer’s Disease

In a study that promises to improve diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease, scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a fast and accurate method for quantifying subtle, sub-regional brain volume loss using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study is published the week of November 16 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Researchers To Test First Gene Therapy For Alzheimer’s Patients

Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of 12 sites nationwide participating in the first Phase 2 clinical trial to test gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The study is the first multicenter neurosurgical intervention in Alzheimer's research in the U.S. The experimental treatment utilizes a viral-based gene transfer system, CERE-110, that makes Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), a naturally occurring protein that helps maintain nerve cell survival in the brain.

Poor Dementia Care In Hospitals Costing Lives And Hundreds Of Millions, UK

People with dementia - who occupy a quarter of all hospital beds - are staying far longer in hospital than people without the condition who go in for the same treatment at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds to the NHS, an Alzheimer's Society report found today (Tuesday, 17 November 2009). Based on research involving 2,400 people, Counting the Cost: caring for people with dementia on hospital wards reveals large, costly variations in the quality of care for people with dementia.

‘Scaffolding’ Protein Changes In Heart Strengthen Link Between Alzheimer’s Disease And Chronic Heart Failure

A team of U.S., Canadian and Italian scientists led by researchers at Johns Hopkins report evidence from studies in animals and humans supporting a link between Alzheimer's disease and chronic heart failure, two of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States. The international team of biochemists and cardiologists say they have identified three changes in the chemical make-up of a key structural protein, called desmin, in heart muscle cells in dogs.

Hypothermia Research May Benefit Brain Injured Athletes

NFL players and other athletes who suffer serious or multiple concussions may benefit from ground-breaking research being conducted by scientists at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. The scientists are developing a surgical technique that involves hypothermia in specific regions of the brain. Therapeutic hypothermia is a medical treatment that lowers a patient's temperature in order to help reduce the risk of injury to tissue.

Nurses Welcome Government Action On Overuse Of Anti-psychotics, UK

Commenting on the announcement of a Government action plan to tackle the over prescribing of antipsychotic drugs to people with dementia, Dr Peter Carter, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary said: "It is welcome news that the Government has made a commitment to deal with the overuse of anti-psychotic drugs. We look forward to working with the new National Clinical Director for Dementia on these ambitious proposals which offer hope for patients with dementia and their families.

Discovery Of Potential Drug Target For Neurological Diseases

A team of scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) report their success in solving the molecular structure of a key portion of a cellular receptor implicated in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other serious illnesses. Assistant Professor Hiro Furukawa, Ph.D., and colleagues at CSHL, in cooperation with the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory, obtained crystal structures for one of several "subunits" of the NMDA receptor.

Barrow Scientists Partner With Hispanic ‘El Grupo’ In Alzheimer’s Research

Researchers from the Barrow Neurological Institute and aging Hispanic alumni from Phoenix Union High School are partnering in a major research trial to study Alzheimer's disease in the ethnic community. More than 20 graduates from the high school, who belong to a social club called "El Grupo," have joined neuroscientists at Barrow to study memory loss and Alzheimer's disease among the Hispanic community.

Review Calls For Action On Dangerous Use Of Antipsychotic Drugs For Dementia

An independent review has today (Thursday, 12 November 2009) found that an estimated 150, 000 people with dementia in the UK are being inappropriately prescribed antipsychotic drugs. These are contributing to 1,800 deaths a year. Antipsychotics have a serious number of side-effects for people with dementia and a profound effect on people's quality of life, leaving them heavily sedated.

Mouse Gene Suppresses Alzheimer’s Plaques And Tangles

Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) and colleagues have identified a novel mouse gene (Rps23r1) that reduces the accumulation of two toxic proteins that are major players in Alzheimer's disease: amyloid beta and tau. The amyloid and tau lowering functions of this gene were demonstrated in both human and mouse cells. Amyloid beta is responsible for the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Tau causes the tangles found within patients' brain cells.

Major Pathologies Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease Reduced In Mice With Novel Gene

A new study reveals that a previously undiscovered mouse gene reduces the two major pathological perturbations commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The research, published by Cell Press in the November 12 issue of the journal Neuron, finds that the novel gene interacts with a key cellular enzyme previously linked with AD pathology, thereby uncovering a new strategy for treating this devastating disorder.

Mouse Gene Suppresses Alzheimer’s Plaques And Tangles

Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) and colleagues have identified a novel mouse gene (Rps23r1) that reduces the accumulation of two toxic proteins that are major players in Alzheimer's disease: amyloid beta and tau. The amyloid and tau lowering functions of this gene were demonstrated in both human and mouse cells. Amyloid beta is responsible for the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Tau causes the tangles found within patients' brain cells.

Scientists Decipher The Formation Of Lasting Memories

Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. In experiments on genetically manipulated mice, they were able to switch on and off the animals' ability to form lasting memories by adding a substance to their drinking water. The findings, which are published in the scientific journal PNAS, are of potential significance to the future treatment of Alzheimer's and stroke.

Federal Stimulus Grants Will Accelerate Health Research, Create Jobs

Academic Health Center scientists, physicians, and research centers have attracted 128 grants totaling nearly $35 million in federal stimulus money (as of Nov. 10) since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was approved in February 2009. This will result in a total economic impact of more than $105 million; according to the National Institutes of Health, $1 of research funding multiplies to more than $2 of goods and services in the economy.

Special Issue Of Behavioural Neurology Focuses On Alzheimer’s Disease

With about 35 million people around the world suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) by the year 2010 and an expectation that these numbers will double every twenty years with approximately 115 million cases by 2050, pressure on healthcare systems worldwide will be intense.

The Formation Of Lasting Memories Deciphered By Scientists

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. In experiments on genetically manipulated mice, they were able to switch on and off the animals' ability to form lasting memories by adding a substance to their drinking water. The findings, which are published in the scientific journal PNAS, are of potential significance to the future treatment of Alzheimer's and stroke.

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On The Link Between Muscle Strength And Alzheimer’s

Lack of muscle strength could be one of the early signs of dementia according to a study published in Archives of Neurology. Researchers at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago discussed whether muscle weakness may be an independent risk factor for Alzheimer's or whether it may be directly caused by some of the changes in the brain that start many years before the dementia symptoms become apparent.

Reduced Muscle Strength Associated With Risk For Alzheimer’s Disease

Individuals with weaker muscles appear to have a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and declines in cognitive function over time, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by declines in memory and other cognitive (thinking, learning and memory) functions, according to background information in the article.

NSAIDs Prevent Early Sign Of Alzheimer Disease In Mice

If taking nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen is to protect you from developing Alzheimer disease then you will have to start taking them at a very early age according to research in a mouse model of the disease. Emerging data indicate that an early molecular event in the development of Alzheimer disease is the induction of neuronal cell cycle events (CCEs).

Amyloid Beta Protein Gets Bum Rap

While too much amyloid beta protein in the brain is linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, not enough of the protein in healthy brains can cause learning problems and forgetfulness, Saint Louis University scientists have found. The finding could lead to better medications to treat Alzheimer's disease, said John Morley, M.D., director of the division of geriatrics at Saint Louis University and the lead researcher on the study.

Dual Task Test Could Help Diagnose Dementia

Multi tasking could help tell the difference between Alzheimer's disease and depression Alzheimer's Society found in Journal of Neurology. Depression and the early stages of dementia share many of the same symptoms. For people with severe depression the powers of reasoning and memory may be very badly impaired and it is this state that is most easily confused with dementia.

What Celebrity Names Can Reveal About The Onset Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Research that is targeting the early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease has drawn national attention to the work of Michael Seidenberg, PhD, a faculty member at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Dr.

Blood Test Identifies Women At Risk From Alzheimer’s

Middle-aged women with high levels of a specific amino acid in their blood are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's many years later, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. This discovery this could lead to a new and simple way of determining who is at risk long before there are any signs of the illness.

Familial Alzheimer Disease Network Enrolling, Making First Move Toward Clinical Trials

This past October, 214 researchers from the U.S., Europe, and Australia, as well as representatives of families with aggressive genetic forms of Alzheimer disease (AD), met at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, to devote two intense days of talks and discussion to their goal of detecting this disease before symptoms appear.

Promise For Exploring, Treating Alzheimer’s Shown By Hybrid Molecules

One of the many mysteries of Alzheimer's disease is how protein-like snippets called amyloid-beta peptides, which clump together to form plaques in the brain, may cause cell death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental difficulties. In order to answer that key question and develop new approaches to preventing the damage, scientists must first understand how amyloid-beta forms the telltale clumps.

Spicing Up The Effectiveness Of A Potential Disease-Fighter

Scientists are reporting development of a nano-size capsule that boosts the body's uptake of curcumin, an ingredient in yellow curry now being evaluated in clinical trials for treatment of several diseases. Their study is in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication. Koji Wada and colleagues note that curcumin is a potent antioxidant found in the spice, turmeric.

Packages Of Care For Dementia In Low- And Middle-income Countries

In the fifth in PLoS Medicine's series of articles on mental, neurological and substance-use disorders in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), Martin Prince and colleagues discuss the treatment of dementia. Globally, 24.3 million people are affected by dementia and 4.6 million new cases occur annually. The prevalence of dementia is expected to double every 20 years, reaching 81.1 million by 2040.

Pfizer And Medivation Initiate Two Phase 3 Trials Of Dimebon In Patients With Moderate-To-Severe Alzheimer’s Disease

Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) and Medivation, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDVN) today announced the initiation of CONTACT and CONSTELLATION, two Phase 3 trials of the investigational drug dimebon (latrepirdine)* in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Mark Foster Backing The Big Care Debate

Olympic swimmer Mark Forster and television presenters Phillippa Forrester and Cerri Burnell gave their backing to the Big Care Debate. They have all added their voice to a short film that highlights four real life experiences of why care matters. The Big Care Debate, which is looking at a series of potential options for the future of social care funding, draws to a close next week.

Tests Can Predict Dementia Precursor

Learning and memory tests can help predict whether a healthy person will develop Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) according to a report published in Neurology. People who have MCI are at an increased risk of going on to develop dementia. Alzheimer's Society comment 'Dementia develops in the brain many years before people start to notice there is something wrong.

Is Disorder That Causes Dementia Hereditary?

New research shows that a rare brain disorder that causes early dementia is highly hereditary. The study is published in the November 3, 2009, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The brain disorder, called frontotemporal dementia, is formerly known as Pick's disease and destroys parts of the brain, leading to dementia, including problems with language or changes in behavior and personality.

ExonHit Presents New Clinical Advances On Its Alzheimer’s Diagnostic And Therapeutic Programs

ExonHit Therapeutics (Paris:ALEHT) presented clinical data on the validation set "Alzheimer patients versus healthy controls" for AclarusDx™ (formerly EHT Dx21), its blood-based diagnostic test for the detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD), at the 2nd Conference of Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) in Las Vegas, USA.

New Study Reviews Science Behind Efficacy Of Biofield Therapies - Reiki, Therapeutic Touch And Healing Touch

Biofield therapies, which claim to use subtle energy to stimulate the body's healing process, are promising complementary interventions for reducing the intensity of pain in a number of conditions, reducing anxiety for hospitalized patients and reducing agitated behaviors in dementia, over and above what standard treatments can achieve. However, longer-term effects are less clear. Dr. Shamini Jain, from the UCLA Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, and Dr.

Benefit Of Memantine In The Treatment Of Alzheimer’s Disease Not Proven

There is no scientific proof that patients with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease benefit from drugs containing the agent memantine. This is the conclusion in the final report that the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) published in September 2009. The report is part of a broader commission awarded by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) to assess both drug and non-drug therapy options for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On The Use Of Epilepsy Drugs To Treat Alzheimer’s

Epilepsy drugs could be developed as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases according to research published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration. The study found that nerve cells lived longer when treated with T-type calcium-channel blockers, which are commonly used to treat epilepsy. 'This study is interesting since other research has shown that anti-convulsant drugs reduce the tangles of proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s And Parkinson’s Could Be Treated By Epilepsy Drugs

Researchers in the USA have discovered a potential new function for anti-epileptic drugs in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The study, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Neurodegeneration, found that neurons in the brain were protected after treatment with T-type calcium-channel blockers, which are commonly used to treat epilepsy.

Finding That Memory Loss Is Slower In Alzheimer’s Patients With Diabetes Surprises Researchers

Researchers from France and the UK who set out to investigate whether people with Alzheimer's disease and diabetes have more rapid memory loss were surprised to find not only that they did not, but that their memory loss was actually slower than that of Alzheimer's patients without diabetes. Speculating on the reasons, they suggested it could be the effect of diabetes drugs, or that Alzheimer's patients with diabetes have different kinds of lesions in the brain.

Older Patients With Dementia At Increased Risk For Flu Mortality

An epidemiological study on pneumonia and influenza (P&I) in adults age 65 and over reports that patients with dementia are diagnosed with flu less frequently, have shorter hospital stays, and have a fifty percent higher rate of death than those without dementia.

New TAU Formulation May Slow Down Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s And Huntington’s Diseases

Working like an architect, Prof. Hagit Eldar-Finkelman of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine is "building" a new drug, L803-MTS, to treat a number of central nervous system (CNS) diseases like Alzheimer's. In pre-clinical studies, it also shows promise against Parkinson's, Huntington's and diabetes. L803-MTS is based on the physical structure of the GSK3 protein, which plays a causative role in insulin resistance and Type II diabetes.

Penn Researchers Reverse The Cognitive Impairment Caused By Sleep Deprivation

A research collaboration led by biologists and neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania has found a molecular pathway in the brain that is the cause of cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation. Just as important, the team believes that the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation, such as an inability to focus, learn or memorize, may be reversible by reducing the concentration of a specific enzyme that builds up in the hippocampus of the brain.

Does Diabetes Speed Up Memory Loss In Alzheimer’s Disease?

Research has shown that diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease and the risk of memory loss in people who don't have Alzheimer's disease. But it hasn't been clear whether people with Alzheimer's disease and diabetes have more rapid memory loss than those who have Alzheimer's disease but no diabetes.

Clues To Visual Variant Alzheimer’s; Myopia And Diabetic Retinopathy Risk

Two studies are of particular note in theScientific Program of the 2009 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO): a report by Swiss neuro-ophthalmic researchers about vision exam clues that should make ophthalmologists suspect an atypical variant of Alzheimer's disease; and new evidence from a Singapore National Eye Center study that diabetics who are nearsighted may be less susceptible to diabetic retinopathy.

Vision Exam Offers Early Clues To Atypical Alzheimer’s; Does Being Nearsighted Reduce Diabetics’ Risk Of Retinopathy?

Two studies are of particular note in today's Scientific Program of the 2009 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO): a report by Swiss neuro-ophthalmic researchers about vision exam clues that should make ophthalmolog

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Reversed In Mouse Models

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have identified a key protein that promotes the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension in humans and mice. This groundbreaking discovery has implications for future drug therapies that may extend the life of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and prevent the need for lung transplantation, currently the only cure for this debilitating disease.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Diagnosed In Deceased Former College Football Player

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) has announced that a deceased former college football player who died at age 42 was already suffering from the degenerative brain disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This is the first time an advanced case of CTE has been discovered in a college football player that did not play professionally. It is also the first case diagnosed in a wide receiver.

Alzheimer’s Association Launches Comfort Zone™, The First Comprehensive Location Management System Designed For People With Alzheimer’s

Launched today, the Alzheimer's Association Comfort Zone™, powered by Omnilink, is the first comprehensive location management system designed specifically for Alzheimer's, giving people with the disease more freedom and independence in their community while providing their family some peace of mind.

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On Andrew Lansley’s Speech About Charging For Care

People over 65 could benefit from a 'home protection scheme' preventing them from being forced to sell their house to pay for residential care in old age according to the Shadow Health Secretary. Andrew Lansley highlighted the Conservative's plans to reform the care system in a speech at the National Children and Adults Services Conference yesterday (Thursday, 22 October 2009).

Next Page »