Saturday, December 31, 2016

Where Does Alzheimer's Treatment Go From Here?

Fluorescent deconvolution micrograph of cultured glial cells expressing tau protein (in red). Glial cells are nervous system cells that provide structural support and protection for neurons (nerve cells). Accumulation of tau in brain tissue is linked with a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Roger J. Bick, Kha Dinh/Mya C. Schiess / UT-Houston Medical/Science Source

In a disappointment to Alzheimer's patients and researchers, drugmaker Eli Lilly said in late November that a clinical trial of solanezumab, an experimental medication to treat the degenerative neurological condition, had failed.
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Friday, December 30, 2016

Can paint strokes help identify Alzheimer's?

Image Source: ALLOWRYPAINTING

A new study shows that it may be possible to detect neurodegenerative disorders in artists before they are diagnosed.

A new University of Liverpool study published today (29 December 2016) in Neuropsychology shows that it may be possible to detect neurodegenerative disorders in artists before they are diagnosed.
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Labels: study

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Alzheimer's Falls More Heavily on Women than on Men

This woman, Auguste Deter, was the first to be described by Alois Alzheimer with the disease that would one day bear his name. Credit: Image via Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain

Distinct biological and genetic factors may shape how it progresses in women—and understanding them could be crucial to prevention, diagnosis and treatment

For more than 25 years, Mary Read was a successful nurse in Lititz, Pennsylvania. But in 2010, at the age of 50, she started having trouble with her memory and thinking, making it difficult for her to complete routine tasks and follow instructions at work. The problems worsened, bringing her career to an abrupt end. In 2011, her doctor conducted a comprehensive evaluation, including a cognitive assessment, and found that she was in the early stages of younger-onset Alzheimer’s, which affects hundreds of thousands of people under 65.
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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Antipsychotic drugs may up risk of early death in Alzheimer's patients

Taking antipsychotic drugs significantly increases the risk of premature death among Alzheimer's patients, a new study indicates.
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Labels: study

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

New Drugs Restore Memory Loss And Prolong Life, Show Promise As Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment: VIDEO

Researchers at University of Leicester discovered a drug for Alzheimer’s disease that not only improves the neurodegenerative symptoms but also extends the life span of terminally ill mice. The novel drug-like molecules that improved degenerating brain cells in mice has the potential to treat AD in humans.  (University of Leicester)

A team of scientists at the University of Leicester have discovered a drug for Alzheimer's disease that not only improves the neurodegenerative symptoms but also extends the life span of terminally ill mice.
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Labels: Video

Monday, December 26, 2016

Vancouver researcher believes saliva test the wave of the future in Alzheimer's diagnosis and prediction

Dr. Pat McGeer, shown in his UBC lab, believes a simple saliva test may one day help people know whether they are at risk of Alzheimer's disease so they can take preventive measures. RIC ERNST / VANCOUVER SUN

A Vancouver biotech company says it has developed a simple way to help diagnose and predict the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by measuring proteins in saliva associated with the memory-robbing illness.
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Sunday, December 25, 2016

Alzheimer’s disease BREAKTHROUGH: Brussels sprouts vitamin could be KEY to treatment: VIDEO

Alzheimer's disease treatment: Experts say Brussels sprouts could hold the key to treatment

A supercharged version of the acid derived from the Christmas dinner vegetable is now the basis of new research aimed at developing a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease - the most common for of dementia.

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Saturday, December 24, 2016

Discovery of Stem Cells in Brain Membranes May Offer New Paths in Alzheimer’s Research

Scientists have found that the membranes covering the brain — once believed to have little influence on the workings of the organ inside — are housing stem cells.

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Friday, December 23, 2016

Study finds potential for non-invasive early detection of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have discovered a new technology that could lead to the non-invasive, early detection of Alzheimer's disease. Showing brain regions in which gray matter intensity correlates significantly with HMW/LMW tau ratio in AD patients. Dr. Ricardo B. Maccioni/IOS Press

New research finding may lead to early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

A team of researchers have developed a technology that could be instrumental in the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

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Labels: study

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Confirmed: Aluminum Does Cause Alzheimer's: VIDEO

View of rotary, oil-fired melting furnaces at Aluminum Industries Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, February 1942. ( Alfred T. Palmer/Getty Images)

There have been a lot of studies about the link between aluminum and Alzheimer's.  However, many scientists say the evidence is not enough to blame the metal.  This time, however, a new research confirms aluminum does play a role in cognitive decline.

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Labels: Video

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Remember This: A Q&A on Alzheimer’s Disease And A Free Memory Screening Event

It’s easy to forget but forgetfulness is a part of life, a natural consequence of aging. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the progressive decline in memory and other cognitive skills, but it is not natural. Its cause — or causes — are not fully understood, but appear to involve abnormal accumulations of protein that form plaques and tangles in the brain. These damage nerve cells and impair brain function.
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Tuesday, December 20, 2016

New biomarker predicts Alzheimer's disease and link to diabetes

Auriel Willette is an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition.
Source: Iowa State University

AMES, Iowa - An enzyme found in the fluid around the brain and spine is giving researchers a snapshot of what happens inside the minds of Alzheimer's patients and how that relates to cognitive decline.
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Monday, December 19, 2016

Can tech help Alzheimer's sufferers?

Image Source: INWARDPATHPUBLISHER

I'll never forget the look of fear on my mother's face.

My mother was a brilliant woman. She earned three bachelor's degrees and a  and could have become a doctor if not for the rampant sexism she faced in college in the early '60s.
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Sunday, December 18, 2016

Antibiotic Rocephin May Restore Brain Function In Alzheimer’s Disease, Study Suggests

Treatment with the antibiotic Rocephin (ceftriaxone) may restore brain function in areas affected by Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research.

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Saturday, December 17, 2016

Rutgers expert shares tips for Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving during the holidays

Image Source: APPROVEDSENIORNETWORK

The holidays can be an especially challenging time for family caregivers of people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. To help families navigate holiday visits, Rutgers Today spoke with Mary Catherine Lundquist, program director of Care2Caregivers, a peer counseling helpline (800-424-2494) for caregivers of people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease operated by Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.
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Friday, December 16, 2016

Alzheimer's: Proteomics gives clues toward alternatives to amyloid

Image Source: ALZHEIMERSWEEKLY

Protein + gene modules converge on glial cells, inflammation

In Alzheimer's research, one particular protein looms large: plaque-forming amyloid-beta. Yet doctors now recognize that plaques can accumulate decades before symptoms appear. Recent clinical trials aimed at controlling or removing amyloid-beta have largely been disappointing.
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Thursday, December 15, 2016

Brain challenge test might be able to predict Alzheimer's decades earlier: VIDEO

Right now, a spinal fluid test can signal Alzheimer’s disease up to twenty years before clinical onset. The proteins beta-amyloid and tau are established markers of Alzheimer’s, and changes in their levels may signal disease. Someday, a simple test at the computer and non-invasive EEG scan may do the same thing.

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Labels: study, Video

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

A Web App’s 5-Minute Test Could Predict Alzheimer’s Risk

Can the eyes see all? — Pixabay, Public Domain

Eye-tracking technology could help an aging population fight the disease sooner

Can the eyes really provide a window into our brain health? That’s what a California-based startup and a group of neuroscientists are pinning their hopes on.
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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Are statins a key to preventing Alzheimer's disease?

Although doctors prescribe statins to help lower cholesterol, the drugs might have an added benefit: reducing Alzheimer's disease risk.
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Labels: study

Monday, December 12, 2016

Despite failed trials, experts believe we'll have an Alzheimer's drug by 2025: VIDEO

The results of recent trials that tested much-anticipated Alzheimer's disease drugs dashed the hopes of patients with the debilitating condition. The most recent disappointment came from the large trial for solanezumab, by Eli Lilly, announced last month.
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Labels: Video

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Flickering LED lights could treat Alzheimer's disease: VIDEO

Image Source: DAILYMAIL

Twinkling lights aren't just pretty -- if they're flickering at a specific frequency, they could also treat Alzheimer's disease. A group of researchers  tested the effectiveness of LED lights flashing at 40 hertz as a treatment for Alzheimer's on mice genetically engineered to develop the condition. They found that exposing mice in the early stages of Alzheimer's to the lights for an hour lowered the  protein levels in their brains.  accumulates to form plaques that interfere with normal brain function. Further, when they used the same technique on mice already in the advanced stages of the disease for seven days, they found that the method "markedly reduced" the plaques in their brains.

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Saturday, December 10, 2016

Benzodiazepines Linked to 43% Increased Risk of Hip Fracture in Alzheimer’s Patients

A new research study has found that the use of benzodiazepines and related drugs increases the risk of hip fracture by 43 percent in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

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Friday, December 9, 2016

Ultrasound and Gas Bubbles May One Day Deliver Alzheimer’s Treatments Directly to Brain

Tiny gas bubbles, embedded in a layer of fat molecules, can turn out to be the answer to a difficulty researchers have been struggling with for decades — the delivery of drugs to the brain. The method uses ultrasound to force the drug-containing bubbles over the barrier that prevents most substances from entering the brain.

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Thursday, December 8, 2016

Toward Treating Alzheimer’s Disease with Brain Waves

PICOWER INSTITUTE FOR LEARNING AND MEMORY

In a mouse model, researchers mitigated three Alzheimer’s disease–associated symptoms by stimulating gamma waves with light.

When brain cells fire rhythmically and in sync, they produce waves, which are categorized by their firing frequencies. Delta waves (1.5 Hz to 4 Hz), for example, are produced during deep sleep, theta waves (4 Hz to 12 Hz) occur during running and deep meditation, and gamma waves (25 Hz to 100 Hz) are associated with excitement and concentration. Disruption of gamma waves could be a key contributor to Alzheimer’s disease pathology, according to a mouse study published today (December 7) in Nature. And the restoration of these waves, researchers propose, may one day be an option for Alzheimer’s disease treatment.

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Wednesday, December 7, 2016

The 7 Surprising Early Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Image Source: ESNOTICIA

The average Alzheimer’s patient is not “Still Alice,” the 50-something linguistics expert from the Academy Award-winning movie who faces a devastating diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. The average Alzheimer’s patient is in her late 70s, whose disease comes on more slowly than depicted in that film, says George Perry, Ph.D., dean of the College of Sciences at the University of  Antonio and editor-in-chief of theJournal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Attending The Symphony Reverses Cognitive Decline, Study Finds

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

A Colorado State University study found that the majority of dementia and Alzheimer’s participants experienced an unexpected reversal of cognitive decline from listening to classical music.

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Monday, December 5, 2016

Link between brain, bone in Alzheimer's disease identified

Image Source: ALZFORUM

Researchers at NEOMED have just identified a major connection between areas of the brainstem -- the ancient area that controls mood, sleep and metabolism -- and detrimental changes to  in a preclinical model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study, titled "Early Evidence of Low Bone Density and Decreased Serotonergic Synthesis in the Dorsal Raphe of a Tauopathy Model of Alzheimer's Disease," is led by Christine Dengler-, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and anatomy and neurobiology, and will be published in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, an international multidisciplinary journal that reports progress in understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment of Alzheimer's.

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Sunday, December 4, 2016

Alzheimer's / Dementia Bones / Orthopedics Neurology / Neuroscience Biology / Biochemistry Bone loss may be linked to Alzheimer's disease

Image Source: APLACEFORMOM

Fewer than 5 percent of cases of Alzheimer's disease have a clear genetic cause, making it hard to predict who will develop the devastating brain-wasting disorder. There is an urgent need to develop biomarkers and early treatments before the symptoms of decline take hold and destroy lives. Now, using a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, researchers discover a link between early bone loss and brain degeneration that may begin to address this need.

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