Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Long morning lie-ins may be early Alzheimer's symptom

Research shows sleeping for more than nine hours doubled the risk of all types of dementia and specifically Alzheimer's.
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Monday, February 27, 2017

Alzheimer's drug prescribed off-label could pose risk for some

Image Source: NEWDRUGAPPROVALS

Donepezil, a medication that is approved to treat people with Alzheimer's disease, should not be prescribed for people with mild cognitive impairment without a genetic test. UCLA School of Nursing researchers discovered that for people who carry a specific genetic variation -- the K-variant of butyrylcholinesterase, or BChE-K -- donezpezil could accelerate cognitive decline.
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Sunday, February 26, 2017

Researchers Probe Short-Term Memory Formation, a Critical Element in Alzheimer’s

Researchers have linked a specific set of neurons with short-term memory, in a finding that may help develop novel treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other illnesses characterized by memory decline.
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Saturday, February 25, 2017

Alzheimer's disease: Molecular study clarifies potential link to high blood sugar

A new molecular study reveals for the first time that high blood sugar or glucose damages an important enzyme that is involved with how the immune system responds in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The researchers say the findings will help map the progression of the devastating disease to better identify those at risk and perhaps find new ways to treat or prevent it.

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Friday, February 24, 2017

Sugar's 'tipping point' link to Alzheimer's disease revealed

Professor Jean van den Elsen and Dr Omar Kassar in the laboratory. They have worked to reveal a molecular link between sugar and Alzheimer's Disease Credit: AP Commercial Photography

For the first time a "tipping point" molecular link between the blood sugar glucose and Alzheimer's disease has been established by scientists, who have shown that excess glucose damages a vital enzyme involved with inflammation response to the early stages of Alzheimer's.
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Labels: study

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Brain Imaging Can Help Distinguish Between Depression and Cognitive Disorders Like Alzheimer’s

A brain imaging technique called single photon emission computed tomography, or SPECT, can help clinicians differentiate between depression and a cognitive disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research.
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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Targeting Gut Bacteria May Be The Key To Preventing Alzheimer’s

Mounting research continues to show the links between the health of the gut and that of the brain. Now, a new study from Lund University in Sweden finds that unhealthy intestinal flora can accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s disease. 

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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Long-winded speech could be early sign of Alzheimer's, says study

Iris Murdoch
Sherman cites studies of the vocabulary in Iris Murdoch’s later works, which showed signs of Alzheimer’s years before her diagnosis. Photograph: Daily Mail/Rex/Shutterstock

Research finds distinctive language deficits in people with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia

Rambling and long-winded anecdotes could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease, according to research that suggests subtle changes in speech style occur years before the more serious mental decline takes hold.
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Monday, February 20, 2017

Understanding the Aging Brain

New research from Li-Huei Tsai’s lab suggests the immune system may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.  

Photo: M. Scott Brauer

FOR DECADES, Alzheimer’s disease research has focused on neurons. That’s logical: after all, it’s our brain cells that become diseased, causing a decline in our memory and ability to think. But new research from Li- Tsai’s lab suggests the immune system may also play a role in Alzheimer’s.

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Sunday, February 19, 2017

Solving the puzzle of Alzheimer's disease

Image Source: BIOENGINEER

Scientist seeks to neutralize 'rogue' protein believed to be a key player in development of Alzheimer's

Every day tens of thousands of Canadians unwillingly find themselves becoming shadows of their former selves. They grasp onto moments of clarity -- fleeting windows of time -- before slipping away again into confusion; robbed of memories, talents and their very personalities.
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Saturday, February 18, 2017

HRT Won't Lower Women's Alzheimer's Risk

Image Source: WOMEN-INFO

There was some hint that long-term hormone therapy might have a benefit, but results weren't definitive

Women who use hormone therapy after menopause may not have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's, a new study suggests.

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Labels: study

Friday, February 17, 2017

U.K. Researchers Discover New Learning System That Could Help Treat Alzheimer’s

New insights into how nerve cells communicate to control learning and memory are likely to affect how researchers view, and treat, neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
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Thursday, February 16, 2017

Another Potential Alzheimer's Disease Treatment Bites the Dust: What's Next?

And another one bites the dust.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) announced on Tuesday that it was halting a phase 2/3 clinical study of  in treating Alzheimer's disease. This news marked the second major clinical failure in recent months by a big drugmaker for a disease that still has no effective treatment. Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) reported disappointing results for solanezumab in treating Alzheimer's disease in November.

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Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Why African-Americans are at greater risk for Alzheimer’s

Michelle Battle’s encounters with brain-related diseases has been chaotic. Both her parents were diagnosed with different forms of dementia.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Alzheimer’s research boosted by 21st Century Cures Act

Only five drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Alzheimer's, and those merely alleviate symptoms; they don't prevent, slow or reverse the disease. Photo Credit: Fotolia

Despite a 99 percent failure rate and a recent setback, Alzheimer’s researchers are plowing ahead with hundreds of experiments and a boost in federal money to try to crack a deadly disease that has flummoxed them for decades.

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Monday, February 13, 2017

Alzheimer’s may be linked to defective brain cells spreading disease

Neurons from a mouse spinal cord. (Photo credit: NICHD/S. Jeong)

Rutgers scientists say neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s may be linked to defective brain cells disposing toxic proteins that make neighboring cells sick.
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Sunday, February 12, 2017

6 unexpected ways to decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s

AP/Alastair Grant

As we age, our brains might start to get less sharp, making it harder to learn new things or remember key events.

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Saturday, February 11, 2017

7 Surprising Ways to Lower Your Dementia Risk

Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain, including devastating diseases like the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and lesser-known forms of dementia like Lewy body dementia. Even stroke can cause dementia.
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Friday, February 10, 2017

Immune-Related Protein Has Opposing Actions in Early and Late Stage Alzheimer’s in Mice

Removing a protein involved in neuroinflammation is beneficial in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease in mice. However, in late disease stages of the disease, this action has the opposite effect, according to an animal study that helps explain contradicting results observed in earlier research.
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Thursday, February 9, 2017

Alzheimer’s Onset and Progression May Be Linked to Subclinical Epileptic Activity

Epileptic activity appear to be more frequent in patients with Alzheimer’s disease than in healthy individuals and may be linked to disease progression, according to a recent study.
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Labels: study

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

After many disappointments, the search for Alzheimer’s drugs is more urgent than ever

Relatives gather around a dining room table as neurologist John Ringman gives a presentation about Alzheimer’s disease and current research in Riverside, Calif. (Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News)

Despite a 99 percent failure rate and a recent setback, Alzheimer’s researchers are plowing ahead with hundreds of experiments — and a boost in federal money — to try to crack a deadly disease that has flummoxed them for decades.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Want to Prevent Alzheimer’s? Eat Grapes!

Image Source: CURIOUSWINES

Word has spread through the grapevine of a new study by researchers at UCLA who found that consuming grapes twice a day for 6 months protected against a significant metabolic decline in Alzheimer-related areas of the brain in patients with early memory decline. Scientists have known for some time that low metabolic activity in these areas of the brain is a hallmark of early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Results from this randomized, controlled study show that a grape-enriched diet protected against the decline of metabolic activity.
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Monday, February 6, 2017

Ethics Review Urges Changes to Deep Brain Stimulation Trials for Alzheimer’s Disease

Trials of deep brain stimulation for Alzheimer’s disease bring with them unique ethical challenges that need to be addressed because these studies are progressing, researchers argue in a recent review article.
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Labels: study

Sunday, February 5, 2017

DHA Supplements Linked to Less Progression to Alzheimer's in APOE4 Carriers

High doses of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements may help prevent progression to dementia in people who carry the apolipoprotein ε4 allele (APOE4), a new review suggests.
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Saturday, February 4, 2017

Meditation, Music May Help Reverse Early Memory Loss in Adults with Alzheimer’s Risk

Meditating or listening to music may benefit adults with preclinical memory loss, including those at risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a new study found.
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Friday, February 3, 2017

Doctors stress taking medication during early-stages of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s specialists around the world are noticing an alarming trend: patients with early-stage disease aren’t being treated. They’re not taking provided medications and not getting early diagnosis; in fact, they could be making a bad situation worse down the road.

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Thursday, February 2, 2017

Can Air Pollution Heighten Alzheimer's Risk?

Image Source: BECUO

Fine particles from power plants and cars may be to blame for about 20 percent of cases, study suggests

Air pollution may cause more than just lung disease: New research suggests that if tiny particles in the air from power plants and cars are inhaled, they might also invade the brain, increasing the risk for dementia.
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Labels: study