Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. In most people with AD, symptoms first appear after age 60. AD is the most common cause of dementia among older people, but it is not a normal part of aging. Dementia refers to a decline in cognitive function that interferes with daily life and activities. AD starts in a region of the brain that affects recent memory, then gradually spreads to other parts of the brain. Although treatment can slow the progression of AD and help manage its symptoms in some people, currently there is no cure for this devastating disease.

Three flutemetamol clinical abstracts to be presented at 2011 Alzheimer's Association ICAD

Recent clinical research data reported that the investigational amyloid imaging agent [18F]Flutemetamol showed highly consistent image interpretation1 and showed comparable in vitro binding to the Pittsburgh Compound-B investigational imaging agent3.

21 Jul 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb announces results of BMS-708163 Phase II study on Alzheimer's

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced the results of a Phase II study evaluating the safety and tolerability of the investigational gamma secretase inhibitor BMS-708163 in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.

21 Jul 2011

PrioNet Canada awards University of Western Ontario $600,000 to study neurodegenerative disorders

The University of Western Ontario is one of nine universities which will share 2.9 million dollars in research grants announced by PrioNet Canada to study Prion diseases and neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's.

21 Jul 2011

Diabetes gene linked to Alzheimer’s

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified a gene that causes diabetes kills nerve cells in the brain, possibly resulting in Alzheimer’s disease.

20 Jul 2011

Falling may be an early sign of Alzheimer's

In a new study presented at the Alzheimer's Association's annual International Conference in Paris it was reported that older people whose brain scans showed signs of amyloid plaques - an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease - but who were otherwise healthy, had twice the risk of falls as people without brain amyloid.

20 Jul 2011

Alzheimer’s risk transmitted from mother to offspring: Study report

According to preliminary research adults whose mothers develop late-onset Alzheimer's disease may have an increased risk for the disease, compared with children of dads with late-onset Alzheimer's. The findings were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2011.

20 Jul 2011

Antidepressants ineffective in Alzheimer’s: Study

According to a new study published in the medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday, two antidepressants that are commonly given to Alzheimer's disease patients appear not only to be ineffective but may give side effects such as nausea and drowsiness. Researchers urged doctors to think twice before prescribing these drugs to Alzheimer's patients with depression.

20 Jul 2011

Alzheimer’s risk reduced by healthy living: study

According to a new study leading a healthy lifestyle can help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Researchers said at Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Paris on Tuesday that the number of Alzheimer's cases could be cut in half if people exercise, eat well and stop smoking. Other risks include depression, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Education is also a factor, because illiteracy keeps brains from developing properly. The new findings have been published in the journal Lancet Neurology.

20 Jul 2011

Latest advances in Alzheimer's research presented at AAIC 2011

This week, more than 5,000 scientists from around the world gathered in Paris to report the latest advances in Alzheimer's research at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2011.

20 Jul 2011

Inherited forms of Alzheimer's can be detected years before dementia develops

Inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease may be detectable as many as 20 years before problems with memory and thinking develop, scientists will report July 20, 2011, at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Paris.

20 Jul 2011

Scientists discover new dominant gene linked to Parkinson's

The newly discovered gene is known as VPS35, the sixth one which has been associated with Parkinson's disease and the third dominant gene.

20 Jul 2011

U.S. News ranks Mount Sinai Medical Center among America's Best Hospitals for 2011-2012

Mount Sinai Medical Center is among the nation's top hospitals for the fifth year in a row according to U.S. News & World Report's 2011-2012 Best Hospitals. Mount Sinai was the only hospital in South Florida to receive a prestigious national ranking in geriatric care and one of only three hospitals in South Florida to rank on a national level.

20 Jul 2011

Regular physical activity may reduce rates of cognitive impairment in older adults

Engaging in regular physical activity is associated with less decline in cognitive function in older adults, according to two studies published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

20 Jul 2011

People with small hippocampus do not face higher risk of depression

Imaging studies have repeatedly found that people with depression have smaller hippocampal volumes than healthy individuals. The hippocampus is a brain region involved in learning and memory, spatial navigation, and the evaluation of complex life situations or "contexts".

20 Jul 2011

Falls, balance problems linked to early stages of Alzheimer's

Falls and balance problems may be early indicators of Alzheimer's disease, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reported July 17, 2011, at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Paris.

20 Jul 2011

Insight into global incidence and prevalence of mild cognitive impairment

New research reported today in Paris at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2011 (AAIC 2011) offers insight on the global incidence and prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) – a condition involving problems with memory or another mental function severe enough to be noticeable to the affected person or to others but not serious enough to interfere with daily life.

19 Jul 2011

Scientists discover cholesterol moves far slower within and between cells

Neutrons have shown the movement of cholesterol between and within cells takes far longer than previously thought. Findings could impact the treatment of a range of diseases linked to abnormal rates of cholesterol transfer.

19 Jul 2011

Scientists identify new inherited form of Parkinson's disease

Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München working in cooperation with the Medical University of Vienna have identified a mutation associated with a inherited form of late-onset Parkinson's disease.

19 Jul 2011

Simple lifestyle changes could prevent half of all Alzheimer's disease cases

Over half of all Alzheimer's disease cases could potentially be prevented through lifestyle changes and treatment or prevention of chronic medical conditions, according to a study led by Deborah Barnes, PhD, a mental health researcher at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

19 Jul 2011

Preliminary data from Amorfix human diagnostic test for Alzheimer's presented at ICAD

Amorfix Life Sciences, a product development company focused on diagnostics and therapeutics for misfolded protein diseases, presented a paper on Sunday July 17th, 2011 at the International Conference on Alzheimer's disease in Paris, France.

19 Jul 2011