Cognitive Function News and Research

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Cognition is a concept used in different ways by different disciplines, but is generally accepted to mean the process of thought. For example, in psychology and cognitive science it refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological functions.

New findings suggest Ginkgo extract can improve cognitive functions

"Ginkgo biloba not only improves declining memory but offers specific benefits for other cognitive functions as well" that's how Dr. Reiner Kaschel, Clinical Neuropsychologist at the University of Osnabrueck, Germany, summarizes the results of a comprehensive new scientific publication.

9 Dec 2009

National Institute on Aging awards grant to study age-related brain disorders

Dr. Rong Zhang, a researcher at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, has been awarded a four-year grant from the National Institute on Aging to research the connection between exercise and brain function as people age.

9 Dec 2009

Amino acids can improve cognitive function in patients with severe brain injuries

Neurology researchers have shown that feeding amino acids to brain-injured animals restores their cognitive abilities and may set the stage for the first effective treatment for cognitive impairments suffered by people with traumatic brain injuries.

8 Dec 2009

New research discovers link between HIV-related cognitive deficits and Alzheimer's-related dementia

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.

8 Dec 2009

UCB presents data on Vimpat AED at AES meeting

UCB today announced new findings on its antiepileptic drug (AED) Vimpat® that offer additional clinical evidence supporting the use of this AED as adjunctive therapy in adult patients with partial-onset seizures. Results of presented research demonstrate sustained efficacy in adult patients taking Vimpat® for up to three years, and a consistent long-term tolerability profile.

7 Dec 2009

CCI patients discharged from hospitals on ventilator support fare poorly four months later, says study

Patients, discharged from hospitals on ventilator support and with cognitive impairments, fare poorly four months later. Researchers from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University report these findings in American Journal of Critical Care.

4 Dec 2009

Repeated use of ecstasy drug increases the risk of developing sleep apnea

Repeated use of the drug popularly known as "ecstasy" significantly raises the risk of developing sleep apnea in otherwise healthy young adults with no other known risk factors for the sleep disturbance, a new study by Johns Hopkins scientists suggests.

2 Dec 2009

DiaMedica to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Sanomune

DiaMedica Inc. (TSX VENTURE:DMA)("Diamedica"), a biopharmaceutical company that has discovered and is developing a novel approach to treating diabetes, announces it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Sanomune Inc.

2 Dec 2009

Cognitive declines not linked to surgery in older adults, say researchers

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.

20 Nov 2009

Phase 2 clinical trial to test gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's disease

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.

18 Nov 2009

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.

17 Nov 2009

Mount Sinai School of Medicine to participate in Phase 2 clinical trial to test gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's disease

17 Nov 2009

Ketamine use increasing faster than any other drug in the UK, shows research

The first ever large-scale, longitudinal study of ketamine users has been published online today in the journal Addiction. With Ketamine (K, Special K) use increasing faster than any other drug in the UK (British Crime Survey, 2008) this research showing the consequences of repeated ketamine use provides valuable information for users and addiction professionals alike.

16 Nov 2009

Individuals with weaker muscles face higher 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.

10 Nov 2009

Low-fat diet improves mood and memory skills, says new study

After one year, a low-calorie, low-fat diet appears more beneficial to dieters' mood than a low-carbohydrate plan with the same number of calories, according to a report in the November 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Nov 2009

CABG completed "off-pump" has no advantages in patient outcomes: Study

A study of 2,203 cardiac surgery patients from Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers nationwide revealed that coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) completed "off-pump," meaning without a heart-lung machine, had no advantages in patient outcomes compared to the traditional "on-pump" procedure.

6 Nov 2009

New study to assess preventative brain radiation therapy for lung cancer patients

A new study is taking a closer look at the benefits versus risks for lung cancer patients to undergo preventative brain radiation therapy as a means to stop cancer from spreading to the brain.

3 Nov 2009

Seaside Therapeutics commences STX107 Phase 1 clinical trial for Fragile X Syndrome

Seaside Therapeutics LLC today announced that the Company has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of STX107, a highly potent, selective mGluR5 antagonist, in development for the treatment of Fragile X Syndrome. The single ascending dose study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of STX107 in healthy volunteers. Fragile X Syndrome is the most common inherited form of mental impairment and the most common known cause of autism.

3 Nov 2009

Study: Gene therapy can reduce symptoms of Huntington's disease

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling the development of Huntington's disease in a variety of mouse models.

31 Oct 2009

VIVUS presents additional data on Qnexa Phase 3 trials

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that additional data on Qnexa(TM), an investigational drug candidate for obesity, was presented at the 27th annual scientific meeting of The Obesity Society (TOS) in Washington D.C. Wesley W. Day, PhD, vice president of clinical development at VIVUS, presented the additional data from the company's two year-long phase 3 obesity trials during the Pharmacotherapy Update portion of the pre-conference on October 24, 2009.

30 Oct 2009