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.

Japanese scientists develop method to isolate anti-Alzheimer's compounds from plants

Japanese scientists have developed a method to isolate and identify active compounds in plant medicines, which accurately accounts for drug behavior in the body.

20 Jun 2017

Research provides insight into role of APP gene variant in Alzheimer’s disease

New research from the University of Eastern Finland shows that the APP gene variant protecting against Alzheimer's disease significantly decreases plasma beta-amyloid levels in a population cohort.

20 Jun 2017

Researchers discover single microglial protein that regulates AD risk genes

Genetic studies have turned up numerous genes linked to Alzheimer's disease, but in most cases, researchers have no idea how the genes raise or lower risk.

19 Jun 2017

AAN hosts free bike helmet giveaway in Minneapolis to raise awareness of head injuries

For a sixth consecutive year, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) will be giving away 1,000 bike helmets to children and adults on Saturday, June 17, 2017, at the Mill City Farmers Market.

16 Jun 2017

Viral vectors for gene transfer can travel to distant areas in the brain, study shows

Gene transfer is seen as a hopeful therapy for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients. The approach involves using harmless laboratory-produced viruses to introduce important genes into the brain cells.

16 Jun 2017

Near-atomic resolution 3D snapshots show how key biological machine unfolds problematic proteins

Hand over hand. That's how new, near-atomic resolution, 3-D snapshots show that a key biological machine unfolds a ribbon of protein through its central channel.

16 Jun 2017

Uncontrolled brain activity may lead to memory and attentional impairments, review suggests

Potential new ways of understanding the cause of cognitive impairments, such as problems with memory and attention, in brain disorders including schizophrenia and Alzheimer's are under the spotlight in a new research review.

15 Jun 2017

Research suggests how malformed proteins linked to Parkinson’s could spread from the gut to the brain

Recent research on Parkinson's disease has focused on the gut-brain connection, examining patients' gut bacteria, and even how severing the vagus nerve connecting the stomach and brain might protect some people from the debilitating disease.

15 Jun 2017

Study reveals early indication of Alzheimer’s in adults with normal cognition

A new study led by the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (USC) reveals that older adults with elevated levels of brain-clogging plaques, yet normal cognition, experience faster mental decline, suggestive of Alzheimer's disease. The study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association on June 13 presented the earliest precursor—the toxic and sticky protein as part of the disease, before symptoms arise.

15 Jun 2017

Amount of amyloid plaques in the brain predicts rate of cognitive decline, study finds

A new study from the Center for Vital Longevity at The University of Texas at Dallas has found that the amount of amyloid plaques in a person's brain predicts the rate at which his or her cognition will decline in the next four years.

15 Jun 2017

New data reveals increase in rate of deaths from Alzheimer's disease

The rate of death from Alzheimer's disease in the United States increased by more than 50 percent in the past 15 years, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

15 Jun 2017

Telemedicine may be as effective as in-person visit for treatment of headache

For people with headache, seeing the neurologist by video for treatment may be as effective as an in-person visit, according to a study published in the June 14, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

15 Jun 2017

Swedish researchers estimate effects of solitary living on health care for Alzheimer's disease patients

Swedish researchers report in an article published in the Journal of Alzheimer´s Disease that 46% of patients who are diagnosed with Alzheimer´s disease in Sweden live alone in their homes, in particular older women.

14 Jun 2017

New research uncovers subcellular-level changes in the brain after concussion

New research has uncovered details about subcellular-level changes in the brain after concussion that could one day lead to improved treatment.

14 Jun 2017

USC scientists illuminate impact of early brain-clogging plaques on Alzheimer's disease

Older adults with elevated levels of brain-clogging plaques -- but otherwise normal cognition -- experience faster mental decline suggestive of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC that looked at 10 years of data.

13 Jun 2017

Pyk2 deficits contribute to memory problems in Huntington’s disease mouse model

Researchers from the Institute of Neurosciences of the UB and from IDIBAPS together with a team from the University Pierre and Marie Curie and the Institute du Fer à Moulin, published a study in Nature Communications, which demonstrates that the regulation in Pyk2, a protein-tyrosine kinase, causes alterations of the synaptic plasticity involved in memory tasks, associated with the hippocampus in mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's.

13 Jun 2017

Poor diet may fuel Alzheimer's in people who carry disease-related gene

A diet high in cholesterol, fat and sugar may influence the development of Alzheimer's disease in people who carry the ApoE4 gene, a leading risk factor for the memory-erasing disease, indicates a new USC study.

13 Jun 2017

Single bout of exercise can have significant positive behavioral and cognitive effects

In a new review of the effects of acute exercise published in Brain Plasticity, researchers not only summarize the behavioral and cognitive effects of a single bout of exercise, but also summarize data from a large number of neurophysiological and neurochemical studies in both humans and animals showing the wide range of brain changes that result from a single session of physical exercise.

12 Jun 2017

Researchers identify new circulating compounds linked to risk of developing AD and dementia

In one of the largest studies to date to use metabolomics, the study of compounds that are created through various chemical reactions in the body, researchers have been able to identify new circulating compounds associated with the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

12 Jun 2017

Radiation therapy critical to treating brain tumors, but linked to significant adverse effects

Radiation therapy using high-energy particles, like x-rays or electron beams, is a common and critical component in successfully treating patients with brain tumors, but it is also associated with significant adverse effects, such as neuronal loss in adjacent healthy tissues.

9 Jun 2017

Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

Further Reading

Japanese scientists develop method to isolate anti-Alzheimer's compounds from plants

Research provides insight into role of APP gene variant in Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers discover single microglial protein that regulates AD risk genes

AAN hosts free bike helmet giveaway in Minneapolis to raise awareness of head injuries

Viral vectors for gene transfer can travel to distant areas in the brain, study shows

Near-atomic resolution 3D snapshots show how key biological machine unfolds problematic proteins

Uncontrolled brain activity may lead to memory and attentional impairments, review suggests

Research suggests how malformed proteins linked to Parkinson’s could spread from the gut to the brain

Study reveals early indication of Alzheimer’s in adults with normal cognition

Amount of amyloid plaques in the brain predicts rate of cognitive decline, study finds

New data reveals increase in rate of deaths from Alzheimer's disease

Telemedicine may be as effective as in-person visit for treatment of headache

Swedish researchers estimate effects of solitary living on health care for Alzheimer's disease patients

New research uncovers subcellular-level changes in the brain after concussion

USC scientists illuminate impact of early brain-clogging plaques on Alzheimer's disease

Pyk2 deficits contribute to memory problems in Huntington’s disease mouse model

Poor diet may fuel Alzheimer's in people who carry disease-related gene

Single bout of exercise can have significant positive behavioral and cognitive effects

Researchers identify new circulating compounds linked to risk of developing AD and dementia

Radiation therapy critical to treating brain tumors, but linked to significant adverse effects

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