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.

Testing ability to recognize, remember odors may help identify people at risk for Alzheimer's disease

A non-invasive protocol testing the ability to recognize, remember and distinguish between odors was able to identify older individuals who - according to genetic, imaging and more detailed memory tests - were at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.

15 Nov 2016

Statins can help prevent first time heart attacks, strokes in adults with cardiovascular risk factors

Cholesterol-lowering drugs help prevent heart attacks and strokes in adults with cardiovascular risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking, but have not yet had a heart attack or stroke, according to a large-scale analysis of clinical trial data led by the OHSU Pacific Northwest Evidence-Based Practice Center.

14 Nov 2016

Study finds long-term use of transdermal opioid patches twice as common among Alzheimer's patients

Approximately seven per cent of persons with Alzheimer's disease use strong pain medicines, opioids, for non-cancer pain for a period longer than six months, according to a recent study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland.

14 Nov 2016

Rice University scientists uncover new clues to cause of Huntington's disease

Rice University scientists have uncovered new details about how a repeating nucleotide sequence in the gene for a mutant protein may trigger Huntington's and other neurological diseases.

11 Nov 2016

Statistical analysis reveals possible scientific misconduct in some bone health studies

A new study suggests probable scientific misconduct in at least some of 33 bone health trials published in various medical journals.

10 Nov 2016

KU research on physical activity could be key to designing interventions for people with early AD

For older adults, physical activity is apt to shield against cognitive decline and forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Yet, as people age and some experience cognitive impairment, they tend to become less physically active.

9 Nov 2016

Study elucidates why women have higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than men

Women have a two-fold higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than men, yet strikingly little is known about how changes in brain function promote this difference -- and how early in midlife those changes can be detected.

9 Nov 2016

Research reveals mechanism behind progression of neurodegenerative diseases in the brain

Synapses, the place where brain cells contact one another, play a pivotal role in the transmission of toxic proteins. This allows neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's to spread through the brain.

9 Nov 2016

Scientists investigate role of mitochondria in Alzheimer's disease pathology

On Nov. 25, 1901, a 51-year-old woman is admitted to a hospital in Frankfurt, Germany, displaying a bizarre constellation of symptoms.

8 Nov 2016

Llama antibodies can detect cerebral lesions that characterize Alzheimer's disease

The major challenge facing physicians treating Alzheimer's is the ability to detect markers of the disease as early as possible. These markers, located in the brain, are difficult to access, hampering diagnosis.

4 Nov 2016

Lack of shrinkage in the hippocampus may help predict people at risk for dementia with Lewy bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies is a progressive disease that causes hallucinations, decline in mental abilities, rigid muscles, slow movement and tremors. With symptoms similar to Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, a correct diagnosis can be difficult.

3 Nov 2016

Brain inflammation may have direct involvement in development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

For the first time, researchers have shown that inflammation in the brain may have direct involvement in the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In addition, they found that the number of years one plays contact sports may predict the occurrence of CTE and that this association is partly due to increased inflammation in the brain.

3 Nov 2016

Lack of brain shrinkage may help identify people at risk for dementia with Lewy bodies

A lack of shrinkage in the area of the brain responsible for memory may be a sign that people with thinking and memory problems may go on to develop dementia with Lewy bodies rather than Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study published in the November 2, 2016, online issue of Neurology, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Nov 2016

Research findings offer detailed insight into mechanics of learning

Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin can now map what happens neurologically when new information influences a person to change his or her mind, a finding that offers more insight into the mechanics of learning.

2 Nov 2016

New imaging compound could help identify signs of early-stage Alzheimer's disease

By the time unambiguous signs of memory loss and cognitive decline appear in people with Alzheimer's disease, their brains already are significantly damaged, dotted with clumps of a destructive protein known as amyloid beta.

2 Nov 2016

Distinct structures of tau protein aggregates may help determine type of dementia, study shows

The distinct structures of toxic protein aggregates that form in degenerating brains determine which type of dementia will occur, which regions of brain will be affected, and how quickly the disease will spread, according to a study from the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.

31 Oct 2016

Ionizing radiation may be confounding factor in Alzheimer's disease, study suggests

More humans than ever are exposed to higher levels of ionizing radiation from medical equipment, airplanes, etc. A new study suggests that this kind of radiation may be a confounding factor in the neurodegenerative disease Alzheimer´s.

27 Oct 2016

Researchers develop novel tool to predict person's chance of survival after gunshot wounds

Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind tool to help predict a person's chance of survival after a gunshot wound in the head or other penetrating injury, according to a new study published in the October 26, 2016, online issue of Neurology, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Oct 2016

High blood pressure in middle age could be potential risk factor for Alzheimer's disease

High blood pressure in middle age can lead to impaired cognition and is a potential risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, according to a statement from the American Heart Association co-authored by Loyola Medicine neurologist José Biller, MD.

26 Oct 2016

Omega-3 fatty acids could promote clearance of metabolites in the brain, research shows

New research published online in The FASEB Journal suggests that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, could improve the function of the glymphatic system, which facilitates the clearance of waste from the brain, and promote the clearance of metabolites including amyloid-β peptides, a primary culprit in Alzheimer's disease.

26 Oct 2016

Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

Further Reading

Testing ability to recognize, remember odors may help identify people at risk for Alzheimer's disease

Statins can help prevent first time heart attacks, strokes in adults with cardiovascular risk factors

Study finds long-term use of transdermal opioid patches twice as common among Alzheimer's patients

Rice University scientists uncover new clues to cause of Huntington's disease

Statistical analysis reveals possible scientific misconduct in some bone health studies

KU research on physical activity could be key to designing interventions for people with early AD

Study elucidates why women have higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than men

Research reveals mechanism behind progression of neurodegenerative diseases in the brain

Scientists investigate role of mitochondria in Alzheimer's disease pathology

Llama antibodies can detect cerebral lesions that characterize Alzheimer's disease

Lack of shrinkage in the hippocampus may help predict people at risk for dementia with Lewy bodies

Brain inflammation may have direct involvement in development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Lack of brain shrinkage may help identify people at risk for dementia with Lewy bodies

Research findings offer detailed insight into mechanics of learning

New imaging compound could help identify signs of early-stage Alzheimer's disease

Distinct structures of tau protein aggregates may help determine type of dementia, study shows

Ionizing radiation may be confounding factor in Alzheimer's disease, study suggests

Researchers develop novel tool to predict person's chance of survival after gunshot wounds

High blood pressure in middle age could be potential risk factor for Alzheimer's disease

Omega-3 fatty acids could promote clearance of metabolites in the brain, research shows

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