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.

Common antihistamine may partially reverse damage to visual system in multiple sclerosis patients

A common antihistamine used to treat symptoms of allergies and the common cold, called clemastine fumarate, partially reversed damage to the visual system in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to 21, 2016.

13 Apr 2016

Rush awarded $14.5 million NIA grant to study effects of MIND diet on Alzheimer's disease

Can a particular diet prevent Alzheimer's disease? The National Institute of Aging has invested heavily in Rush University Medical Center to try to find out.

13 Apr 2016

Biopsy of submandibular gland can help identify pathology of Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies

Accurate diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, and the related disease "dementia with Lewy bodies," can be difficult in the early stages of both conditions. While brain biopsies can be more accurate, the risk of complications has been considered too high. New research published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease indicates that a biopsy of the submandibular gland can help identify the same pathology that is seen in the brain, providing some of the increased accuracy of brain biopsy, but not the increased risk.

12 Apr 2016

Six newly identified proteins may help potentially unlock new insights into aging-related diseases

A group of six newly discovered proteins may help to divulge secrets of how we age, potentially unlocking new insights into diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer, and other aging-related diseases.

12 Apr 2016

Abnormally active Rab5 protein leads to early development of neurodegenerative disease

Writing in the April 11 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say abnormalities in a protein that helps transport and sort materials inside cells are linked to axonal dysfunction and degeneration of neurons in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down syndrome (DS).

12 Apr 2016

Glial cells can modulate specific nerve endings in the brain, find Rockefeller scientists

More than half of our brains are made up of glial cells, which wrap around nerve fibers and insulate them--similarly to how the plastic casing of an electric cable insulates the copper wire within--allowing electrical and chemical impulses to travel faster.

12 Apr 2016

Cornell researchers discover potential way to penetrate blood brain barrier

Cornell researchers have discovered a way to penetrate the blood brain barrier (BBB) that may soon permit delivery of drugs directly into the brain to treat disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and chemotherapy-resistant cancers.

11 Apr 2016

Zika virus may be linked to autoimmune disorder that attacks the brain's myelin

The Zika virus may be associated with an autoimmune disorder that attacks the brain's myelin similar to multiple sclerosis, according to a small study that is being released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to 21, 2016.

11 Apr 2016

Chemists design set of molecules that promote microscopic, anatomical changes in neurons

Chemists at the University of California San Diego have designed a set of molecules that promote microscopic, anatomical changes in neurons associated with the formation and retention of memories. These drug candidates also prevent deterioration of the same neuronal structures in the presence of amyloid-beta, a protein fragment that accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

11 Apr 2016

Alzheimer's disease impairs visual face perception beyond causing memory problems

A recent study has demonstrated that, beyond causing memory problems, Alzheimer's disease also impairs visual face perception. This finding may help families better understand their loved one's inevitable difficulties and lead to new avenues to postpone this painful aspect of the disease, such as the recognition of particular facial traits or voice recognition.

11 Apr 2016

Taking epilepsy drug during pregnancy may not increase risk of birth defects

Babies born to pregnant women taking the epilepsy drug lamotrigine may not be at an increased risk of birth defects, such as cleft lip, cleft palate or clubfoot, according to a study published in the April 6, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Apr 2016

Leading entrepreneurs, innovators to take part in Royal Society of Medicine's 12th Medical Innovations Summit

A group of leading entrepreneurs and innovators will be gathering at the Royal Society of Medicine on Saturday 16 April to take part in the Society’s 12th Medical Innovations Summit. Providing a twice-yearly platform for the presentation and discussion of inspirational ideas and developments in the field of medicine and healthcare, the Summits encourage innovators at the very beginning of their careers, as well as established clinicians and academics.

4 Apr 2016

Mimicry may be useful tool to help Alzheimer's patients regain lost abilities

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Alzheimer's Association. There is no cure and no way to slow or prevent the illness. But, patients can still benefit from both physical and cognitive rehabilitation, and researchers are learning that mimicry may be a useful tool to help them regain lost abilities.

2 Apr 2016

Researchers uncover vital clues of how the brain erases long term memories

Vital clues about how the brain erases long term memories have been uncovered by researchers. The study in rats reveals how forgetting can be the result of an active deletion process rather than a failure to remember.

2 Apr 2016

Commonly used fungicides could cause gene expression changes in brain cells

Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have found a class of commonly used fungicides that produce gene expression changes similar to those in people with autism and neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease.

31 Mar 2016

DNA changes may affect a person's lifespan

Scientists have identified DNA changes that can cut a person's lifespan by up to three years.

31 Mar 2016

Right side of the brain reorganizes itself after stroke to help recover speech-motor functions

New research suggests that looking at structures in the right side of the brain may help predict who will better recover from language problems after a stroke, according to a study published in Neurology, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

31 Mar 2016

Researchers clarify potential transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease

MedUni Vienna researchers have published the results of a clarifying research study on the potential transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease. Although the protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-β, might be transmissible under very unusual circumstances, this does not go along with a transmission of the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease. The affected persons develop no clinical symptoms of the disease.

29 Mar 2016

Higher aortic stiffness associated with reduced white matter volume among young adults

A large, multi-center study led by the UC Davis School of Medicine for the first time has shown that people as young as their 40s have stiffening of the arteries that is associated with subtle structural damage to the brain that is implicated in cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease later in life.

29 Mar 2016

Oregon's new birth control law could improve access to all forms of contraception

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, University of Minnesota School of Public Health and George Mason University applaud Oregon's new birth control law which allows women age 18 or older to obtain some methods of hormonal contraception directly from pharmacies, without having to visit a prescribing clinician, yet note how the law could go even further to improve access to all forms of contraception, according to a viewpoint article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association today.

29 Mar 2016

Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

Further Reading

Common antihistamine may partially reverse damage to visual system in multiple sclerosis patients

Rush awarded $14.5 million NIA grant to study effects of MIND diet on Alzheimer's disease

Biopsy of submandibular gland can help identify pathology of Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies

Six newly identified proteins may help potentially unlock new insights into aging-related diseases

Abnormally active Rab5 protein leads to early development of neurodegenerative disease

Glial cells can modulate specific nerve endings in the brain, find Rockefeller scientists

Cornell researchers discover potential way to penetrate blood brain barrier

Zika virus may be linked to autoimmune disorder that attacks the brain's myelin

Chemists design set of molecules that promote microscopic, anatomical changes in neurons

Alzheimer's disease impairs visual face perception beyond causing memory problems

Taking epilepsy drug during pregnancy may not increase risk of birth defects

Leading entrepreneurs, innovators to take part in Royal Society of Medicine's 12th Medical Innovations Summit

Mimicry may be useful tool to help Alzheimer's patients regain lost abilities

Researchers uncover vital clues of how the brain erases long term memories

Commonly used fungicides could cause gene expression changes in brain cells

DNA changes may affect a person's lifespan

Right side of the brain reorganizes itself after stroke to help recover speech-motor functions

Researchers clarify potential transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease

Higher aortic stiffness associated with reduced white matter volume among young adults

Oregon's new birth control law could improve access to all forms of contraception

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