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.

Cognigram can detect early signs of MCI and Alzheimer’s disease

For patients over the age of 50, a routine physical exam at the doctor’s office typically covers a wide spectrum of medical biomarkers with one glaring exception, cognitive health. Unless there have been unusual mental changes or challenges in their daily life, tests of a patient’s attention, memory or brain processing speed is usually not part of a check-up.

15 Jan 2014

Presence of gene variant in people with MCI associated with accelerated rates of brain atrophy

The presence of a gene variant in people with mild cognitive impairment is associated with accelerated rates of brain atrophy, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

15 Jan 2014

Ultrasound can modulate brain activity to heighten sensory perception in humans

Whales, bats, and even praying mantises use ultrasound as a sensory guidance system - and now a new study has found that ultrasound can modulate brain activity to heighten sensory perception in humans.

13 Jan 2014

At-home paper test can help spot early symptoms of cognitive issues

The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE test), which takes less than 15 minutes to complete, is a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive abilities. Findings by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center confirming the feasibility and efficiency of the tool for community screening large numbers of people are published in the January issue of The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.

13 Jan 2014

Researchers discover two genetic mutations associated with Familial Alzheimer's Disease

New research, led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researcher Chunyu Wang, has solved one mystery in the development of Familial Alzheimer's Disease (FAD), a genetic variant of the disease that affects a small fraction of the Alzheimer's population. In a paper published online January 6 in the journal Nature Communications, Wang and his team follow the trail of two genetic mutations - V44M and V44A - known to cause FAD, and show how the mutations lead to biochemical changes long linked to the disease.

13 Jan 2014

New technology efficiently transfers investigational antibodies from blood via blood-brain barrier

Today the scientific journal Neuron published results on the Roche-designed Brain Shuttle technology that efficiently transfers investigational antibodies from the blood through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the brain in preclinical models.

10 Jan 2014

Biogen Idec, Sangamo BioSciences partner to develop therapeutics for hemoglobinopathies

Biogen Idec and Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced today an exclusive worldwide collaboration and license agreement focused on the development of therapeutics for hemoglobinopathies, inherited conditions that result from the abnormal structure or underproduction of hemoglobin.

9 Jan 2014

NYSCF and ISMMS scientists successfully generate stem cell model of familial Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute in collaboration with scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai successfully generated a stem cell model of familial Alzheimer's disease.

8 Jan 2014

Epilepsy drug taken during pregnancy not linked with development problems for preschoolers

A new study finds that the epilepsy drug levetiracetam appears not to be associated with thinking, movement and language problems for preschool children born to mothers who took the drug during pregnancy, although the drug valproate was associated with some difficulties in preschoolers.

8 Jan 2014

Scientists believe that new links between brain cells help encode new memories and skills

In adults, some brain regions retain a "childlike" ability to establish new connections, potentially contributing to our ability to learn new skills and form new memories as we age, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle.

8 Jan 2014

Study shows ability to make living human cells from biobanked brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients

Scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute, working in collaboration with scientists from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), for the first time generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells lines from non-cryoprotected brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

7 Jan 2014

50% of Canadians with dementia are not diagnosed early enough

As many as 50 per cent of Canadians with dementia are not diagnosed early enough,* losing precious time when care and support can make a tremendous difference in their quality of life and avert unnecessary crises for their families.

7 Jan 2014

TauRx Therapeutics adds new research centers across U.S. for Alzheimer’s clinical trials

TauRx Therapeutics Ltd, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel treatment for Alzheimer's disease, has expanded its international clinical trials by adding new research centers across the U.S.

6 Jan 2014

AstraZeneca to take over Probiodrug's CDK9 inhibitor program

Probiodrug AG announced today the transfer of its experimental cyclin-dependent kinase 9 inhibitor program to AstraZeneca. The transaction includes the sale to AstraZeneca of a lead molecule and back-up compounds with the associated intellectual property. CDK9, which has been implicated in the transcriptional regulation of genes involved in proliferation and inflammation, is a promising target for the treatment of both cancer and inflammatory diseases.

3 Jan 2014

Shingles may increase risk of stroke in later life, study finds

Having shingles may increase the risk of having a stroke years later, according to research published in the January 2, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Jan 2014

Study: Alpha tocepherol, fat-soluble vitamin E, antioxidant may slow functional decline in AD patients

Difficulty with activities of daily living often affect Alzheimer's patients, which is estimated to affect as many as 5.1 million Americans. These issues are among the most taxing burdens of the disease for caregivers, which total about 5.4 million family members and friends.

1 Jan 2014

Researchers find inhibition of basic cellular process that contributes to schizophrenia

Surprisingly little is known about schizophrenia. It was only recognized as a medical condition in the past few decades, and its exact causes remain unclear. Since there is no objective test for schizophrenia, its diagnosis is based on an assortment of reported symptoms.

30 Dec 2013

Study: Cholesterol levels linked to early signs of Alzheimer's disease in the brain

High levels of "good" cholesterol and low levels of "bad" cholesterol are correlated with lower levels of the amyloid plaque deposition in the brain that is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, in a pattern that mirrors the relationship between good and bad cholesterol in cardiovascular disease, UC Davis researchers have found.

30 Dec 2013

MitoQ antioxidant reverses MS-like disease in animal

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered that an antioxidant designed more than a dozen years ago to fight damage within human cells significantly helps symptoms in mice that have a multiple sclerosis-like disease.

27 Dec 2013

Three foods can help prevent Alzheimer's disease

The number of Americans with Alzheimer's is projected to triple by 2050. While there isn't a cure for Alzheimer's, certain lifestyle changes can help prevent cognitive decline.

27 Dec 2013

Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

Further Reading

Cognigram can detect early signs of MCI and Alzheimer’s disease

Presence of gene variant in people with MCI associated with accelerated rates of brain atrophy

Ultrasound can modulate brain activity to heighten sensory perception in humans

At-home paper test can help spot early symptoms of cognitive issues

Researchers discover two genetic mutations associated with Familial Alzheimer's Disease

New technology efficiently transfers investigational antibodies from blood via blood-brain barrier

Biogen Idec, Sangamo BioSciences partner to develop therapeutics for hemoglobinopathies

NYSCF and ISMMS scientists successfully generate stem cell model of familial Alzheimer's disease

Epilepsy drug taken during pregnancy not linked with development problems for preschoolers

Scientists believe that new links between brain cells help encode new memories and skills

Study shows ability to make living human cells from biobanked brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients

50% of Canadians with dementia are not diagnosed early enough

TauRx Therapeutics adds new research centers across U.S. for Alzheimer’s clinical trials

AstraZeneca to take over Probiodrug's CDK9 inhibitor program

Shingles may increase risk of stroke in later life, study finds

Study: Alpha tocepherol, fat-soluble vitamin E, antioxidant may slow functional decline in AD patients

Researchers find inhibition of basic cellular process that contributes to schizophrenia

Study: Cholesterol levels linked to early signs of Alzheimer's disease in the brain

MitoQ antioxidant reverses MS-like disease in animal

Three foods can help prevent Alzheimer's disease

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