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.

Researchers discover how PC7 protein affects certain types of cognitive performance

A team of Montr-al researchers at the IRCM led by Dr. Nabil G. Seidah, in collaboration with Dr. William C. Wetsel's team at Duke University in the United States, discovered that the protein PC7 plays a critical role in the brain by affecting certain types of cognitive performance such as anxiety, learning and emotional memory. Their results, recently published in the scientific journals Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and Nature, could have a significant impact on regulating behaviour related to anxiety disorders and trauma.

4 Dec 2013

Philanthropist pledges $5M to fund new endowed chair in Alzheimer's disease research at Keck School

Los Angeles residents Selim Zilkha and Mary Hayley are raising the stakes in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot currently be prevented, cured or slowed.

4 Dec 2013

Combining neuroimaging and neuropsychology improves detection of Alzheimer's disease

By combining brain imaging analysis with a neuropsychological assessment, Sylvie Belleville achieved remarkable sensitivity and specificity. The level of accuracy of this classification system is the major breakthrough of the study. "When used individually, neuroimaging and neuropsychology are effective but only up to a certain point. It is when combining and analyzing the results from both methods that we could achieve such an exceptional level of accuracy," explained Sylvie Belleville.

4 Dec 2013

Researchers take important step towards development of future drugs for brain diseases

A successful joint collaboration between researchers at the Hebrew university of Jerusalem and the startup company TyrNovo may lead to a potential treatment of brain diseases. The researchers found that TyrNovo's novel and unique compound, named NT219, selectively inhibits the process of aging in order to protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases, without affecting lifespan. This is a first and important step towards the development of future drugs for the treatment of various neurodegenerative maladies.

4 Dec 2013

Research: Omega-3 fatty acids in dietary supplements can cross blood brain barrier in Alzheimer's patients

New research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that omega-3 fatty acids in dietary supplements can cross the blood brain barrier in people with Alzheimer's disease, affecting known markers for both the disease itself and inflammation.

4 Dec 2013

TSRI scientists discover natural mechanism that cells use to protect mitochondria

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a natural mechanism that cells use to protect mitochondria, the tiny but essential "power plants" that provide chemical energy for cells throughout the body. Damage to mitochondria is thought to be a significant factor in common neurodegenerative disorders, cancer and even the aging process. The TSRI researchers' discovery could lead to new methods for protecting mitochondria from such damage, thereby improving human health.

4 Dec 2013

New research suggests that Alzheimer's gene may begin to affect brains in childhood

People who carry a high-risk gene for Alzheimer's disease show changes in their brains beginning in childhood, decades before the illness appears, new research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health suggests.

3 Dec 2013

Scientists identify enzyme that could lead to better treatment of Alzheimer's disease

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified an enzyme that can halt or possibly even reverse the build-up of toxic protein fragments known as plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease. The research appeared in a recent edition of the scientific journal Nature Communications.

3 Dec 2013

3T MRI scanner allows Polish scientists to perform structural and functional imaging of human brain

The Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw launches research programs, which require state-of-the-art magnetic resonance scanner.

3 Dec 2013

Synaptic health in the brain closely linked to cognitive decline

Age-related cognitive decline and changes in the nervous system are closely linked, but up until recently, they were thought to result from the loss of neurons in areas such as the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain important in working memory.

3 Dec 2013

Sports concussions increase risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, says study

It's been widely reported that football and other contact sports increase the risk of a debilitating neurological condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

3 Dec 2013

Study: Diet low in vitamin D can cause free radical damage in brain

A new study led by University of Kentucky researchers suggests that a diet low in vitamin D causes damage to the brain.

2 Dec 2013

World-class Krembil Discovery Tower now opens in Canada

The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women congratulated Toronto Western Hospital today on the opening of the Krembil Discovery Tower, a facility dedicated to research excellence, training the next generation of medical professionals and improving health care for patients across Canada.

2 Dec 2013

Accumulation of small protein in brain’s blood vessels can drive early cognitive impairment

A team of Stony Brook University researchers led by William Van Nostrand, PhD, Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, has discovered in a model of Alzheimer's disease that early accumulation of a small protein, known as amyloid β, in the blood vessels of the brain can drive early cognitive impairment.

28 Nov 2013

Scientists find possible new treatment for people with spinal cord injuries

Scientists may have found a new treatment that can help people with spinal cord injuries walk better. The research is published in the November 27, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Nov 2013

Caregivers selected to receive the 2013 Shire BRAVE Awards

Selflessness, determination, courage and hope. These are among the qualities that describe the eighteen caregivers from around the world who have been selected as recipients of the 2013 Shire BRAVE Awards, an international program that honors the bravery and devotion of non-professional carers.

27 Nov 2013

International researchers report significant findings on vascular abnormality outside the brain

Studies on Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia have long focused on what's happening inside the brain. Now an international research team studying Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment is reporting potentially significant findings on a vascular abnormality outside the brain.

27 Nov 2013

Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease has joined cancer at the top of the list of feared diagnoses, and although Alzheimer's does have the potential to devastate millions of patients and families, there are reasons for hope - and possibly opportunities to reduce risk or alter the course of disease progression, according to Keith Black, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai.

26 Nov 2013

Study investigates connections between sleep problems and neurodegenerative conditions

A new discovery may help explain the surprisingly strong connections between sleep problems and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

26 Nov 2013

Researchers identify new mechanism that causes neurodegeneration

As we age, our body rhythms lose time before they finally stop. Breaking the body clock by genetically disrupting a core clock gene, Bmal1, in mice has long been known to accelerate aging , causing arthritis, hair loss, cataracts, and premature death.

26 Nov 2013

Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers discover how PC7 protein affects certain types of cognitive performance

Philanthropist pledges $5M to fund new endowed chair in Alzheimer's disease research at Keck School

Combining neuroimaging and neuropsychology improves detection of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers take important step towards development of future drugs for brain diseases

Research: Omega-3 fatty acids in dietary supplements can cross blood brain barrier in Alzheimer's patients

TSRI scientists discover natural mechanism that cells use to protect mitochondria

New research suggests that Alzheimer's gene may begin to affect brains in childhood

Scientists identify enzyme that could lead to better treatment of Alzheimer's disease

3T MRI scanner allows Polish scientists to perform structural and functional imaging of human brain

Synaptic health in the brain closely linked to cognitive decline

Sports concussions increase risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, says study

Study: Diet low in vitamin D can cause free radical damage in brain

World-class Krembil Discovery Tower now opens in Canada

Accumulation of small protein in brain’s blood vessels can drive early cognitive impairment

Scientists find possible new treatment for people with spinal cord injuries

Caregivers selected to receive the 2013 Shire BRAVE Awards

International researchers report significant findings on vascular abnormality outside the brain

Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease

Study investigates connections between sleep problems and neurodegenerative conditions

Researchers identify new mechanism that causes neurodegeneration

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