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.

Pathophysiological abnormalities in preclinical phase of AD may be detected using CSF or neuroimaging biomarkers

Both A- and tau pathology appear to be associated with default mode network integrity before clinical onset of Alzheimer disease (AD), according to a study by Liang Wang, M.D., and colleagues at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

20 Aug 2013

Pilots who fly at high altitudes may be at increased risk for brain lesions

A new study suggests that pilots who fly at high altitudes may be at an increased risk for brain lesions. The study is published in the August 20, 2013, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Aug 2013

Researchers study connections between brain network damage and Alzheimer's disease

In patients with early Alzheimer's disease, disruptions in brain networks emerge about the same time as chemical markers of the disease appear in the spinal fluid, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown.

20 Aug 2013

Copper enhances progression of Alzheimer's disease

Copper appears to be one of the main environmental factors that trigger the onset and enhance the progression of Alzheimer's disease by preventing the clearance and accelerating the accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain. That is the conclusion of a study appearing today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

20 Aug 2013

Scientists identify new therapeutic targets to inhibit progression of Alzheimer's disease

To stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease in the early stage, it is necessary to identify new therapeutic targets. Prof. Yunpeng Cao and team from the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University examined striatal-enriched phosphatase 61 expression in the brain tissues of Alzheimer's disease rats using in vivo and in vitro models, and analyzed the molecular mechanism by which striatal-enriched phosphatase 61 regulates N-methyl-D- aspartate receptor 2B transport.

17 Aug 2013

Novel potential biomarker present in CSF reveals signs of dementia decade before

A study published today reported the identification of what may be the earliest known biomarker associated with the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). The results suggest that this novel potential biomarker is present in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) at least a decade before signs of dementia manifest.

16 Aug 2013

Study suggests that about 70% of total Alzheimer's risk is hereditary

Alzheimer's, and intervene to reduce the risk of the disease? We may be closer to that goal, thanks to a team at the University of Kentucky. Researchers affiliated with the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging have completed new work in Alzheimer's genetics; the research is detailed in a paper published today in the Journal of Neuroscience.

16 Aug 2013

Professor receives Task Force on Minority Issues in Gerontology Outstanding Mentorship Award

The Gerontological Society of America - the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging - has chosen William E. Haley, PhD, of the University of South Florida as the 2013 recipient of the Task Force on Minority Issues in Gerontology Outstanding Mentorship Award.

16 Aug 2013

MOOCs courses offered by JHUSON concentrate on Dementia and TB

An aging population and an old health scourge are the driving forces behind two massive open online courses (MOOCs) being offered this fall by the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON).

14 Aug 2013

NIH awards $17M to research projects to investigate emerging field of exRNA

The National Institutes of Health announced today it will award $17 million this year for 24 research projects designed to improve scientists' understanding of a newly discovered type of cell-to-cell communication based on extracellular (outside the cell) RNA, also called exRNA.

14 Aug 2013

New research opens door for development of treatments capable of stopping Alzheimer's disease

New research just out in the journal Science Translational Medicine opens the door for the development of treatments capable of stopping Alzheimer's disease (AD) before its first symptoms, that is to say before any crucial damage occurs. In fact, if AD is a devastating disorder it is also an extremely slow one; it takes more than 10 years for the first symptoms to appear making this preclinical period (pre-symptoms) the ideal time to intervene.

13 Aug 2013

Cedars-Sinai launches Phase I clinical trial to study tolerability of immunization to treat Alzheimer's disease

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has launched a Phase I clinical trial to study the safety and tolerability of an experimental immunization to treat Alzheimer's disease. The treatment is based on Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), a drug often prescribed to reduce the frequency of multiple sclerosis relapses.

13 Aug 2013

Simple tests to recognize ability of famous people may help doctors identify early dementia

A new study suggests that simple tests that measure the ability to recognize and name famous people such as Albert Einstein, Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey may help doctors identify early dementia in those 40 to 65 years of age.

13 Aug 2013

Congress weighing changes to Medicare reimbursements for doctors

In other Medicare news, USA Today looks at the debate over whether the government should pay for Alzheimer's PET scans.

12 Aug 2013

L-3-n-butylphthalide is potentially beneficial drug for treatment of vascular dementia

3-N-butylphthalide, a green botanical medicine, is a successfully synthesized and stable chemical drug used for the treatment of ischemic stroke that has independent intellectual property rights in China.

12 Aug 2013

Neuroscientists discover protein associated with Alzheimer's Disease

A team of neuroscientists has identified a modification to a protein in laboratory mice linked to conditions associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Their findings, which appear in the journal Nature Neuroscience, also point to a potential therapeutic intervention for alleviating memory-related disorders.

12 Aug 2013

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and emotional memories: an interview with Dr. Fiona Kumfor and Assoc. Prof. Olivier Piguet, NeuRA

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder, which affects the frontal and temporal lobes. Unlike other types of dementia, it more commonly occurs in individuals in their 50s and 60s, and is therefore referred to as a “younger-onset dementia”.

9 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 9, 2013

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including Kathleen Sebelius' outreach to Texans and a look at Americans' comprehension of health insurance.

9 Aug 2013

Eisai's investigational compound receives orphan drug designation for cutaneous t-cell lymphoma

Eisai Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to its investigational compound (E7777) for cutaneous t-cell lymphoma. E7777 is designed to have an improved purity profile and manufacturing process.

9 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 8, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the proposed rule released Wednesday by the Obama administration allowing the government to continue to pay for a significant portion of health insurance for lawmakers and Hill staffers.

8 Aug 2013

Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

Further Reading

Pathophysiological abnormalities in preclinical phase of AD may be detected using CSF or neuroimaging biomarkers

Pilots who fly at high altitudes may be at increased risk for brain lesions

Researchers study connections between brain network damage and Alzheimer's disease

Copper enhances progression of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists identify new therapeutic targets to inhibit progression of Alzheimer's disease

Novel potential biomarker present in CSF reveals signs of dementia decade before

Study suggests that about 70% of total Alzheimer's risk is hereditary

Professor receives Task Force on Minority Issues in Gerontology Outstanding Mentorship Award

MOOCs courses offered by JHUSON concentrate on Dementia and TB

NIH awards $17M to research projects to investigate emerging field of exRNA

New research opens door for development of treatments capable of stopping Alzheimer's disease

Cedars-Sinai launches Phase I clinical trial to study tolerability of immunization to treat Alzheimer's disease

Simple tests to recognize ability of famous people may help doctors identify early dementia

Congress weighing changes to Medicare reimbursements for doctors

L-3-n-butylphthalide is potentially beneficial drug for treatment of vascular dementia

Neuroscientists discover protein associated with Alzheimer's Disease

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and emotional memories: an interview with Dr. Fiona Kumfor and Assoc. Prof. Olivier Piguet, NeuRA

First Edition: August 9, 2013

Eisai's investigational compound receives orphan drug designation for cutaneous t-cell lymphoma

First Edition: August 8, 2013

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