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.

First study of the emotional turmoil caregivers experience during the transition of their loved one from home to care facilities

A new study shows that caregivers of dementia patients who must make the difficult decision to place their relatives into institutionalized care get no relief from depression and anxiety, and in fact suffer additional emotional trauma following their decision.

26 Aug 2004

Mission to uncover the genetic make-up of Britain

The researchers will take blood from thousands of volunteers all over Britain. The samples will be used to isolate key pieces of DNA that best identify the influences – including Vikings, Saxons, and Celts – shaping regional populations.

26 Aug 2004

Clearing toxins in the brains of Alzheimer's patients can stave off future reductions in cognitive abilities

The ever-slowing capacity to clear the build-up of such toxins as isoprostanes and misfolded proteins that accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients causes the death of cells involved in memory and language.

23 Aug 2004

Study finds no link between dental amalgam fillings containing mercury and disease

A new study into whether dental amalgam fillings containing mercury are hazardous to health has found little evidence of an association between amalgam and disease.

23 Aug 2004

Effectiveness of gingko to treat early dementia

Researchers in London are to explore the effectiveness of gingko, a complementary medicine traditionally used to treat circulatory problems, as a treatment for early dementia.

23 Aug 2004

People with type 2 diabetes could benefit from atorvastatin

Results of a randomised trial in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest that people with type 2 diabetes could benefit from cholesterol-lowering therapy with statins to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, even when they do not have high cholesterol concentrations.

20 Aug 2004

Increased dementia risk after stroke

One in four stroke victims will suffer from cognitive impairment severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia within three to six months of the attack, according to new research from the University of New South Wales.

20 Aug 2004

Sea snail offers natural healing powers for a range of illnesses from chronic pain to diseases of the brain

A beautiful, but often deadly, snail from the sea has been revealed as a largely untapped source of natural healing powers for a range of illnesses from chronic pain to diseases of the brain.

20 Aug 2004

Authors redefine aging as any change in an organism over time

Voyager Pharmaceutical have announced the publication of a paper co-authored by its chief scientist, Richard Bowen, M.D., and Craig Atwood, Ph.D., research director of the University of Wisconsin Memory Research Program and the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute.

18 Aug 2004

Zinc plays a crucial role in blindness

Dartmouth Medical School researchers in their quest to find cures for inherited diseases have found that zinc plays a crucial role in blindness in over one million people worldwide.

18 Aug 2004

Public scandal - People with Alzheimer’s disease being denied essential drug treatments

People with Alzheimer’s disease will be denied essential drug treatments as part of a new cost-cutting exercise being considered by East Sussex County Healthcare Trust.

17 Aug 2004

The prion appears to function as an evolutionary stepping stone

“This prion,” explains Lindquist, “has a capacity to hide and release genetic information throughout the entire genome that can contribute to new traits in a complex way.”

16 Aug 2004

Study on RNAi technology targeting neurodegenerative diseases

Sirna Therapeutics has announced the publication of preclinical studies evaluating RNA interference-based therapies for a class of inherited neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) in the current issue of Nature Medicine.

16 Aug 2004

British team and NASA plan to take stem cells into space

The $US1 million project aims to explore ways to protect astronauts from space radiation in preparation for a manned mission to Mars in 2020.

12 Aug 2004

Alzheimer’s sufferers are more likely to have jobs that are less mentally challenging than people without Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's is a progressive form of presenile dementia that is similar to senile dementia except that it usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete helplessness

9 Aug 2004

Approval of Cymbalta for treatment of major depressive disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Cymbalta® (duloxetine HCl; pronounced SIM-BALL-TA), judging it a safe and effective treatment for major depressive disorder, Eli Lilly and Company have announced.

5 Aug 2004

Nogo protein may control the progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers in the Department of Neurosciences at The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute have found that Nogo, a protein known for its ability to regulate nerve regeneration, may control the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

3 Aug 2004

Study evaluated the ability of vitamin E and Aricept, to delay the progression of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers in the neurology department in the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson participated in a study that evaluated the ability of vitamin E and donepezil hydrochloride, marketed as Aricept, to delay the progression of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease.

2 Aug 2004

Scientists have produced a prion protein that can trigger the development of a neurological disorder similar to "mad cow" disease

Scientists have produced a prion protein that can trigger the development of a neurological disorder in mice that is similar to "mad cow" disease, according to a new study supported by the National Institute on Aging, a part of the National Institutes of Health.

2 Aug 2004

Adenosine triphosphate is a culprit in causing the devastating damage of spinal cord injury

ATP - adenosine triphosphate, the vital energy source that keeps our body’s cells alive, runs amok at the site of a spinal cord injury, pouring into the area around the wound and killing the cells that normally allow us to move, scientists report in the cover story of the August issue of Nature Medicine.

29 Jul 2004

Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

Further Reading

First study of the emotional turmoil caregivers experience during the transition of their loved one from home to care facilities

Mission to uncover the genetic make-up of Britain

Clearing toxins in the brains of Alzheimer's patients can stave off future reductions in cognitive abilities

Study finds no link between dental amalgam fillings containing mercury and disease

Effectiveness of gingko to treat early dementia

People with type 2 diabetes could benefit from atorvastatin

Increased dementia risk after stroke

Sea snail offers natural healing powers for a range of illnesses from chronic pain to diseases of the brain

Authors redefine aging as any change in an organism over time

Zinc plays a crucial role in blindness

Public scandal - People with Alzheimer’s disease being denied essential drug treatments

The prion appears to function as an evolutionary stepping stone

Study on RNAi technology targeting neurodegenerative diseases

British team and NASA plan to take stem cells into space

Alzheimer’s sufferers are more likely to have jobs that are less mentally challenging than people without Alzheimer’s disease

Approval of Cymbalta for treatment of major depressive disorder

Nogo protein may control the progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Study evaluated the ability of vitamin E and Aricept, to delay the progression of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have produced a prion protein that can trigger the development of a neurological disorder similar to "mad cow" disease

Adenosine triphosphate is a culprit in causing the devastating damage of spinal cord injury

Human iPSCs: A Full Guide to Advanced in Vitro Models and Applications eBook

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

How microplastics and bacteria interact to drive antibiotic resistance

Single-cell proteomics: Revealing proteome diversity from cellular heterogeneity to non-canonical biology

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