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 describe how brain handles spatial resolution

Everybody knows how to zoom in and out on an online map, to get the level of resolution you need to get you where you want to go. Now researchers have discovered a key mechanism that can act like a zoom button in the brain, by controlling the resolution of the brain's internal maps.

18 Nov 2011

New protein in the fruit fly eye may shed light on neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and collaborators have discovered a powerful new protein in the eye of the fruit fly that may shed light on blinding diseases and other sensory problems in humans.

18 Nov 2011

Avraham raises $3M to advance ladostigil Phase II Alzheimer's trial

The drug, ladostigil, is a molecule that combines components from the existing drugs Azilect and Exelon. Teva's Azilect, for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, was developed by Prof. Emeritus Moussa Youdim of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Azilect is the only anti-Parkinson's drug that has proven to have a disease-modifying effect. Novartis's Exelon was developed by Prof. Marta Weinstock-Rosin of Hebrew University to treat Alzheimer's disease.

17 Nov 2011

People with prior stroke or diabetes benefit from thrombolytic therapy

People with a history of stroke or diabetes who were given clot-busting drugs to break up blood clots after stroke fared better than those who did not receive the drugs, according to a study published in the November 16, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Nov 2011

Excessive vitamin D levels can lead to onset of AF

While previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, new research at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute shows that too much vitamin D can lead to the onset of a dangerous heart condition known as atrial fibrillation.

16 Nov 2011

AHA honors Gladstone senior investigator with Distinguished Scientist Award

The American Heart Association will today present Gladstone Institutes Senior Investigator and President Emeritus Robert Mahley, MD, PhD, with the 2011 AHA Distinguished Scientist Award, bestowing yet another honor on one of Gladstone's founding cardiovascular scientists.

16 Nov 2011

TU Darmstadt chemists develop new method to diagnose Alzheimer's

Chemists at the Technische Universität Darmstadt have developed a new method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. The method involves making protein deposits on mucous nasal membranes that are detectable years before the disease erupts visible.

16 Nov 2011

Yissum Research and other investors complete additional investment round of $3 million in Avraham Pharmaceuticals

Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, today announced that it has participated in a U.S. $3 million financing round of Avraham Pharmaceuticals Ltd. together with Pontifax, Clal Biotechnology Industries (CBI), Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd. (TRDF), Professor Marta Weinstock-Rosin and others.

14 Nov 2011

Top-line results from Probiodrug's PQ912 Phase 1 SAD, MAD study for Alzheimer's disease

Probiodrug AG, a biotech company developing products for the treatment of neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases, with a particular focus on Alzheimer's disease (AD), today announced top-line results of its Phase 1 single (SAD) and multiple ascending dose (MAD) study of PQ912 in healthy volunteers.

14 Nov 2011

Cortex third quarter net loss increases to $1,175,000

Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. reported a net loss of approximately $1,175,000, or $0.01 per share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2011, compared with a net loss of approximately $528,000, or $0.01 per share, for the corresponding prior year quarter.

14 Nov 2011

Damaged mitochondria equivalent to an environmental disaster in the cell

Current thinking about Parkinson's disease is that it's a disorder of mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles inside cells, causing neurons in the brain's substantia nigra to die or become impaired.

11 Nov 2011

U-M receives NIH grant for Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer's Disease study

In a first-of-its kind study, University of Michigan researchers will provide genetic testing and Alzheimer's risk estimates for people who are already experiencing mild cognitive impairment.

11 Nov 2011

AHAF: Requests for ADR research grants increase by 33% this year

The American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF), a nonprofit organization funding innovative research through its Alzheimer's Disease Research (ADR) program, today announced that the number of scientists seeking ADR research grants through its annual application process increased by 33% this year.

11 Nov 2011

Worm model to evaluate drugs for Parkinson's disease

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have devised a simple test, using dopamine-deficient worms, for identifying drugs that may help people with Parkinson's disease.

11 Nov 2011

Psychotherapy technique can help reduce dementia caregivers' stress

Family caregivers of people with dementia experience more burden and are at greater risk of developing depression than caregivers of people with a chronic illness. A new evidence review from the Netherlands finds that a psychotherapy technique called cognitive reframing can help reduce caregivers' stress when they are caring for loved ones with dementia.

11 Nov 2011

Novartis files suit against Watson over generic Exelon

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market rivastigmine transdermal system patches, 4.6 mg/24 hr and 9.5 mg/24 hr.

11 Nov 2011

State roundup: Alaska's dental problem; some Minn. health funding blocked

The need for dental care in rural Alaska is huge. According to a recent CDC report, the rate of cavities among rural Alaska Native children is four and a half times greater than the general population of U.S. children of the same age. ... But it's important to note the dental therapist program in Alaska is not without controversy.

10 Nov 2011

ESPINA software tool allows to study brain structure in greater depth

Researchers at the UPM and CSIC, within the Cajal Blue Brain project, develop ESPINA, a new freeware software tool that allows to study the brain structure in greater depth.

10 Nov 2011

PCMD researcher receives Alzheimer's Association grant to study dementia

The US-based Alzheimer's Association has awarded Dr. David Llewellyn of Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, a prestigious two-year $100,000 New Investigator Research Grant to further his dementia research.

10 Nov 2011

Patients with Parkinson's may have increased risk of leg motor restlessness

People with Parkinson's disease may be more likely to have a movement disorder called leg motor restlessness, but not true restless legs syndrome as previous studies have suggested, according to a study published in the November 9, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Nov 2011