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.

Faster cerebral cortex growth in infancy may lead to higher intelligence

New research suggests the growth rate of the brain's cerebral cortex in babies born prematurely may predict how well they are able to think, speak, plan and pay attention later in childhood. The research is published in the October 12, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14 Oct 2011

October is designated as Lewy Body Dementia month

The month of October is designated as Lewy Body Dementia month. Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a degenerative brain disease that progressively impairs thinking and movement, while impacting behavior and sleep. Although it affects an estimated 1.3 million people in the U.S., LBD is under-recognized, under-diagnosed and under-treated. It is most often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

13 Oct 2011

AAN Foundation launches new PSA on finding cure for brain disease

With one in six people in the United States now affected by brain disease such as dementia, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy, the American Academy of Neurology Foundation is marking its 20th anniversary with the launch of a new public service announcement (PSA) to raise awareness about the need for more research to cure brain disease.

12 Oct 2011

AFFiRiS receives MJFF grant for clinical study of AFFITOPE PD01

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) today announced that it has awarded $1.5 million to AFFiRiS AG, a Vienna, Austria-based biotech company, for a clinical study of AFFITOPE PD01, a first-of-its-kind Parkinson's disease (PD) vaccine.

12 Oct 2011

Journal of Alzheimer's Disease supplement explores neuroimaging

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common problem that is becoming progressively burdensome throughout the world. A new supplement to the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Imaging the Alzheimer Brain, clearly shows that multiple imaging systems are now available to help understand, diagnose, and treat the disease.

12 Oct 2011

UB scientists discover promising new drug target for Alzheimer's

A tiny piece of a critical receptor that fuels the brain and without which sentient beings cannot live has been discovered by University at Buffalo scientists as a promising new drug target for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

12 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: The value of testing for prostate cancer; rewards for transplant donors; Calif.'s medical marijuana problem

For men older than 50, a simple blood test to screen for prostate cancer is as much a part of annual physicals as weigh-ins and stethoscopes. The PSA test is painless, inexpensive and the only way to detect the disease -; the most common male cancer -; before symptoms turn up.

12 Oct 2011

Researchers assess new guidelines for preclinical Alzheimer's disease

Addressing the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease, before a patient shows outward signs of cognitive problems, has sometimes been a challenge for physicians and researchers, in part because they have not been using common and specific terms to describe the disease's initial phases.

11 Oct 2011

Roche's gantenerumab removes amyloid plaques from the brain of patients with AD

Roche today announced the publication of a study demonstrating that its monoclonal antibody gantenerumab removes amyloid plaques from the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The study "Mechanism of amyloid removal in patients with Alzheimer disease treated with gantenerumab" is published today in the October issue of Archives in Neurology.

11 Oct 2011

Gantenerumab appears to reduce brain amyloid levels in patients with AD

Although it is a small study and more clinical trials are needed, treatment with the medication gantenerumab appeared to result in a reduction in brain amyloid levels in patients with Alzheimer disease, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

11 Oct 2011

Leg-crossers more likely to have good recovery after severe stroke

People who are able to cross their legs soon after having a severe stroke appear to be more likely to have a good recovery compared to people who can't cross their legs.

11 Oct 2011

New information about effects of aging on the brain

Research by biologists at the University of York and Hull York Medical School has revealed important new information about the way the brain is affected by age.

11 Oct 2011

Targacept commences AZD3480 Phase 2b study in Alzheimer’s disease

Targacept, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel NNR Therapeutics™, today announced the initiation of a potential registration study of AZD3480 in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The study is the subject of a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

10 Oct 2011

Art, drama and dance may benefit dementia sufferers

While medical researchers continue the search for advanced diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dementia, a researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London is focusing on improving the experiences of those already suffering with the devastating disease for whom any cure would be too late.

7 Oct 2011

Alzheimer Society urges Liberal Government to make good on their healthcare commitments

The Alzheimer Society of Ontario congratulates Ontario's re-elected Liberal Government and urges them to make good on their healthcare commitments.

7 Oct 2011

Hysterectomy increases brain iron levels in both men and women

The human body has a love-hate relationship with iron. Just the right amount is needed for proper cell function, yet too much is associated with brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

7 Oct 2011

New insight into mechanisms of hippocampal rhythms

A research team from Berlin, Munich and Haifa has presented new findings concerning the function of the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is important for memory formation.

7 Oct 2011

Alzheimer's may originate in a form similar to that of infectious prion diseases

The brain damage that characterizes Alzheimer's disease may originate in a form similar to that of infectious prion diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob, according to newly published research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

4 Oct 2011

UCLA neuro-physicists discover optimal brain rhythm for changing synaptic strength

The brain learns through changes in the strength of its synapses -- the connections between neurons -- in response to stimuli. Now, in a discovery that challenges conventional wisdom on the brain mechanisms of learning, UCLA neuro-physicists have found there is an optimal brain "rhythm," or frequency, for changing synaptic strength. And further, like stations on a radio dial, each synapse is tuned to a different optimal frequency for learning.

4 Oct 2011

Complete Genomics, Scripps collaborate to unlock genetic secrets of lifelong health

Complete Genomics Inc., the whole human genome sequencing company, and the not-for-profit Scripps Health system today announced a major collaboration that will help further the Wellderly Study, a landmark scientific research initiative aimed at unlocking the genetic secrets of lifelong health.

4 Oct 2011