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.

IAN launches major survey to study elopement, wandering behavior in individuals with ASD

Today, the Interactive Autism Network, with support from leading autism advocacy groups, launches the first major survey to study the experience of wandering and elopement, or escaping, among individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

31 Mar 2011

Amyloid plaques in normal older individuals may be early signs of Alzheimer's

Researchers using two brain-imaging technologies have found that apparently normal older individuals with brain deposits of amyloid beta - the primary constituent of the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients - also had changes in brain structure similar to those seen in Alzheimer's patients.

31 Mar 2011

ADI, Fondation Médéric Alzheimer honor Britain's psychiatry professor with international award

Dr. Sube Banerjee, one of the world's leading experts on Alzheimer's disease is the recipient of an international award for the best evidence-based psychosocial intervention for people with dementia and their caregivers.

30 Mar 2011

New research to examine links between aluminium and Alzheimer's disease

New research is being carried out at Keele university to examine links between aluminium and Alzheimer's disease.

29 Mar 2011

Protein aggregation plays a significant role in cancer

Protein aggregation, generally associated with Alzheimer's and mad cow disease, turns out to play a significant role in cancer. In a paper published in Nature Chemical Biology, Frederic Rousseau and Joost Schymkowitz of VIB, K.U.Leuven and Vrije Universiteit Brussel describe that certain mutations of p53, an important tumor suppressor, cause the protein to misfold in a way that the proteins start to aggregate.

29 Mar 2011

Researchers find patients with Alzheimer's have lower glucose utilization in brain

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that patients with Alzheimer's disease have lower glucose utilization in the brain than those with normal cognitive function, and that those decreased levels may be detectable approximately 20 years prior to the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

29 Mar 2011

Study: Marijuana use may affect cognitive skills in patients with MS

Any possible pain relief that marijuana has for people with multiple sclerosis may be outweighed by the drug's apparent negative effect on thinking skills, according to research published in the March 29, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Mar 2011

Dementia & Alzheimer’s drug trial with sleep hormone melatonin

A new drug is in the making that could improve the quality of life for people with dementia. Glasgow-based medical research company CPS Research is conducting a clinical trial using a drug containing the sleep hormone melatonin, which it is hoped will reduce the symptoms associated with the illness.

28 Mar 2011

ADDF awards Yuma $249,810 grant for Alzheimer's research

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation announced today that it has awarded a grant of $249,810 to Yuma Therapeutics Corporation to develop small molecules to treat Alzheimer's disease.

28 Mar 2011

NMSS grants Adeona's ongoing Trimesta trial with $409,426 to treat MS

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of innovative medicines for serious central nervous system diseases, announced today that the ongoing clinical trial of its Trimesta drug candidate has received an additional $409,426 in grant funding from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

28 Mar 2011

University of Aberdeen, TPP enter agreement to develop novel future medicines

TPP Global Development Ltd has announced an agreement with the University of Aberdeen to collaborate on the development of novel pre-clinical intellectual property originated within the University.

28 Mar 2011

Geriatrician provides latest Alzheimer drug research developments at International conference

Drugs that can stop or reverse Alzheimer's disease progression are not available yet, but a number of potentially promising clinical trials could hold the key for modifying the treatment of the disease.

28 Mar 2011

Zileuton can help reduce amyloid plaque formation and Alzheimer's development

A drug used to treat asthma has been shown to help reduce the formation of amyloid beta, a peptide in the brain that is implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Medicine.

28 Mar 2011

Experts to address worldwide impact of Alzheimer's disease at ADI conference

On Sunday March 27 leaders at the 26th Annual Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International will challenge the World Health Organization and countries around the world to take action on the dramatic surge in the global incidence of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

25 Mar 2011

Positive top-line results from Targacept's TC-5619 Phase 2 trial in adults with ADHD

Targacept, Inc today announced top-line results from a Phase 2 proof of concept trial of TC-5619 as a treatment for adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

25 Mar 2011

Researchers create new computational model to understand animal cell behavior

Biological systems, including cells, tissues and organs, can function properly only when their parts are working in harmony. These systems are often dauntingly complex: Inside a single cell, thousands of proteins interact with each other to determine how the cell will develop and respond to its environment.

24 Mar 2011

Rexahn completes 33% of 300 patient enrollment in Serdaxin Phase IIb clinical trial for major depressive disorder

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced that it has enrolled 33 percent of the total projected patients required for its Phase IIb clinical trial of Serdaxin to treat major depressive disorder (MDD).

24 Mar 2011

Elder abuse victims more likely to suffer from mental disorder, use drugs or alcohol

Victims of severe traumatic elder abuse are more likely to be female, suffer from a neurological or mental disorder, and to abuse drugs or alcohol, according to research published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

23 Mar 2011

New research on brain plasticity may delay onset of Alzheimer's disease

The human brain loses 5 to 10% of its weight between the ages of 20 and 90 years old. While some cells are lost, the brain is equipped with two compensatory mechanisms: plasticity and redundancy.

23 Mar 2011

Mayo Clinic receives $1 million gift for Lewy body dementia study

To help continue its internationally recognized work in Lewy body dementia, the Harry T. Mangurian, Jr., Foundation has awarded Mayo Clinic a $1 million gift, pledged over four years. Lewy body dementia, which combines aspects of both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, is the second most common form of dementia in the United States.

23 Mar 2011