Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

RSS

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.

New gene influences susceptibility to late-onset Alzheimer's disease

A new gene that influences susceptibility to late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) has been identified by an international research team that analyzed the genomes of more than a thousand people with and without the disorder.

8 Jun 2007

Researchers track how spores break out of dormant state

Tapping into the unknown world of awakening dormant bacterial spores, researchers have revealed through atomic force microscopy (AFM) the alterations of spore coat and germ cell wall that accompany the transformation from a spore to a vegetative cell.

5 Jun 2007

What the brain does while idle

Indiana University neuroscientists Olaf Sporns and Christopher Honey find the 98 percent of brain activity that other researchers consider just background noise to be fascinating and important.

5 Jun 2007

Blocking stress protein decreases Alzheimer's peptide

Scientists revealed in November 2006 that stress increases production in mice of a brain peptide critical to Alzheimer's disease.

5 Jun 2007

What causes Alzheimer's disease?

Researchers tied the accumulation of the toxic brain protein beta-amyloid to Alzheimer's disease, according to a study reported at the 54th Annual Meeting of SNM, the world's largest society for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine professionals.

5 Jun 2007

Stroke victims could be more vulnerable to Alzheimer's

University of Leeds scientists have shown how stroke victims could be more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease – years or even decades after making a full recovery.

5 Jun 2007

AMPAKINE drugs may provide protection from drug-induced respiratory depression

Drug-induced respiratory depression is a life-threatening condition caused by analgesic, hypnotic, and anesthesia medications.

5 Jun 2007

World's first PET/MR images of the human brain

The world's first PET/MR images of the human brain, taken simultaneously by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and magnetic resonance (MR), debuted during the 54th Annual Meeting of SNM, the world's largest society for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine professionals, June 2-6 in Washington, D.C.

From Siemens Healthineers 5 Jun 2007

Brits get serious about smokers

Authorities in the UK have given approval for an anti-smoking pill to be available on the National Health Service (NHS).

3 Jun 2007

Nursing homes associated with accelerated decline in Alzheimer's disease

People with Alzheimer's disease experience an acceleration in the rate of cognitive decline after being placed in a nursing home according to a new study by Rush University Medical Center.

3 Jun 2007

Brain inflammation may actually be a friend for Alzheimer's patients

Inflammation in the brain may not be so bad after all when it comes to Alzheimer's disease.

3 Jun 2007

How cells breathe

Inhaling oxygen is only the first step in a long journey through the nooks and crannies of the body.

1 Jun 2007

MRI effective method for revealing anatomical details of soft tissues

Contrast agents can help to make these images even clearer and allow physiological processes to be followed in real time. Conventional gadolinium complexes currently used as MRI contrast agent cannot reveal anatomic structures.

1 Jun 2007

Advances in epilepsy treatment

Epilepsy and seizures affect 2.5 million Americans, 181,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed every year, and the disorder incurs an estimated $12.5 billion in annual direct and indirect costs.

1 Jun 2007

Chocolate good for the memory!

Scientists at the Salk Institute in California say that a chemical found in chocolate improves the memory of mice.

31 May 2007

New hypothesis on Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are challenging current thinking on the causes and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, offering a new hypothesis that could be the key to preventing this form of dementia.

30 May 2007

Personality test could help doctors detect dementia with Lewy bodies

The study found that even before diagnosis, people with dementia with Lewy bodies displayed passive personality changes, such as diminished emotional response, disinterest in hobbies, repetitive behaviors, and growing apathy, or lack of interest, more often than those with Alzheimer's.

30 May 2007

Inflammation linked to Alzheimer's disease

People whose blood shows signs of inflammation are more likely to later develop Alzheimer's disease than people with no signs of inflammation, according to a study published in the May 29, 2007, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

30 May 2007

Smart mice miss out on Alzheimer's

Scientists in the U.S. have managed to breed mice which lack the enzyme thought to be the culprit in Alzheimer's disease.

28 May 2007

Research reveals a new mechanism of learning in the brain

Mice genetically engineered to lack a single enzyme in their brains are more adept at learning than their normal cousins, and are quicker to figure out that their environment has changed, a team led by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center has found.

28 May 2007