Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Antibody can give more precise information about Alzheimer's disease than regular radioactive tracers

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in passing an antibody through the blood-brain barrier to act as a tracer for PET imaging of the brain. This resulted in more precise information being obtained than with regular radioactive tracers. The study provides hope for more effective diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's disease and improvements in monitoring the effects of medication.

22 Feb 2016

Penn researchers develop new mathematical model to estimate mutation rates in the human genome

It turns out that the type, how frequent, and where new mutations occur in the human genome depends on which DNA building blocks are nearby, found researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in an advanced online study published this week in Nature Genetics.

22 Feb 2016

New discoveries provide further evidence for benefits of a good night's sleep

Why does sleeping on it help? This is the question tackled by new research at the University of Bristol, which reveals how brain activity during sleep sorts through the huge number of experiences we encounter every day, filing only the important information in memory.

22 Feb 2016

Amarantus BioScience Holdings closes $3M investment

Amarantus BioScience Holdings, Inc., a biotechnology company developing products in Regenerative Medicine, Neurology and Orphan diseases, today announced the closing of a $3M investment from an institutional investor. Under the terms of the agreement, the investor will be issued $3.3M worth of Series H Convertible Preferred Stock (including 10% original issue discount) from the Company and five year warrants exercisable for 13,200,000 shares of common stock at $0.40 per share.

22 Feb 2016

TSRI's Courtney Miller to receive Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Courtney Miller, associate professor on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute, has been selected to receive a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on young professionals at the outset of their independent research careers.

19 Feb 2016

FDA-approved Alzheimer's medications may help people quit smoking

Despite several safe drug therapies available to help smokers quit, three-quarters report relapsing within six months of a quit attempt. University of Pennsylvania researchers Rebecca Ashare and Heath Schmidt saw potential for a permanent cessation solution in a class of FDA-approved medications used to improve cognitive impairments from Alzheimer's disease.

19 Feb 2016

Stem cell research reveals how Parkinson’s spreads from cell to cell

Stem cell research published today offers up new clues as to how Parkinson’s spreads from cell to cell, a process which has evaded researchers for decades.

19 Feb 2016

Experimental drug candidate may aid traumatic brain injury patients

A new report by University of Kentucky researcher Linda Van Eldik, PhD, describes an experimental drug candidate that may aid patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

18 Feb 2016

Study explores link between CSF biomarkers and cognition in Parkinson's disease

Many patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Identifying biomarkers for cognitive impairment could be instrumental in facilitating both early diagnosis of MCI and developing new cognitive-enhancing treatments. New research published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease indicates that lower concentrations of α-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is associated with reduced performance on several cognitive tests.

18 Feb 2016

Antibiotics may be linked to delirium and other brain problems

Antibiotics may be linked to a serious disruption in brain function, called delirium, and other brain problems, more than previously thought, according to a "Views and Reviews" article published in the February 17, 2016, online issue of Neurology, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

18 Feb 2016

Eating one portion of fish a week helps reduce dementia risk

Eating at least one portion of fish per week helps to reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related illnesses. This was evidenced by international research conducted at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).

18 Feb 2016

First-of-its-kind project focuses on farming communities and dementia

Dementia is a growing health problem, with an anticipated increase in the number of cases in the UK of 156 per cent between now and 2051, according to statistics from the Alzheimer's Society.

17 Feb 2016

Better understanding link between oral bacteria and certain types of stroke

In a study of patients entering the hospital for acute stroke, researchers have increased their understanding of an association between certain types of stroke and the presence of the oral bacteria (cnm-positive Streptococcus mutans).

17 Feb 2016

Researchers identify brain region where Alzheimer's disease starts

A critical but vulnerable region in the brain appears to be the first place affected by late onset Alzheimer's disease and may be more important for maintaining cognitive function in later life than previously appreciated, according to a new review of the scientific literature.

17 Feb 2016

Edward Jones commits $4.7 million to support mission of Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer's Association today announced an historic partnership with St. Louis-based financial services firm Edward Jones. Edward Jones has committed $4.7 million over two years to support the mission of the Alzheimer's Association.

16 Feb 2016

Study finds no beneficial effect of cancer medication on Alzheimer's disease

The cancer medication bexarotene, aka Targretin, made headlines when researchers reported that it quickly lowered Aβ in the brain, reduced amyloid plaques, and improved learning and memory in mice that mimic salient features of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

16 Feb 2016

First patients dosed in Neurotrope's Bryostatin-1 Phase 2b trial for treatment of advanced Alzheimer’s disease

Neurotrope, Inc. today announced that the first patients have been dosed in the Company’s Phase 2b clinical trial of its lead candidate, Bryostatin-1, for the treatment of advanced Alzheimer’s disease.

16 Feb 2016

University of Derby hosts Dementia Care conference

The University of Derby is hosting a dementia conference to develop knowledge and understanding of dementia in the community and primary care.

From University of Derby Online Learning 15 Feb 2016

Scientists discover role of nucleocytoplasmic transport in specific forms of ALS and FTD

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two devastating adult-onset neurodegenerative disorders.

15 Feb 2016

Mayo Clinic researchers uncover clues to apraxia of speech

It may start with a simple word you can't pronounce. Your tongue and lips stumble, and gibberish comes out. Misspeaking might draw a chuckle from family and friends. But, then, it keeps happening. Progressively, more and more speech is lost. Some patients eventually become mute from primary progressive apraxia of speech, a disorder related to degenerative neurologic disease.

15 Feb 2016