Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Notable Medicare lawsuit settlement could aid patients needing skilled nursing care, other types of therapy

News outlets explain how a recent Medicare settlement could have an important impact on people who need physical, occupational and other therapies for certain disabilities and chronic conditions.

30 Oct 2012

Stay active to keep a healthy mind in very old age

Poor physical performance, especially a slow walking speed, is significantly associated with dementia in individuals aged over 90 years, show study results.

29 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 29, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about how the presidential election's outcome could impact the insurance industry as well as the fate of people who are sick or uninsured.

29 Oct 2012

Scientists identify grid cells in the brains of rhesus monkeys

Primates' brains see the world through triangular grids, according to a new study published online Sunday in the journal Nature.

29 Oct 2012

Researchers discover that bean commonly used in Chinese cuisine protects against sepsis

Researchers at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have discovered that a bean commonly used in Chinese cuisine protects against the life-threatening condition sepsis.

29 Oct 2012

Study demonstrates role of IRX4204 in alleviating cognitive decline in animal models of AD

New research presented in October at the 6th Neurodegenerative Conditions Research and Development Conference in San Francisco demonstrates the role of the investigational compound IRX4204 in alleviating cognitive decline in animal models of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

29 Oct 2012

Mouse model may provide clues on mechanism that links diabetes and aging to Alzheimer's

Growing evidence suggests that there may be a link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, but the physiological mechanisms by which diabetes impacts brain function and cognition are not fully understood. In a new study published in Aging Cell, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies show, for the first time, that diabetes enhances the development of aging features that may underlie early pathological events in Alzheimer's.

29 Oct 2012

Study describes how Dbr1 gene halts toxic buildup of TDP-43-a protein

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes and the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered how modifying a gene halts the toxic buildup of a protein found in nerve cells. These findings point to a potential new tactic for treating a variety of neurodegenerative conditions, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease)-a fatal disease for which there is no cure.

29 Oct 2012

ApoE4 gene becomes less important to quality of life once people hit their 90s

A gene linked to the risk of developing Alzheimer's, heart disease and diabetes becomes less important to quality of life once people hit their 90s, a Mayo Clinic study shows. At that point, good friends and a positive attitude have a bigger impact, the researchers say.

26 Oct 2012

Feinstein Institute to study overall impact of WTC disaster on responders

The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research has been awarded a $1 million grant from the World Trade Center Health Program, which is administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Safety to comprehensively study the overall physical, mental and socioeconomic impact of the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster on responders, as well as identify the linkage between socioeconomic status and health among all occupations of WTC responders.

26 Oct 2012

Three new gene variants associated with BMI levels in adults

A large international study has identified three new gene variants associated with body mass index (BMI) levels in adults. The scientific consortium, numbering approximately 200 researchers, performed a meta-analysis of 46 studies, covering gene data from nearly 109,000 adults, spanning four ethnic groups.

26 Oct 2012

Anterior insular cortex associated with human empathy

An international team led by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York has for the first time shown that one area of the brain, called the anterior insular cortex, is the activity center of human empathy, whereas other areas of the brain are not. The study is published in the September 2012 issue of the journal Brain.

25 Oct 2012

Dementia: A National Crisis – a review of the Manchester 2012 conference

It was clear from the title – Dementia: A National Crisis – that the conference would focus on the important challenges facing many people living with dementia in the country today.

24 Oct 2012

U.S. Marshals seize dietary supplements and unapproved drugs from Confidence

At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshals recently seized dietary supplements and unapproved drugs from Confidence, Inc., of Port Washington, N.Y.

24 Oct 2012

Antipsychotic drug quandary for Alzheimer’s patients

Stopping treatment with risperidone to limit side effects risks the return of psychosis or agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease who have been taking the drug to suppress such symptoms, research shows.

23 Oct 2012

Study still implicates amyloid beta in causing Alzheimer's dementia

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a key difference in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and those who are cognitively normal but still have brain plaques that characterize this type of dementia.

23 Oct 2012

Blood-circulating monocytes can replace brain resident microglia

The immune system is comprised of multiple cell types each capable of specialized functions to protect the body from invading pathogens and promote tissue repair after injury. One cell type, known as monocytes, circulates throughout the organism in the blood and enters tissues to actively phagocytose (eat!) foreign cells and assist in tissue healing.

23 Oct 2012

CSF biomarkers can differentiate patients with Alzheimer's or Parkinson disease

Analysis of specific biomarkers in a cerebrospinal fluid sample can differentiate patients with Alzheimer's disease from those with other types of dementia. The method, which is being studied by researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, may eventually permit earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease.

23 Oct 2012

New data on Posiphen for Alzheimer's disease treatment to be presented at Biotech Symposium

QR Pharma, Inc., a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company committed to developing therapeutics with novel approaches for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders, announced today that Dr. Maria Maccecchini, CEO, will be presenting new data on its lead compound "Posiphen® Recovers Memory, Learning and Brain Function in Alzheimer Transgenic Mice" at the 12th Annual Biotech Symposium, taking place October 22, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA.

22 Oct 2012