Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Computer modeling supports theory that many dementias spread like prion diseases

A new technique for analyzing brain images offers the possibility of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict the rate of progression and physical path of many degenerative brain diseases, report scientists at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

11 Apr 2012

Amyloid precursor protein appears to regulate its own production

A research team led by the University of South Florida Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences has found that a fragment of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) -- known as sAPP-α and associated with Alzheimer's disease -- appears to regulate its own production.

11 Apr 2012

New 4th Edition of Practical Neurology for clinicians, residents and fellows

The new 4th Edition of Practical Neurology, the respected "real-life" guide to diagnosing and managing neurologic disorders, has been completely rewritten to known neurologist and chair of the Department of Neurology of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

11 Apr 2012

Lauren Sciences, BGN Technologies sign licensing agreement for V-Smart- drug delivery technology

BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company for Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), has signed a licensing agreement for its V-Smart- drug delivery technology with Lauren Sciences LLC, a privately held biotechnology company in New York.

11 Apr 2012

Siemens announces integrated imaging solution for detection of amyloid plaques

Siemens Healthcare is the first company worldwide to announce a complete integrated diagnostic imaging solution proposed for the detection of amyloid plaques — one of the necessary pathological features of Alzheimer's disease— in the living brain.

From Siemens Healthineers 11 Apr 2012

New report calls on nations to recognise dementia as a public health crisis

A report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) calls for governments and policymakers to make dementia a global public health priority.

11 Apr 2012

Reducing iron levels in blood plasma may protect brain from changes related to AD

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is now the sixth leading cause of death among Americans, affecting nearly 1 in 8 people over the age of 65. There is currently no treatment that alters the course of this disease. However, an increasing amount of evidence suggests that changes in the way the body handles iron and other metals like copper and zinc may start years before the onset of AD symptoms. A new study shows that reducing iron levels in blood plasma may protect the brain from changes related to AD.

11 Apr 2012

Avid Radiopharmaceuticals receives FDA approval for Amyvid to treat AD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Amyvid (Florbetapir F 18 Injection) a drug for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of the brain in adults who are being evaluated for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other causes of cognitive decline.

11 Apr 2012

Two CNVs may increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer

An international research team led by Weill Cornell Medical College investigators have discovered two inherited-genetic deletions in the human genome linked to development of aggressive prostate cancer.

10 Apr 2012

Dementia sufferers and caregivers unhappy with quality of care

Dementia patients and their families have been asked to assess the quality of care available to them. Their reports are far from satisfactory. Alzheimer's Australia says dementia patients and their carers are being let down right across the health system. The Federal Government has promised to use the report to help decide how to improve the system.

9 Apr 2012

Berries may reduce Parkinson’s disease risk in men: Study

A new study has found that men who regularly consume foods rich in flavonoids, such as berries, apples, certain vegetables, tea and red wine, may significantly reduce their risk for developing Parkinson's disease. The study was published in the journal Neurology this week. It added that there was no such effect among women.

9 Apr 2012

FDA approves scan to detect Alzheimer’s disease early

The test uses a chemical called florbetapir, known by the brand name Amyvid, which is a radioactive agent that tags clumps of a sticky substance called an amyloid. Amyloid proteins are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. The chemical, which costs $1,600 per dose, then is detected using a brain imaging technique called positron emission tomography, known as PET scans. For patients who already have some symptoms of cognitive decline, a positive scan suggests that moderate to frequent amyloid plaques are present in the brain, which is consistent with Alzheimer's disease.

9 Apr 2012

Nuron Biotech licenses DNA amyloid beta 42 vaccine for AD

Nuron Biotech, Inc. today announced it has licensed from VITRUVIAN BioMedical, Inc. a gene-based (DNA) amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42) vaccine in preclinical development for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

9 Apr 2012

Free brain health screenings at Sam's Club

Everyone forgets sometimes. A certain degree of memory problems are a common part of aging. There is a difference, however, between changes in memory and memory loss from Alzheimer's disease. One in eight adults over the age of 65 is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and 20 percent of the elderly population suffers from some form of dementia. If detected early, some memory loss can be manageable by taking simple steps to improve brain function.

7 Apr 2012

New book on how to produce creative and useful scientific ideas

"Roberta Ness teaches how to be a more innovative thinker. Now in a book as creative as its subject, Dr. Ness shows how, with a little know-how and a lot of practice, we can all bring out our more creative selves." - Harvey V. Fineberg, President, Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Science

7 Apr 2012

G8 should discuss world's over-60 population to develop policies for 'healthy, active and productive aging'

"Within five years, for the first time in history, the number of adults 65 and older will exceed the number of children younger than five, the World Health Organization reports," "which is why the aging global population's impact on social stability, economic growth and fiscal sustainability should be part of the agenda at next month's Group of Eight summit," Michael Hodin, an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and executive director of the Global Coalition on Aging, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece.

7 Apr 2012

Elevated pulse pressure may increase risk of CVD in older adults with AD

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System have shown that elevated pulse pressure may increase the risk of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in older adults with Alzheimer's disease.

7 Apr 2012

Research on how cells cope with stress could lead to more effective cancer treatment

Both radiation and many forms of chemotherapy try to kill tumors by causing oxidative stress in cancer cells. New research from USC on a protein that protects cancer and other cells from these stresses could one day help doctors to break down cancer cells' defenses, making them more susceptible to treatment.

7 Apr 2012

NIMH honors SUNY Downstate professor with MERIT award

Todd C. Sacktor, M.D., distinguished professor of physiology and pharmacology and of neurology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, has received a MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for his research on memory.

7 Apr 2012

Lilly, Avid receive FDA approval for Amyvid to treat Alzheimer's

Eli Lilly and Company and Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lilly, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Amyvid, a radioactive diagnostic agent indicated for brain imaging of beta-amyloid plaques in patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer's Disease and other causes of cognitive decline.

7 Apr 2012