Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

First study to show how H. pylori toxin can spur apoptosis

Researchers report they have figured out how the cancer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori attacks a cell's energy infrastructure, sparking a series of events in the cell that ultimately lead it to self-destruct.

2 Nov 2011

Scientists discover additional Alzheimer's proteins in the tangles

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health in the United States have made an important discovery that should forever change the scope and direction of Alzheimer's research. Specifically, they have discovered that the protein tangles which are a hallmark of the disease involve at least three different proteins rather than just one.

2 Nov 2011

Peroxiredoxin enzyme holds key to ageing process

By consuming fewer calories, ageing can be slowed down and the development of age-related diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes can be delayed. The earlier calorie intake is reduced, the greater the effect. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now identified one of the enzymes that hold the key to the ageing process.

1 Nov 2011

Old people today have more sex, are more likely to be divorced

Old people today have more sex, are more likely to be divorced, are cleverer and feel better, reveals a long-term research project comparing what it is like to be old today with 30 years ago. "It's time to start talking about the 'new old age'," says researcher Ingmar Skoog.

1 Nov 2011

AAN names 30 neurologists to attend Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum

The American Academy of Neurology has named 30 neurologists from around the world to attend the esteemed Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, January 12-15, 2012, in Austin, Texas.

1 Nov 2011

Researchers discover biomarker for earlier diagnosis of MS

Researchers from the Department of Neurology at NYU Langone Medical Center identified for the first time that changes in the tissue located at the junction between the outer and inner layers of the brain, called "blurring", may be an important, non-invasive biomarker for earlier diagnosis and the development of new therapies for degenerative brain conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.

1 Nov 2011

Research into new Alzheimer's medication

Several potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's have worked well on mice - but none of them on humans. A leading researcher from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is now launching brand new methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's and monitoring treatment.

1 Nov 2011

Dementia people with stroke more likely to become disabled and not return home

New research shows people with dementia who have a stroke are more likely to become disabled and not return home compared to people who didn't have dementia at the time they had a stroke.

1 Nov 2011

Avanir seeks EMA marketing authorization for NUEDEXTA to treat pseudobulbar affect

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has submitted an application to the European Medicines Agency seeking marketing authorization for NUEDEXTA (dextromethorphan HBr and quinidine sulfate) for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect.

31 Oct 2011

Scientists discover how toxic form of htt protein causes Huntington's symptoms

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered how a form of the protein linked to Huntington's disease influences the timing and severity of its symptoms, offering new avenues for treating not only this disease, but also a variety of similar conditions.

31 Oct 2011

GPS enabled shoes for “wandering seniors”

Now there are shoes with integrated GPS devices to help track down dementia-suffering seniors who wander off and get lost. This comes from manufacturer GTX Corp. Other devices such as bracelets or pendants can provide similar protection but seniors often reject these.

30 Oct 2011

Study: Many fetal expression changes are reversed immediately after birth

The "switching on" or expression of specific genes in the human genome is what makes each human tissue and each human being unique. A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, and the National Institute of Mental Health found that many gene expression changes that occur during fetal development are reversed immediately after birth.

29 Oct 2011

Study: Reduced secretion of beta-amyloid signals beginning of Alzheimer's

For decades the amyloid hypothesis has dominated the research field in Alzheimer's disease. The theory describes how an increase in secreted beta-amyloid peptides leads to the formation of plaques, toxic clusters of damaged proteins between cells, which eventually result in neurodegeneration. Scientists at Lund University, Sweden, have now presented a study that turns this premise on its head.

29 Oct 2011

Special hospital team reduces cumulated risk of stroke in TIA patients

Patients who had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), sometimes referred to as a "mini stroke", were much less likely to experience further vascular events in the first year if their care was co-ordinated by a special hospital team.

28 Oct 2011

DiaGenic reports operating revenue of NOK 276 thousand for third quarter 2011

DiaGenic has successfully finalized the first clinical study in collaboration with Pfizer, the market leader for Alzheimer's therapeutics sales and Pfizer has confirmed DiaGenic's findings resulting in a press release October 14th.

28 Oct 2011

AD risk genes impact Aβ toxicity in neurons

In a development that sheds new light on the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a team of Whitehead Institute scientists has identified connections between genetic risk factors for the disease and the effects of a peptide toxic to nerve cells in the brains of AD patients.

28 Oct 2011

Microglia plays a key role in memory and learning

Immune system cells of the brain, which scavenge pathogens and damaged neurons, are also key players in memory and learning, according to new research by Duke neuroscientists.

27 Oct 2011

Elan's third quarter total revenue increases 17% to $328.5 million

Elan Corporation, plc today reported its third quarter and first nine months 2011 financial results.

27 Oct 2011

Three dry days a week reduces risk of alcohol related liver disease

The Royal College of Physicians said the present official guidance on healthy drinking limits is ‘extremely dangerous’ and must be rewritten – because it implies that drinking every day is fine. Government advice states men should drink no more than four units a day and women no more than three.

24 Oct 2011

Abzyme Therapeutics licenses SUMOpro from LifeSensors

Abzyme Therapeutics, a new biotechnology company dedicated to developing methods to generate human monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of disease, announced today that they have entered into an exclusive agreement with LifeSensors to license their proprietary protein expression platform, SUMOpro™. Enhanced protein expression is key to the evolution and development of antibodies and the LifeSensors

24 Oct 2011