Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Freiburg researchers receive European Research Council Starting Grants

Marta Artal Sanz, Thomas Brox, Winfried Römer, and Oliver Schilling from the University of Freiburg have been selected for one of the most prestigious European grants for young researchers: The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded them a total of 5.8 million euros in ERC Starting Grants for new projects.

2 Sep 2011

Blocked blood vessels linked to familiar signs of aging

Many common signs of aging, such as shaking hands, stooped posture and walking slower, may be due to tiny blocked vessels in the brain that can't be detected by current technology.

2 Sep 2011

AAN calls all high school coaches, athletes and parents to learn signs of sports concussion

The American Academy of Neurology, the leading group of neurologists dedicated to managing sports concussion, is issuing a call to all youth and high school coaches, athletes and parents to learn the signs of sports concussion and to know when a player must leave the game.

2 Sep 2011

Valproic acid may increase survival for brain tumor patients

New research suggests brain tumor patients who take the seizure drug valproic acid on top of standard treatment may live longer than people who take other kinds of epilepsy medications to control seizures.

2 Sep 2011

People with Alzheimer's have lower ubiquilin-1 protein levels

Researchers have found that a protein variation linked by some genetic studies to Alzheimer's disease is consistently present in the brains of people with Alzheimer's.

2 Sep 2011

Two ALS-associated genes work in tandem to support long-term survival of motor neurons

Although several genes have been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), it is still unknown how they cause this progressive neurodegenerative disease. In a new study, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have demonstrated that two ALS-associated genes work in tandem to support the long-term survival of motor neurons.

2 Sep 2011

CWRU, NeoProteomics sign licensing deal for four bioinformatics software programs

Case Western Reserve University and NeoProteomics Inc. have announced the university's licensing of four software programs designed to improve understanding of biology at a complex molecular level for improved treatment of cancers and various other diseases.

31 Aug 2011

Johns Hopkins researchers reveal neuronal cell survival mechanism

Nerve cells that regulate everything from heart muscle to salivary glands send out projections known as axons to their targets. By way of these axonal processes, neurons control target function and receive molecular signals from targets that return to the cell body to support cell survival. Now, Johns Hopkins researchers have revealed a molecular mechanism that allows a signal from the target to return to the cell body and fulfill its neuron-sustaining mission.

31 Aug 2011

AAN calls on all neurology patients, caregivers to participate in 2012 Neuro Film Festival

The American Academy of Neurology Foundation is calling on all neurology patients and caregivers to submit a short video to its 2012 Neuro Film Festival, telling their story about why more research is needed into finding cures for brain disorders.

30 Aug 2011

Study: Social partners can help extend memory

Effective memory is a key ability for independent living in later life, and a new Iowa State University study is among the first to report that social partners can help extend memory.

30 Aug 2011

UCLA program helps improve seniors' self-perceived memory

Who hasn't forgotten someone's name, misplaced their glasses or walked into a room and not remembered why they entered? Normal age-related memory decline affects more than half of all seniors, and those over 80 are the most vulnerable.

30 Aug 2011

New insights into Lafora disease

Short-term energy storage in animal cells is usually achieved through the accumulation of glucose, in the form of long and branched chains, known as glycogen. But when this accumulation happens in neurons it is fatal, causing them to degenerate. This neuronal deterioration and death associated with glycogen accumulation is the hallmark of an extremely rare and progressive type of epilepsy known as Lafora disease (LD).

29 Aug 2011

PREVENT licenses Amorfix's ProMIS to develop vaccines against misfolded prion diseases

The Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise Inc. (PREVENT), a national Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR), has signed an exclusive license with Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. of Missisauga, Ontario for the use of their proprietary ProMIS technology in developing vaccines (active immunotherapy) for the treatment of diseases caused by the formation of misfolded prion.

29 Aug 2011

HH&S, CDC announce eight finalists for 2011 Sentinel for Health Awards

Hollywood, Health & Society, a program of the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are announcing eight finalists for the Sentinel for Health Awards.

29 Aug 2011

Researchers identify molecule that can stop the formation of amyloid fibrils

A molecule which can stop the formation of long protein strands, known as amyloid fibrils, that cause joint pain in kidney dialysis patients has been identified by researchers at the University of Leeds.

29 Aug 2011

Yale scientists synthesize huperzine A to combat Alzheimer's

Scientists at Yale University have developed the first practical method to create a compound called huperzine A in the lab.

26 Aug 2011

MR spectroscopy reveals biochemical changes in brains of people at risk for Alzheimer's

A brain imaging scan identifies biochemical changes in the brains of normal people who might be at risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to research published in the August 24, 2011, online issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Aug 2011

Scientists discover genetic switch to prevent neurodegenerative diseases

Scientists at Northwestern University report a surprising discovery that offers a possible new route for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In a study of the transparent roundworm C. elegans, they found that a genetic switch in master neurons inhibits the proper functioning of protective cell stress responses, leading to the accumulation of misfolded and damaged proteins.

25 Aug 2011

HHS selects Mayo Clinic physician to chair advisory council on Alzheimer's

Ronald Petersen, M.D., Cadieux Director of the Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, was selected to chair the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services. The group was announced by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

25 Aug 2011

New mouse brain atlas provides insight into how genes work in cerebral cortex

A new atlas of gene expression in the mouse brain provides insight into how genes work in the outer part of the brain called the cerebral cortex. In humans, the cerebral cortex is the largest part of the brain, and the region responsible for memory, sensory perception and language.

25 Aug 2011