Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Lawmakers urge swifter launch of home health care demo

"The so-called Independence at Home (IAH) program, included as part of the Democrats' new health reform law, is scheduled to take effect no later than Jan. 1, 2012, but Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) warn that waiting that long would threaten the health of one of the country's most vulnerable populations," The Hill reports.

1 Jul 2010

Research findings open new ways to enhance memory function and treat catastrophic brain diseases

For the first time, scientists have linked a brain compound called kynurenic acid to cognition, possibly opening doors for new ways to enhance memory function and treat catastrophic brain diseases, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. When researchers decreased the levels of kynurenic acid in the brains of mice, their cognition was shown to improve markedly, according to the study, which was published in the July issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

1 Jul 2010

Neuralstem announces completion of $10 million registered direct offering

Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE Amex: CUR) announced that it has completed its previously announced registered direct offering of $10 million of units to institutional investors. The units were priced at $2.80 and consisted of: (i) one share of common stock, and (ii) 3/4 common stock purchase warrant. The warrants have an exercise price of $3.25 and a term of three years. Net proceeds from this offering, after deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses, total approximately $9.2 million. All of the securities were offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement.

1 Jul 2010

GSD signs agreement with Axis-Shield to distribute its proprietary assays in the U.S. Market

Gold Standard Diagnostics, Inc. a leading supplier of products and services to the medical diagnostic industry today announced the execution of an agreement with Axis-Shield to distribute their proprietary assays in the U.S. Market. Axis-Shield owns a number of patents in the areas of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and more recently, sepsis. GSD will initially focus on distribution of Homocysteine, but also gains access to distribute Axis-Shield's other key products such as Anti-CCP.

1 Jul 2010

Transition commences dosing in TT-301 Phase 1 clinical study for rheumatoid arthritis, ICH, TBI

Transition Therapeutics Inc. announced today that the first patient has been dosed with drug candidate TT-301 in a Phase 1 clinical study. TT-301 is a small molecule compound that has demonstrated efficacy in preclinical models of rheumatoid arthritis, intracerebral haemorrhage and traumatic brain injury.

30 Jun 2010

Gene diagnosis to be featured at 9th INT'L BIO FORUM & BIO EXPO JAPAN

9th INT'L BIO FORUM & BIO EXPO JAPAN, organized by Reed Exhibitions Japan, will come back again as Asia's largest bio-event from June 30 - July 2, 2010. "Gene diagnosis" is one of the featured topics for this year.

30 Jun 2010

Physically-active women have lower risk of dementia in later life

Women who are physically active at any point over the life course (teenage, age 30, age 50, late life) have lower risk of cognitive impairment in late-life compared to those who are inactive, but teenage physical activity appears to be most important.

30 Jun 2010

Preliminary findings show RA drug reduces brain damage in stroke patients

A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis also reduces the damage a stroke inflicts on the brain according to lab research and preliminary findings from a clinical trial of stroke patients. The results open the door for a larger clinical study to refine the drug anakinra's use as an effective therapy for victims of stroke.

From The University of Manchester 30 Jun 2010

Study evaluates potential risks and benefits of moderate alcohol consumption

A discussion by renowned epidemiologist Kenneth Mukamal has recently been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA. It provides a discussion in response to a theoretical question, - if you are a 42 year old male, should you drink alcohol ( in moderation) for your health?

30 Jun 2010

USPTO grants Vermillion Alzheimer's disease biomarker patent

Vermillion, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a notice of allowance of a patent entitled "Biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease" to the Company.

29 Jun 2010

Vitae earns $14M milestone payment from Boehringer Ingelheim

Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an integrated discovery and development company, today announced that it has earned a $14 million clinical milestone payment from Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Vitae's 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD)-1 is targeted for the treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome-related diseases in a strategic alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim. The payment recognizes Boehringer Ingelheim's recent advancement of a small molecule inhibitor of 11beta-HSD-1 into Phase I clinical trials.

29 Jun 2010

New tool could aid in diagnosing Alzheimer's, track disease progression

A trial of a novel radioactive compound readily and safely distinguished the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients from healthy volunteers on brain scans and opens the doors to making such imaging available beyond facilities that can manufacture their own radioactive compounds.

29 Jun 2010

Researchers study mechanism of human brain

Because of its intricate organization, figuring out the wiring diagram that explains how the billions of neurons in the brain are connected, and determining how they work together, remains a formidable task.

29 Jun 2010

Older adults spend more time watching TV, but find it less enjoyable

We usually scold our children and teenagers for watching too much TV. It turns out that their grandmas and grandpas spend even more of their time watching TV, and it is not good for them either, according to researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

29 Jun 2010

Researchers suggest factors that predict pre-Alzheimer's condition

Mild cognitive impairment is often seen as a transition stage between the cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious problems of Alzheimer's disease. But what leads to mild cognitive impairment?

29 Jun 2010

MRI study could prove useful in early detection of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at the University of Kentucky's College of Medicine have identified changes in the brains of normal individuals at high risk for Alzheimer's disease that could prove important for early detection of the disease.

29 Jun 2010

Hospice care falls as more Americans spend final days in hospitals; Milwaukee hospital reports success with treatment guidelines

The Associated Press: "Americans increasingly are treated to death, spending more time in hospitals in their final days, trying last-ditch treatments that often buy only weeks of time, and racking up bills that have made medical care a leading cause of bankruptcies. More than 80 percent of people who die in the United States have a long, progressive illness such as cancer, heart failure or Alzheimer's disease."

29 Jun 2010

New research finds key proteins involved in the process of memory and learning

New research led by the University of Leicester and published in a prestigious international scientific journal has revealed for the first time the mechanism by which memories are formed.

28 Jun 2010

CM sufferers experience worse stigma than EM sufferers: Research

Researchers looking for the first time at how migraine sufferers experience the stigmatizing effects of their disease show that chronic migraine sufferers experience worse stigma than episodic migraine sufferers and more than those with other neurological diseases including stroke, epilepsy and MS.

28 Jun 2010

ARS study finds link between vitamin D and cognitive function

At a time when consumer interest in health-enhancing foods is high, Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists have contributed to a limited but growing body of evidence of a link between vitamin D and cognitive function.

25 Jun 2010