Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

FDA approves sNDA for pediatric autism drug ABILIFY

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for ABILIFY® (aripiprazole) for the treatment of irritability associated with autistic disorder in pediatric patients ages 6 to 17 years, including symptoms of aggression towards others, deliberate self-injuriousness, temper tantrums, and quickly changing moods.

20 Nov 2009

SCF founder Sabrina Cohen recognized as a WebMD 2009 Health Hero

Sabrina Cohen, founder of The Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research (SCF), was just recognized as a WebMD 2009 Health Hero. She will receive national media attention with a full-page article about her personal story of triumph and courage, and shares the spotlight with celebrity movie-star, Scarlett Johansson and other Health Heroes in the November/December issue.

20 Nov 2009

Alzheimer Research Forum reports on the highlights of the Society of Neuroscience conference

Between 17-21 October 2009, the 39th annual conference of the Society of Neuroscience drew some 30,500 people to the great city of Chicago, which was more balmy than windy for the occasion. Your Alzforum reporters have been busy roaming the halls, buttonholing scientists for their comments on the presentations, and putting together reports on the most significant advances.

20 Nov 2009

University of Michigan scientists discover how SEVI works

Since the discovery in 2007 that a component of human semen called SEVI boosts infectivity of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers have been trying to learn more about SEVI and how it works, in hopes of thwarting its infection-promoting activity.

20 Nov 2009

University of Leeds scientists' discovery could lead to new treatment route for BSE and CJD

A new treatment route for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and its human form Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD) could be a step closer thanks to a discovery by scientists at the University of Leeds.

20 Nov 2009

Cognitive declines not linked to surgery in older adults, say researchers

For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis questions those assumptions. In fact, the researchers were not able to detect any long-term cognitive declines attributable to surgery in a group of 575 patients they studied.

20 Nov 2009

System to help identify patients at high risk of developing delirium

A specialist in caring for elderly patients, Turner-Hubbard is a geriatric nurse practitioner trained to quickly spot the sudden changes in mental status that signal the onset of the sudden, severe confusion known as delirium. She knows the hospital “triggers” that can bring on fluctuations in behavior: blood loss during surgery, anesthesia, pain medications and anti-anxiety drugs, infections, dehydration, IV lines and catheters, as well as being immobilized for an extended period of time.

19 Nov 2009

AFFiRiS to commence Phase II trial of its Alzheimer's vaccine candidate

AFFiRiS AG will focus its Alzheimer's vaccine program on one product candidate at an unexpectedly early stage of development: the vaccine candidate AD02 is planned to enter into Phase II clinical trial early in 2010. This decision by the company immediately follows the completion of two Phase I trials with the candidates AD01 and AD02. The company based its fast decision on the first interim analysis of the secondary endpoints at the six month time point.

19 Nov 2009

Possible new approach to slow the progression of cognitive decline in Down's syndrome

A study by neuroscientist William C. Mobley, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues at Stanford University Medical School has demonstrated a possible new approach to slowing the inevitable progression of cognitive decline found in Down's syndrome.

19 Nov 2009

Joint project focuses on finding ways to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease

Every two years, 2,000 senior Group Health patients check in with the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study. The joint project between Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington (UW) focuses on finding ways to delay or prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and declines in memory and thinking.

19 Nov 2009

Halifax researcher wins Prix Galien Research Award

Dr. Donald Weaver, a Halifax researcher with unmatched credentials, received the Prix Galien Research Award at a ceremony in Ottawa last night. Known as the Nobel Prize of pharmaceutical research, this award is the highest distinction worldwide for biopharmaceutical work, and the most prestigious in the field of Canadian pharmaceutical research and innovation.

19 Nov 2009

Xeomin receives approval for post-stroke spasticity of upper limb in European countries

Today, Merz Pharmaceuticals announced Xeomin®, the first botulinum toxin type A free from complexing proteins has been granted an extension of indication for post-stroke spasticity of the upper limb presenting with flexed wrist and clenched fist in adults in various European countries.

19 Nov 2009

Women with multiple sclerosis are less likely to have pregnancy complicaitons

There is good news for women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant. A new study shows that pregnant women with multiple sclerosis are only slightly more likely to have cesarean deliveries and babies with a poor prenatal growth rate than women who do not have MS.

19 Nov 2009

Power3 Medical Products launches Phase II trials for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases blood diagnostic tests

BioMedReports.com, the news portal which covers Wall Street's biomedical sector and delivers financial and investment intelligence to a community of highly informed investors, has issued a special report on Power3 Medical Products, the developer of several blood tests designed for early detection, monitoring and targeting of diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and breast cancer.

18 Nov 2009

Gene that tells embryonic stem cells when to stop producing neurons identified

Researchers from North Carolina State University have identified a gene that tells embryonic stem cells in the brain when to stop producing nerve cells called neurons. The research is a significant advance in understanding the development of the nervous system, which is essential to addressing conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.

18 Nov 2009

In home evaluation trials for GeckoSystems' home care robot begins

GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. (http://www.geckosystems.com/) announced today that they have started limited in home evaluation trials for their first product, a fully autonomous personal companion home care robot, the CareBot™.

18 Nov 2009

New neuroimaging techniques yield new insights on Alzheimer's disease

Brain imaging can offer a window into risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). A study conducted at the University of Kansas School of Medicine demonstrated that genetic risk is expressed in the brains of even those who are healthy, but carry some risk for AD. The results of this study are published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

18 Nov 2009

Phase 2 clinical trial to test gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's disease

Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of 12 sites nationwide participating in the first Phase 2 clinical trial to test gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The study is the first multicenter neurosurgical intervention in Alzheimer's research in the U.S.

18 Nov 2009

New technology drives therapies for older patients, those with Alzheimer's

Technology advances are making life better for the elderly and those with Alzheimer's disease by allowing the older to stay in their homes and giving the ill a way to interact with society again.

17 Nov 2009

deCODE genetics files voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code

deCODE genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DCGN) today announced that it has filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to facilitate the sale of substantially all of its assets. deCODE is continuing to operate its business and manage its properties as a debtor-in-possession pursuant to Sections 1107 and 1108 of the Bankruptcy Code.

17 Nov 2009