Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Biovail provides update on its Phase III program with pimavanserin for Parkinson’s disease psychosis

Biovail Corporation today provided an update on its Phase III program with pimavanserin for Parkinson’s disease psychosis (PDP), which is being pursued in collaboration with ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. Following the announcement on September 1st of disappointing top-line results from the first Phase III PDP trial, Biovail and ACADIA remain committed to the successful development of pimavanserin and have established a development strategy that they believe will strengthen the PDP program.

7 Oct 2009

Update from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals regarding its Phase III program with pimavanserin

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ACAD), a biopharmaceutical company utilizing innovative technology to fuel drug discovery and clinical development of novel treatments for central nervous system disorders, today provided an update on its Phase III program with pimavanserin for Parkinson’s disease psychosis (PDP), which is being pursued in collaboration with Biovail Laboratories International SRL (“Biovail”), a subsidiary of Biovail Corporation.

6 Oct 2009

Study reveals information about molecular structure of prions

A collaboration between scientists at Vanderbilt University and the University of California, San Francisco has led to the first direct information about the molecular structure of prions. In addition, the study has revealed surprisingly large structural differences between natural prions and the closest synthetic analogs that scientists have created in the lab.

6 Oct 2009

Key defence mechanism used by the immune system against Listeria identified

A team of University of British Columbia microbiologists has identified a key defence mechanism used by the immune system against Listeria with strong implications for the future development of vaccines.

6 Oct 2009

Drivers with Parkinson's disease at greater risk of crashes on foggy days

Drivers with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease may be at higher risk of crashes on foggy days and other times of low visibility. The research, involving a driving simulation test, is published in the October 6, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 Oct 2009

GVK Biosciences and Quantitative Solutions to develop and market clinical trial outcome databases

GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO), Asia’s leading integrated research services provider and Quantitative Solutions (QS), a modeling and simulation (M&S) consultancy to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, announced a strategic partnership to develop and market clinical trial outcome databases.

5 Oct 2009

BUSM's geriatrics clerkship meets all the ambulatory core geriatric competencies

As the population ages, it is imperative that medical students are prepared to treat older adults, regardless of their specialty. Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) report that an interdisciplinary multisite fourth-year geriatrics clerkship, has successfully met all the ambulatory core geriatric competencies as outlined by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) working group.

3 Oct 2009

Bradycardia more likely in patients taking cholinesterase inhibitors

People taking one of several drugs commonly prescribed to treat Alzheimer's disease are more likely to be hospitalized for a potentially serious condition called bradycardia than patients not taking these medications.

3 Oct 2009

Teens with chronic disease often have expensive, uncertain coverage

ABC News profiles teens living with chronic diseases, and examines their insurance coverage and the cost of such care. The article notes: "Chronic diseases affect 1 in 10 Americans and are the leading cause of disability, accounting for 70 percent of all deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are also expensive."

3 Oct 2009

Budget cuts to affect low-income seniors

An 81-year-old San Francisco woman with dementia, little money and an equally aged caregiver sister who is suffering from cancer.

3 Oct 2009

Rush University receives grants to study how epigenomic changes define cognitive decline

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Rush University Medical Center approximately $5.5 million in grants to study how epigenetic changes - chemical modifications to genes that result from diet, aging, stress, or environmental exposures - define and contribute to memory formation and cognitive decline. Results from the studies could profoundly alter the way the medical community understands, diagnoses, and treats Alzheimer's disease, according to the researchers.

1 Oct 2009

UCF research team develops miniature diagnostic tool kit for dementia

With the risk of developing dementia growing at an alarming pace, a University of Central Florida research team is working with the Boston University School of Medicine to develop a miniature diagnostic toolkit in the hopes of stimulating earlier detection and treatment.

1 Oct 2009

Pfeiffer Treatment Center opens new Alzheimer’s care center in Illinois

Pfeiffer Treatment Center proudly announces that it has opened the Pfeiffer Center for Alzheimer’s care in Illinois.

1 Oct 2009

Streptococcal infection does not cause OCD or Tourette syndrome, says study

New research shows that streptococcal infection does not appear to cause or trigger Tourette syndrome or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The research is published in the September 30, 2009, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

1 Oct 2009

New Pathways to Memory Program to improve cognitive function for patients with dementia

Based on the ground-breaking program released in 2005, Homewatch CareGivers (www.HomewatchCareGivers.com), the largest, most experienced international provider of full-service home care, announced the release of its newly expanded Pathways to Memory™ Program, a set of therapeutic activities delivered in a nurturing, failure-free environment that stimulates and enhances cognitive function for patients with early to mid stage dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other memory loss conditions.

1 Oct 2009

Resverlogix RVX-208 exceeds expectations in Phase 1b/2a clinical trial

Resverlogix Corp. announced today that results from the Company's Phase 1b/2a clinical trial have met and exceeded expectations by successfully concluding the drug, RVX-208, is safe and tolerable. Most importantly RVX-208 has met its primary endpoint to increase the production of plasma ApoA-I, the key cardioprotective protein in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), often referred to as "good" cholesterol.

1 Oct 2009

Omega-3 fatty acids prevent and slow age-related macular degeneration

Researchers are seeing more benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3s), such as their ability to help prevent and slow age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that is the leading cause of severe vision loss in older people.

30 Sep 2009

Study reveals that Americans have limited knowledge about long-term care

Overall, Americans did not do well on a survey of their long-term care knowledge. Most know what long-term care is and how much it costs, but their scores fall short regarding how many people will need it and how they will pay for it. The MetLife Long-Term Care IQ Survey, taken by 1,021 individuals aged 40 to 70 in 2009, compared results with a similar 2004 study.

30 Sep 2009

Life Technologies Foundation awards grants for advancements in science

The Life Technologies Foundation, a non-profit arm of Life Technologies Corporation dedicated to advancing science education and scientific discovery, has awarded approximately $1.7 million in new grants that include the creation of an online biology textbook, and building a museum exhibit about the human cell.

30 Sep 2009

New treatment for Alzheimer's disease may be in the offing

Oleocanthal, a naturally-occurring compound found in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure of neurotoxic proteins believed to contribute to the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease. This structural change impedes the proteins' ability to damage brain nerve cells.

30 Sep 2009