Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Lasers show potential to 'zap' amyloid proteins

Researchers have found that a technique used to visualize amyloid fibers in the laboratory might have the potential to destroy them in the clinic.

7 Jan 2009

Discovery of more efficient way to create induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells

A Boston University School of Medicine-led research team has discovered a more efficient way to create induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells, derived from mouse fibroblasts, by using a single virus vector instead of multiple viruses in the reprogramming process.

7 Jan 2009

Clioquinol - gastrointestinal drug could become anti-aging treatment

Recent animal studies have shown that clioquinol – an 80-year old drug once used to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders – can reverse the progression of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

6 Jan 2009

New hope for leptin as a solution to obesity

The discovery more than a decade ago of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone secreted by fat tissue, generated headlines and great hopes for an effective treatment for obesity.

6 Jan 2009

Innovative brain-scan technology helps visualize brain aging before symptoms appear

UCLA scientists have used innovative brain-scan technology developed at UCLA, along with patient-specific information on Alzheimer's disease risk, to help diagnose brain aging, often before symptoms appear.

6 Jan 2009

Apolipoprotein D protects against Alzheimer's

Do Carmo and her collaborators have successfully demonstrated the protective and reparative role of apolipoprotein D, or ApoD, in neurodegenerative diseases. Their discovery suggests interesting avenues for preventing and slowing the progression of this type of illness.

6 Jan 2009

First national study on nursing home social workers

Social workers play a vital role in improving the quality of nursing home residents' lives.

5 Jan 2009

Collagen VI protects brain cells against amyloid-beta proteins

Scientists from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND), UCSF, and Stanford have discovered that a certain type of collagen, collagen VI, protects brain cells against amyloid-beta proteins, which are widely thought to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD).

5 Jan 2009

Adult-onset diabetes slows mental functioning in several ways, with deficits appearing early

Adults with diabetes experience a slowdown in several types of mental processing, which appears early in the disease and persists into old age, according to new research.

5 Jan 2009

New understanding of genetic signature associated with Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have new information about the complex genetic signature associated with Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly.

1 Jan 2009

Researchers link blood sugar to normal cognitive aging

Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a study published by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).

1 Jan 2009

Moderate drinking lowers risk of Alzheimer's and cognitive decline

Moderate drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss, according to researchers who reviewed 44 studies.

30 Dec 2008

Scientists reverse brain birth defects using stem cell therapy

Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have succeeded in reversing brain birth defects in animal models, using stem cells to replace defective brain cells.

29 Dec 2008

Quit smoking one week at a time

Even though millions of smokers will resolve to 'butt out' on January 1st, experts say many will be still be smoking on Valentine's Day. They have some tips to help quitters retain their resolve and strengthen their commitment to quitting which apply even to the likes of President-elect Barack Obama.

29 Dec 2008

Cardiovascular system proteins play a role in Alzheimer's

Researchers have found that two proteins which work in tandem in the brain's blood vessels present a double whammy in Alzheimer's disease.

22 Dec 2008

Patient-derived induced stem cells retain disease traits

The dying cells - the same type lost in patients with the devastating neurological disease spinal muscular atrophy - confirmed that the University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell biologist had recreated the hallmarks of a genetic disorder in the lab, using stem cells derived from a patient.

22 Dec 2008

First nanomedicine textbook published

Formalizing progress in nanoscience and nanotechnology, engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have published the first textbook on the emerging field of nanomedicine.

18 Dec 2008

MRI brain scans provide valuable diagnostic information about Alzheimer's

MRI scans that detect shrinkage in specific regions of the mid-brain attacked by Alzheimer's disease accurately diagnose the neurodegenerative disease, even before symptoms interfere with daily function, a study by the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) in Miami and Tampa found.

18 Dec 2008

Evidence that Alzheimer's disease affects women differently than men

Nearly 4.5 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD) in our country, and more than half of them are women, according to the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Md.

18 Dec 2008

New method offers direct access to the brain through the nose to treat stroke

UT Health Science Center San Antonio researchers, working in a mouse model of stroke, are delivering neuroprotective drugs to the brain by spraying them onto the lining of a nerve in the nose.

18 Dec 2008