Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Can breastfeeding reduce multiple sclerosis relapses?

Women who have multiple sclerosis may reduce their risk of relapses after pregnancy if they breastfeed their babies, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 to May 2, 2009.

20 Feb 2009

Drug sodium phenylbutyrate could improve the memory of those with Alzheimer's disease

The results of the project, developed by researchers of the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the University of Navarra have been published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

20 Feb 2009

Opportunities for the health system in a sick economy

With the interim report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission published yesterday the time for implementing reform could hardly be better.

18 Feb 2009

Forgotten and lost -- when proteins 'shut down' our brain

Which modules of the tau protein, in neurons of Alzheimer disease patients, may act in a destructive manner were investigated by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Göttingen) and the Max Planck Unit for Structural Molecular Biology (Hamburg) with the help of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ( PLoS Biology , February 17, 2009).

18 Feb 2009

New nationwide Alzheimer's study underway

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center are preparing to begin a clinical trial aimed at testing an investigational new drug that may help control the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

17 Feb 2009

New insight into ways organ systems outside the brain may affect Alzheimer's

In Alzheimer's disease the brain accumulates a molecule called A-beta that can be quite toxic to brain cells.

17 Feb 2009

Senior patients benefit from selective use of early revascularization

The elderly represent a growing proportion of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS).

16 Feb 2009

Boosting its infectivity turns benign virus into good gene therapy carrier for cystic fibrosis

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Iowa have turned a relatively benign virus into a highly infectious form that is ideal as a carrier for gene therapy.

16 Feb 2009

HPV vaccine does not increase the risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome

The HPV vaccine does not increase the risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 to May 2, 2009.

16 Feb 2009

Higher blood sugar levels linked to lower brain function in diabetics

Results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues show that cognitive functioning abilities drop as average blood sugar levels rise in people with type 2 diabetes.

16 Feb 2009

New test for mysterious metabolic diseases

Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have devised a much-needed way to monitor and find treatments for a mysterious and devastating group of metabolic diseases that arise from mutations in cells' fuel-burning mechanism.

15 Feb 2009

New method to stimulate immune system may be effective at reducing amyloid burden in Alzheimer?s

Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered a novel way to stimulate the innate immune system of mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) - leading to reduced amyloid deposits and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease related pathology - without causing toxic side effects.

15 Feb 2009

Higher blood sugar levels linked to lower brain function in diabetics, study shows

11 Feb 2009

MRI shows brain atrophy pattern that predicts Alzheimer's

Using special MRI methods, researchers have identified a pattern of regional brain atrophy in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that indicates a greater likelihood of progression to Alzheimer's disease.

10 Feb 2009

Improving brain processing speed helps memory

Mayo Clinic researchers found that healthy, older adults who participated in a computer-based training program to improve the speed and accuracy of brain processing showed twice the improvement in certain aspects of memory, compared to a control group.

10 Feb 2009

Tests may predict driving safety in people with Alzheimer's

Doctors may be able to use certain cognitive tests to help determine whether a person with Alzheimer's disease can safely get behind the wheel.

9 Feb 2009

New efficient technology speeds protein NMR imaging

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, or SSNMR, is a valuable tool to image and analyze the chemical makeup of proteins and other biomolecules.

9 Feb 2009

Eating a Mediterranean diet linked to lower risk of cognitive impairment

Eating a Mediterranean diet appears to be associated with less risk of mild cognitive impairment-a stage between normal aging and dementia-or of transitioning from mild cognitive impairment into Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology.

9 Feb 2009

Lack of specific gene plays role in autism

It is estimated that three to six out of every 1,000 children in the United States have autism - and the number of diagnosed cases is rising.

9 Feb 2009

New understanding of blinding degenerative eye conditions

Though based on mouse studies, the research bolsters the idea that humans suffering from these and other eye conditions may be able to help preserve function by adding antioxidants to their diet, and explains why this would work.

8 Feb 2009