Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

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

Transient ischemic attack can trigger stroke

One out of every eight strokes is preceded by a "warning stroke," which is a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mild stroke, according to research published in the September 29, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Sep 2009

Poor kidney function can affect brain activities

A new study published in the medical journal Neurology suggests that impaired kidney function is a risk factor for cognitive decline in old age.

29 Sep 2009

Study on how epigenetic changes contribute to congnitive 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.

28 Sep 2009

Researchers to use Intravenous Immune Globulin for slowing AD progression

Researchers from the Memory and Cognition Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center will begin testing an intriguing new approach to slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using Intravenous Immune Globulin (IGIV), also known as gammaglobulin.

25 Sep 2009

Rasagiline slows the rate of Parkinson's disease progression

Following one of the largest studies ever conducted in Parkinson's disease (PD), researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine report today in The New England Journal of Medicine that rasagiline, a drug currently used to treat the symptoms of PD, may also slow the rate of disease progression.

24 Sep 2009

Researching the causes of Alzheimer's disease

The standard explanation for what causes Alzheimer's is known as the amyloid hypothesis, which posits that the disease results from of an accumulation of the peptide amyloid beta, the toxic protein fragments that deposit in the brain and become the sticky plaques that have defined Alzheimer's for more than 100 years.

23 Sep 2009

CERE-110 trial to stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers in the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center are now recruiting volunteers for a national gene therapy trial - the first study of its kind for the treatment of patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.

23 Sep 2009

UAB's researchers find early indicators for Alzheimer's disease

Inability to handle financial transactions or manage money may be an early indicator that a person with mild memory problems soon is likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Alzheimer's Disease Center, part of the Department of Neurology.

22 Sep 2009

35 million people around the world affected by Alzheimer's disease: Nancy Pelosi

"Alzheimer's disease is a scourge afflicting Americans in every state and community. According to a new report, it affects 35 million people around the world -- and that number is expected to nearly double in 20 years, to more than 65 million in 2030.

22 Sep 2009

Poor money management: A sign of developing Alzheimer's disease

New research finds poor money management skills may indicate that a person with mild memory problems will soon develop Alzheimer's disease. The study is published in the September 22, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Sep 2009

Neurodegenerative disorders are the second-leading cause of early-onset dementia, says report

Neurodegenerative disorders called frontotemporal dementias (FTD) are the second-leading cause of early-onset dementia in persons under age 65 and can emerge sometimes as early as age 20.

21 Sep 2009

Alzheimer Society of Canada stresses on early diagnosis of dementia

Startling new statistics on the worldwide prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are being released today as countries across the globe join together in recognition of World Alzheimer's Day.

21 Sep 2009

Celebrities take part in competition to mark World Alzheimer's Day

Today, on World Alzheimer's Day, new data released estimates 35 million people worldwide -- a 10% increase over 2005 -- are living with Alzheimer's and dementia, highlighting the urgent need for action and response.

21 Sep 2009

MemoryXL improves cognitive performance in Alzheimer's disease

Thomas Shea, Ph.D, and his team of scientists, tested the effects of MemoryXL previously shown to improve cognitive performance in Alzheimer's disease on adults without dementia.

18 Sep 2009

Healthcare staff find it hard to diagnose pain levels in nursing home residents accurately, says study

Relatives and healthcare staff find it hard to diagnose pain levels in nursing home residents accurately, especially if they are cognitively impaired with illnesses such as dementia or unable to speak, according to a study in September issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

18 Sep 2009

Vitamin K prevents age-related conditions

An important analysis conducted by Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute scientists suggests the importance of ensuring optimal dietary intakes of vitamin K to prevent age-related conditions such as bone fragility, arterial and kidney calcification, cardiovascular disease, and possibly cancer. Vitamin K is concentrated in dark green plants such as spinach or Swiss chard, and is either not present or present in only small amounts in most multivitamin pills.

18 Sep 2009

Early detection of Alzheimer's can prevent disease progression

More than 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, and every 71 seconds someone in America develops the disease.

18 Sep 2009

AFA welcomes inclusion of cognitive impairment screening in healthcare reform proposal

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) today applauded Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), who spearheaded the provision, for including cognitive impairment screening for Medicare beneficiaries in Baucus' healthcare reform proposal, "America's Healthy Future Act of 2009."

18 Sep 2009