Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

FDA approve Fanapt tablets (iloperidone) to treat adults with schizophrenia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Fanapt tablets (iloperidone) to treat adults with schizophrenia, a chronic, severe and disabling brain disorder.

7 May 2009

Discovery of gene key to Alzheimer's-like reversal

A team led by researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory has now pinpointed the exact gene responsible for a 2007 breakthrough in which mice with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease regained long-term memories and the ability to learn

6 May 2009

Australia warned - 'Dementia Tsunami' on the way

According to a new report Australia could be facing a 'Dementia Tsunami' in twenty years time.

6 May 2009

Mental health prescriptions increased by 73% among adults, 50% among children from 1996-2006

From 1996 to 2006, prescriptions for mental health medications increased by 73% among U.S. adults and by 50% among children, according to a study published on Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs, the Wall Street Journal reports.

5 May 2009

Episodes of delirium accelerate cognitive decline and memory loss in Alzheimer's patients

Delirium often develops in elderly patients during hospitalization or serious illness, and this acute state of confusion and agitation has long been suspected of having ties to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

4 May 2009

NSAIDs do not prevent Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia

A new study shows that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as the pain relievers ibuprofen and naproxen, do not prevent Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

22 Apr 2009

New insights into protein p75's role Alzheimer's disease

New research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies casts the role of a neuronal growth factor receptor - long suspected to facilitate the toxic effects of beta amyloid in Alzheimer's disease - in a new light, suggesting the molecule actually protects the neuron in the periphery from beta amyloid-induced damage.

21 Apr 2009

Scientists use eye tracking to detect mild dementia in humans

Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, developed a test in nonhuman primates that is now using infrared eye tracking to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in humans.

15 Apr 2009

Rochester scientist wins major award for Alzheimer's research

A Rochester researcher whose work has opened up a whole new avenue in Alzheimer's disease research has received a major prize from the American Academy of Neurology.

15 Apr 2009

Non-drug treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Long-term benefit not proven

Whether people with Alzheimer's disease benefit in the long term from non-drug treatment interventions remains an unanswered question.

15 Apr 2009

Neurodegeneration study reveals targets of destruction

Scientists are reporting the strongest evidence to date that neurodegenerative diseases target and progress along distinct neural networks that normally support healthy brain function.

15 Apr 2009

Statins for the prevention of dementia

An increasing number of studies show that elevated serum cholesterol levels might be part of the cause of Alzheimer's disease, but a new review of studies says that, even so, the most successful class of cholesterol-lowering medicines will not stave off the condition.

14 Apr 2009

Severe hypoglycemia linked with higher risk of dementia for seniors with diabetes

Having hypoglycemic (low blood sugar level) episodes that are severe enough to require hospitalization are associated with a greater risk of dementia for older adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the April 15 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Apr 2009

Enteral tube feeding for older patients with advanced dementia

Family members grappling with the decision to allow a feeding tube for a relative with advanced dementia will find little comfort from a new review of evidence.

14 Apr 2009

Hypoglycemic episodes increase dementia risk in seniors with type 2 diabetes

Hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episodes that require a visit to the hospital are associated with increased risk of dementia in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Apr 2009

Anti-clotting medications may be associated with brain microbleeds in older adults

Individuals who take aspirin or other medications that prevent blood clotting by inhibiting the accumulation of platelets appear more likely to have tiny, asymptomatic areas of bleeding in the brain, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the June print issue of Archives of Neurology.

13 Apr 2009

New small molecule approach to Alzheimer's disease treatment

New therapeutic approaches in Alzheimer's disease are urgently needed.

13 Apr 2009

Study finds multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria high in long-term care

The prevalence of a certain form of drug-resistant bacteria, called multidrug-resistant gram-negative (MDRGN) organisms, far surpassed that of two other common antimicrobial-resistant infections in long-term care facilities, according to a study conducted by researchers at Hebrew SeniorLife's Institute for Aging Research.

12 Apr 2009

Discovery of novel mechanisms that might causally link type-2 diabetes to Alzheimer's disease

A recent study by Mount Sinai faculty suggests that a gene associated with onset of type-2 diabetes also decreases in Alzheimer's disease dementia cases.

12 Apr 2009

Seroquel XR supplemental NDA recommended for approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee (PDAC) conducted a review of the safety and efficacy of supplemental new drug applications (sNDA) for Seroquel XR (quetiapine fumarate) extended-release tablets proposed for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

9 Apr 2009