Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

Brain trauma in sports associated with motor neuron disease, researchers find

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine and Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that they have provided the first pathological evidence that repetitive head trauma experienced in collision sports is associated with motor neuron disease, a neurological condition that affects voluntary muscle movements.

18 Aug 2010

Specific brain abnormalities linked to motor neuron disease in athletes with head trauma

Professional athletes with repetitive head trauma and possibly others with a history of head injuries many years previously may be prone the development of a motor neuron disease similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or "Lou Gehrig's disease"), reports a study in the September Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, official journal of the American Association of Neuropathologists, Inc.

18 Aug 2010

Lilly to halt development of potential Alzheimer's disease drug semagacestat

Eli Lilly and Company will halt development of semagacestat, a gamma secretase inhibitor being studied as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, because preliminary results from two ongoing long-term Phase III studies showed it did not slow disease progression and was associated with worsening of clinical measures of cognition and the ability to perform activities of daily living.

18 Aug 2010

Moderate wine consumption associated with better cognitive performance

A large prospective study of 5033 men and women in the Troms- Study in northern Norway has reported that moderate wine consumption is independently associated with better performance on cognitive tests. The subjects (average age 58 and free of stroke) were followed over 7 years during which they were tested with a range of cognitive function tests.

18 Aug 2010

Holotranscobalamin protein may be key to early detection of cognitive decline

B vitamins-B-6, B-12 and folate-all nourish the brain. But much remains to be discovered about the relation between these essential nutrients and our brainpower.

18 Aug 2010

Psychological stress in middle age increases risk of dementia later in life

Psychological stress in middle age could lead to the development of dementia later in life, especially Alzheimer's disease, reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Based on data from a study which followed women for 35 years, this is the first research in Sweden to indicate a link between stress and dementia.

17 Aug 2010

Survey: Majority of U.S. pharmaceutical companies develop drugs for mental illness

Pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies in New Jersey, California, New York and North Carolina are responsible for 192 of the 313 medicines in development today to treat mental illnesses, a new survey shows.

16 Aug 2010

Psychological stress in middle age can lead to dementia: Research

16 Aug 2010

Adverse effects in childhood lead to immune impairment later in life

The emotional pains we suffer in childhood can lead to weakened immune systems later in life, according to a new study.Based on this new research, the amount of this immune impairment even enhances that caused by the stress of caregiving later in life."What happens in childhood really matters when it comes to your immune response in the latter part of your life," explained Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State University. She explained her work at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in San Diego.

16 Aug 2010

Researchers identify second type of complete sporadic disease

A new sporadic prion protein disease has been discovered. Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy, as it has been named, is the second type of complete sporadic disease to be identified since Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was reported in the 1920s. The landmark finding from the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center at Case Western Reserve University is published in the August issue of Annals of Neurology.

13 Aug 2010

Intellect Neurosciences receives patent for insulin sensitizer drugs

Intellect Neurosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company with an internal preclinical and clinical-stage pipeline and licenses with major pharmaceutical companies covering products in late-stage clinical trials, announced today that its Chairman & CEO, Dr. Daniel Chain, was granted a patent by the European Patent and Trademark Office related to the use of insulin sensitizers for the prevention and treatment of memory loss and dementia. Insulin sensitizer drugs include Rosiglitazone and Pioglitazone, which have been approved for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus.

12 Aug 2010

Mental health bill for 2008 was $5.3 billion: Report

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), the country is spending more and more to deal with its mental ailment burden. This emerged from a report from the AIHW saying that finances spent on mental health services between 2007 to 2008 were $5.3 billion. Of this around 60 per cent came from state and territory governments, 36 per cent from the Commonwealth, and the rest from private health funds.

11 Aug 2010

Intellect Neurosciences receives patent for Alzheimer's disease vaccine

Intellect Neurosciences, Inc a biopharmaceutical company with an internal preclinical and clinical-stage pipeline and licenses with major pharmaceutical companies covering products in late-stage clinical trials, announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office related to RV01 and RV02, the Company's two lead vaccine candidates. The Notice of Allowance is a written communication stating that the patent application has been allowed and will be granted as a new patent. RV01 and RV02, generated using the Company's RECALL-VAX technology, have the potential to delay the onset of or prevent Alzheimer's disease in individuals susceptible by age, genetic or other risk factor.

11 Aug 2010

Researchers identify perforant path brain passage associated with Alzheimer's disease

With the help of volunteers aged 18 to 89, UC Irvine researchers have identified for the first time in humans a long-hidden part of the brain called the perforant path. Scientists have struggled for decades to locate the tiny passage, which is believed to deteriorate gradually as part of normal aging and far more quickly due to Alzheimer's disease.

11 Aug 2010

Older Americans suffer from full-blown depression: Report

Maureen Duffy's memories of her grandmother are cloudy. Not because of time, but by a condition that cast a shadow over the woman Duffy had visited as a child.

10 Aug 2010

Elan and Transition Therapeutics report results of ELND005 Phase 2 study for Alzheimer's disease

Elan Corporation, plc and Transition Therapeutics, Inc today announced the results of a Phase 2 placebo-controlled study in 351 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease who received study drug for up to 18 months (Study AD201). Study subjects with MMSE scores between 16 and 26 received ELND005 oral doses of 250 mg, 1000 mg or 2000 mg twice daily or matching placebo. The study's cognitive (NTB) and functional (ADCS-ADL) co - primary endpoints did not achieve statistical significance.

10 Aug 2010

AFA updates free educational teleconference service for dementia

To meet the growing needs of the dementia community, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America has updated its free, educational teleconference service to encourage both family members and professionals caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related illness to take advantage of its expert presentations and support network.

10 Aug 2010

Intellect Neurosciences receives Notice of Allowance for new OXIGON patent in Canada

Intellect Neurosciences, Inc announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the Canadian Patent and Trademark Office for a new patent related to OX1 (OXIGON™), the Company's clinical-stage drug candidate that has disease-modifying potential for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders. OX1 is an orally-administered, brain-penetrating, naturally-occurring, copper-binding small molecule targeting multiple mechanisms that contribute significantly to the underlying pathology of Alzheimer's disease.

9 Aug 2010

Emeritus announces closure of Sunwest purchase and sale transaction

Emeritus Corporation, a national provider of assisted living and memory care services to seniors, today announced that the Sunwest purchase and sale transaction has closed. The previously announced joint venture between affiliates of Emeritus, Blackstone Real Estate Advisors (an affiliate of The Blackstone Group), and Columbia Pacific Advisors, completed the transaction on August 5, 2010.

7 Aug 2010

Eliminating depression, diabetes can reduce levels of dementia: Study

Eliminating diabetes and depression, as well as increasing education and fruit and vegetable consumption, are likely to have the biggest impact on reducing levels of dementia in the coming years, should no effective treatment be found, concludes a study published on bmj.com today.These findings suggest priorities for future public health interventions.While the exact cause of dementia is still unknown, several modifiable risk factors have already been identified. These include vascular risk factors (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol), a history of depression, diet, alcohol consumption, and education level.

6 Aug 2010