Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

Keeping the mind busy and occupied restores memories lost to dementia

Scientists in the U.S. believe that mental stimulation along with drug therapy may help people with diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia regain some of their lost memories.

30 Apr 2007

Taking low dose aspirin does not protect older women against cognitive decline

Identifying ways to prevent dementia is a public health priority. Evidence suggests that aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs may protect against dementia, but data from randomised studies to date have been inconclusive.

27 Apr 2007

New method allows for stem cell propagation and neurogenesis in cell culture

Researchers are now able to study stem cells from the brains of adult mice and their neurogenesis in long-term cell cultures.

26 Apr 2007

Naproxen and celecoxib do not prevent Alzheimer's disease

Over-the-counter pain medication naproxen and prescription pain reliever celecoxib do not prevent Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published April 25, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Apr 2007

Sleep protects memories

Sleep not only protects memories from outside interferences, but also helps strengthen them, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 , May 5, 2007.

25 Apr 2007

Review of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different models of community-based respite care for frail older people and their carers

Family members and friends often need support as they cope with being the main caregivers for their older, sick or disabled loved ones.

25 Apr 2007

Humanizing approaches to dementia care may extend patients' lives

Through an intensive comparative study of two nursing home units using contrasting approaches to dementia care for elders with severely disturbed behaviors, Central Michigan University professor of anthropology Athena McLean has found that "humanizing" approaches to dementia care may not only extend quality of life for patients, but also their length of life.

25 Apr 2007

Female alcoholics may sustain greater cognitive damage than male alcoholics

Researchers and clinicians already know that alcohol abuse and/or dependence can lead to severe and potentially irreversible brain damage.

24 Apr 2007

Delirium becoming a major burden on health care services in countries with ageing populations

At least one third of cases of delirium could be prevented if better systems of care were in place according to a doctor in today's BMJ.

20 Apr 2007

Purdue molecule could lead to first drug treatment for Alzheimer's disease

A molecule designed by a Purdue University researcher could lead to the first drug treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

18 Apr 2007

Brain structure changes years before dementia or Alzheimer's disease begins

People who develop dementia or Alzheimer's disease experience brain structure changes years before any signs of memory loss begin, according to a study published in the April 17, 2007, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Apr 2007

Faster diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer's disease

Research by faculty and staff at Rowan University, Glassboro, N.J.; the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; and Drexel University may lead to better diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

15 Apr 2007

Richard Mayeux wins AAN Potamkin prize for Alzheimer's research

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is awarding the 2007 Potamkin Prize to Richard Mayeux, MD, MSc, Fellow of the AAN and co-director of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center in New York, for his research related to Alzheimer's disease.

12 Apr 2007

Full impact of mental health and substance abuse disorders on U.S. community hospitals

Almost one-fourth of all stays in U.S. community hospitals for patients age 18 and older – 7.6 million of nearly 32 million stays – involved depressive, bipolar, schizophrenia and other mental health disorders or substance use related disorders in 2004, according to a new report by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

11 Apr 2007

Diabetes linked to increased risk of mild cognitive impairment

Individuals with diabetes may have a higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, a condition that involves difficulties with thinking and learning and may be an intermediate step toward Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Apr 2007

European research helps people with dementia improve their quality of life

As approximately 1.9 million elderly people in Europe experience a form of dementia. A pan-European research project is seeking to help them 'navigate their day' and improve their quality of life.

9 Apr 2007

Rural hospitals shown to provide quality care for patients with heart attacks

Contrary to some previous studies, rural hospitals in Iowa do provide quality care for patients with heart attacks and do not have higher death rates when compared to urban hospitals, report University of Iowa researchers.

5 Apr 2007

No apparent increase in coronary heart disease for women who initiate hormone therapy

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth ( NYSE:WYE ) , provides comment on a re- analysis of pooled data from both hormone therapy arms of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

4 Apr 2007

New device sniffs out olfactory disorders that could be an early warning of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

The Sniff Magnitude Test (SMT), an invention of UC Psychology Professor Robert Frank and Professor Emeritus Robert Gesteland of the UC Department of Cell Biology, is now under further development with the WR Medical Electronics Company in Stillwater, Minn. The company will manufacture and market the test.

4 Apr 2007

Creatine may help Parkinson's patients by giving an energy boost to dying cells

Whether a supplement used by athletes to boost energy levels and build muscle can slow progression of Parkinson's disease is the focus of a North American study.

22 Mar 2007