Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

New two-tier method can enable early-stage detection of Alzheimer’s

Using current techniques, Alzheimer's disease, the most frequent cause of dementia, can only be detected once the typical plaques have formed in the brain.

3 May 2019

Targeting antidiuretic hormone vasopressin shows promise for autism

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with no known drug treatment up until now. Researchers have finally found tweaking certain hormones could help patients with autism. There were two independent clinical trials including children and adults with autism that altered the effects of the hormone vasopressin and to assess the effects on social functioning.

2 May 2019

Alzheimer's disease may be caused by infectious proteins called prions

Scientists have used advanced laboratory assays to show that high levels of prions are implicated in early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

2 May 2019

UNC School of Medicine initiative providing unique care to dementia patients

The Dementia Friendly Hospital Initiative will reach a total of 3,900 employees in four hospitals across North Carolina to raise awareness of how patients with dementia experience care, and to meet their unique needs with strategic and compassionate treatment.

2 May 2019

New type of dementia is '100 times more common' than ALS

Physicians have defined a new form of dementia that may be more common than Alzheimer’s disease. The condition, named LATE, affects a different part of the brain.

1 May 2019

Researchers define brain disorder that mimics symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

A brain disorder that mimics symptoms of Alzheimer's disease has been defined with recommended diagnostic criteria and guidelines for advancing future research on the condition.

30 Apr 2019

A poor sense of smell increases your risk of dying early, but scientists don’t know why

Researchers have found that a poor sense of smell during older age is be associated with an increased likelihood of dying within the next ten years. However, they can’t explain why.

30 Apr 2019

Researchers gain new insight into Alzheimer's using organoids that resemble mini brains

In the majority of cases, dementia can be traced back to Alzheimer's disease. Its causes are not really understood yet. What is known is that plaques form from misfolded proteins and that there is an increase in neuronal cell death levels in the brain. However, the plaques don't necessarily go hand in hand with any symptoms.

30 Apr 2019

Researchers synthesize peroxidase-mimicking nanozyme with low cost and superior catalytic activity

A KAIST research team doped nitrogen and boron into graphene to selectively increase peroxidase-like activity and succeeded in synthesizing a peroxidase-mimicking nanozyme with a low cost and superior catalytic activity.

30 Apr 2019

BUSM receives $4.9 million MLSC grant to accelerate development of new brain imaging techniques

Boston University School of Medicine today announced that it had received a $4.9 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to create a state-of the-art facility to accelerate development of novel brain imaging techniques to track subtle changes in the brain after neurotrauma.

30 Apr 2019

Exercise activates brain circuits associated with memory in older adults

How quickly do we experience the benefits of exercise? A new University of Maryland study of healthy older adults shows that just one session of exercise increased activation in the brain circuits associated with memory - including the hippocampus - which shrinks with age and is the brain region attacked first in Alzheimer's disease.

25 Apr 2019

Researchers seek sage advice of elders on aging issues

Rachel O'Conor booted up her slides and began posing questions to six older adults sitting around a table: How should primary care physicians support patients and caregivers after a diagnosis of dementia? And what stands in the way of getting adequate support?

25 Apr 2019

Drugs for treatment of stroke, vascular dementia show promising results in early trial

Treatments that prevent recurrence of types of stroke and dementia caused by damage to small blood vessels in the brain have moved a step closer, following a small study.

25 Apr 2019

New chemical synthesis strategy leads to identification of novel, simpler derivatives

A new chemical synthesis strategy to harvest the rich information found in natural products -- organic compounds isolated from natural sources -- has led to the identification of novel, simpler derivatives with potential to selectively protect neurons, important for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, or to prevent the immune system from rejecting organ transplants, according to a Baylor University-led study.

25 Apr 2019