Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Small nursing homes for people with dementia provide good quality care, domestic environment

Small group homes for people with dementia provide good quality care and a domestic environment where people can live as individuals and families can get involved. But tension can arise when it comes to deciding who takes responsibilities for certain practical and caring tasks.

15 Sep 2011

Telestroke appears to be cost-effective for rural hospitals

In a first of its kind study, researchers have found that using two way audio-video telemedicine to deliver stroke care, also known as telestroke, appears to be cost-effective for rural hospitals that don't have an around-the-clock neurologist, or stroke expert, on staff.

15 Sep 2011

P3 survey: 44% of U.S. patients receive inadequate relief of moderate-to-severe acute pain

A new survey shows almost half (44%) of U.S. patients in outpatient settings received potentially inadequate relief of moderate-to-severe acute pain.

15 Sep 2011

Researchers discover several chemical compounds against human prion diseases

In a new study NYU School of Medicine researchers report that they have found several chemical compounds, including an antidepressant, that have powerful effects against brain-destroying prion infections in mice, opening the door to potential treatments for human prion diseases.

15 Sep 2011

Obama administration drafts Alzheimer's plan; Caregivers urge help to stay afloat

Caregivers Urge Action As Obama Administration Drafts National Alzheimer's Plan

14 Sep 2011

Researchers may have solved 100-year-old puzzle to safely open and close the blood-brain barrier

Cornell University researchers may have solved a 100-year puzzle: How to safely open and close the blood-brain barrier so that therapies to treat Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and cancers of the central nervous system might effectively be delivered.

14 Sep 2011

Australians depressed, obese, alcoholic and in denial: Survey

Reports reveal that Australians are in denial about their increasing rates of obesity and claim to be the unhappiest in the world. The findings came from an international health survey which also revealed that Australians were among the world's biggest drinkers, coming in just behind the British. The survey by health insurer BUPA showed that while 64 per cent of Australians said they were in relatively good shape, there were some worrying trends.

14 Sep 2011

Dementia needs early diagnosis: Report

According to a new report sponsored by Alzheimer’s Disease International, nearly three-quarters of the 36 million people living with dementia have not been diagnosed with it. Experts say the lack of diagnosis has enormous repercussions on early treatment and care, and has a direct impact on the disease’s cost to society.

14 Sep 2011

Electron microscope reveals minute morphology of dendritic trees

Neurons in the brain play a role as an electric wire conveying an electrical signal. Because this electric wire is connected with various joints, various brain functions can occur. A neuron which has dendritic trees on it, receives the signals with many synapses located on those dendritic trees, and carries out functions by combining the received signals.

14 Sep 2011

High cholesterol and Alzheimer's disease

New research suggests that high cholesterol levels could boost the risk of Alzheimer's disease by creating more brain-clogging bits known as plaque. Researchers however didn't find any link between high cholesterol and tangles, which also clog the brain in those with Alzheimer's.

13 Sep 2011

A squirt of insulin up the nose for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers have noted in a small pilot study that squirting insulin deep into the nose where it travels to the brain might hold early Alzheimer’s disease at bay. At present there are no effective ways to prevent or delay the progress of Alzheimer’s. More than 5.4 million Americans and 35 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia.

13 Sep 2011

ADI releases World Alzheimer Report 2011

The World Alzheimer Report 2011, released today by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), shows that there are interventions that are effective in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, some of which may be more effective when started earlier, and that there is a strong economic argument in favor of earlier diagnosis and timely intervention.

13 Sep 2011

UC Berkeley scientists offer treatment hope for patients with tinnitus

Neuroscientists at the University of California, Berkeley, are offering hope to the 10 percent of the population who suffer from tinnitus - a constant, often high-pitched ringing or buzzing in the ears that can be annoying and even maddening, and has no cure.

13 Sep 2011

People with high cholesterol more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease

People with high cholesterol may have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the September 13, 2011, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Sep 2011

Hawthorn, CoPlex Therapeutics sign licensing deal to develop and commercialize hawAD14 for Alzheimer's

Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today an exclusive global licensing deal with CoPlex Therapeutics on hawAD14, a preclinical oral small molecule candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

13 Sep 2011

Clinical trial planned in Australia and the USA to help patients with ‘orphan’ disease

Prana Biotechnology Limited announced today that researchers are planning recruitment for a phase II clinical trial of the experimental drug PBT2 in Huntington’s patients. There are currently no treatments for the genetic, neurodegenerative disease; Australia is increasingly seen as a leader in the development of therapies for neurologic disorders. Huntington’s often affects young adults and progressively impacts the body, mind and emotions. The disease causes incapacitation and death about 15-25 years after onset.

12 Sep 2011

University of Adelaide research focuses on techniques to treat swallowing disorders

A simple function that most of us take for granted - swallowing - is the focus of University of Adelaide research which could help thousands of stroke sufferers around the world.

12 Sep 2011

IBN scientists harness ultrasmall peptides to repair spinal disc damage

New ultrasmall peptides that can be used as building blocks for a wide range of regenerative applications such as spinal disc replacement and cartilage repair have been developed by scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world's first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute. These peptides spontaneously assemble in water to form hydrogels, which resemble collagen, a major component of connective tissues found in cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bone and skin.

12 Sep 2011

USC team produces world's first high-resolution images of α7 neuroreceptor

For the first time, USC scientists have mapped out a neuroreceptor. This scientific breakthrough promises to revolutionize the engineering of drugs used to treat ailments such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

12 Sep 2011

Work intensity of physicians across several specialties is fairly equal: Study

Contrary to longstanding assumptions, new findings suggest the work intensity of physicians across several specialties is fairly equal. The study, funded by the American Academy of Neurology along with several other medical associations and published online ahead of print in the journal Medical Care, provides the groundwork for the development of a more reliable, scientific measurement of physician work intensity that may guide future national policy in patient safety, practice management and payment.

12 Sep 2011