Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

New understanding of cancer stem cells

By revealing the inner workings of a common cell-to-cell signaling system, University of Michigan biologists have uncovered new clues about mysterious and contentious creatures called cancer stem cells.

10 Apr 2008

Researchers close in on origins of main ingredient of Alzheimer's plaques

The ability of brain cells to take in substances from their surface is essential to the production of a key ingredient in Alzheimer's brain plaques, neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have learned.

10 Apr 2008

Housework boosts mental health

Just 20 minutes of any physical activity, including housework, in a week is enough to boost mental health, reveals a large study published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

10 Apr 2008

How protein sludge accumulates in Alzheimer's

Researchers have identified a key mechanism by which the protein sludge that kills brain cells accumulates in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

10 Apr 2008

Men who develop diabetes in mid-life have increased risk of Alzheimer's

Men who develop diabetes in mid-life appear to significantly increase their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a long-term study published in the April 9, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Apr 2008

Depressives at an increase risk for Alzheimer's

According to researchers in Holland people who are depressed are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

9 Apr 2008

Blood test in the pipeline for early Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

A company in the U.S. says it has a blood test in the pipeline which is able to detect the early signs of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

9 Apr 2008

Symptoms of depression do not appear to increase in early stages of Alzheimer's disease

Although individuals with depression may be more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, symptoms of depression do not appear to increase in the years before a diagnosis is made, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

8 Apr 2008

Depression and Alzheimer's

People who have had depression are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than people who have never had depression, according to a study published in the April 8, 2008, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 Apr 2008

Leaky blood vessels open up nerve cells to toxic assault In Lou Gehrig's disease

Leaky blood vessels that lose their ability to protect the spinal cord from toxins may play a role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to research published in the April issue of Nature Neuroscience.

7 Apr 2008

Significant dementia risk attributable to small blood vessel damage

Autopsy data of 221 men and women found that the brains of one-third of individuals who had dementia before death showed evidence of small, cumulative blood vessel damage that can arise from hypertension or diabetes.

7 Apr 2008

Salivary diagnostics

Accuracy, convenience, and non-invasiveness are the most critical characteristics for any diagnostic tool.

7 Apr 2008

Mitochondria play role in pathogenesis of AD and estrogen-induced neuroprotection

As the major source of free radicals in cells, mitochondria contribute to the high levels of oxidative stress believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

7 Apr 2008

New blood test gives early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases

A new blood test that can give an early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease and distinguish between Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease could be launched this summer, reports Marina Murphy in SCI's Chemistry & Industry magazine.

7 Apr 2008

Alzheimer's vaccine clears amyloid plaques but has little effect on learning and memory impairment

A promising vaccine being tested for Alzheimer's disease does what it is designed to do -- clear beta-amyloid plaques from the brain -- but it does not seem to help restore lost learning and memory abilities, according to a University of California, Irvine study.

7 Apr 2008

1/3 of risk for dementia attributable to small vessel disease, autopsy study shows

Alzheimer's disease may be what most people fear as they grow older, but autopsy data from a long-range study of 3,400 men and women in the Seattle region found that the brains of a third of those who had become demented before death showed evidence of small vessel damage: the type of small, cumulative injury that can come from hypertension or diabetes.

7 Apr 2008

Stem cell breakthrough offers diabetes hope

Scientists have discovered a new technique for turning embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic tissue in what could prove a significant breakthrough in the quest to find new treatments for diabetes.

From The University of Manchester 4 Apr 2008

Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography to help determine whether cognitive impairment will lead to Alzheimer's

With nearly 10 million baby boomers at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, researchers are taking a closer look at a condition known as mild cognitive impairment.

3 Apr 2008

A daily dose of caffeine may help protect against Alzheimer's

A daily dose of caffeine blocks the disruptive effects of high cholesterol that scientists have linked to Alzheimer's disease.

3 Apr 2008

Satoris enters collaboration to validate early Alzheimer's test

Satoris, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company focused on developing blood-based tests for Alzheimer ' s disease, will shortly begin a collaborative study with the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (Mayo Clinic) to validate the utility of plasma biomarkers for early detection of mild to moderate Alzheimer ' s disease.

2 Apr 2008