Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Discovery of molecular mechanism that maintains memories in the brain

In an article in Science magazine, they demonstrate that by inhibiting the molecule they can erase long-term memories, much as you might erase a computer disc.

31 Aug 2006

Boosting enzyme may reverse Alzheimer's

New research by scientists at Columbia University suggests that boosting the function of a certain enzyme may provide a promising strategy for battling Alzheimer's disease, and possibly reversing its effects.

28 Aug 2006

Meningitis infects 87 who ate un-cooked snails

According to the Chinese media, 87 people are now infected with meningitis after eating undercooked snails at a Beijing restaurant.

24 Aug 2006

U.S. research challenges Bush over embryonic stem-cell research

Researchers in the U.S. appear all set to challenge President Bush's stand over the issue of embryonic stem-cell research.

24 Aug 2006

$1M Myers Fellowship brings US research techniques to Melbourne

The Howard Florey Institute's inaugural Allan and Maria Myers Travel Fellowship has been awarded to world renowned neuroscientist, Prof Gerard Shaw, from the McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine.

20 Aug 2006

Skin test may help detect early Alzheimer's

A simple skin test that would allow detection of Alzheimer's disease appears to be a realistic possibility in the future.

16 Aug 2006

Diets rich in copper and trans fats increase the risk of mental decline

Researchers say that elderly people whose diets are rich in copper and heavy in saturated fats and trans fats increase their risk of a cognitive decline that could be related to the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

15 Aug 2006

Dementia film gets Edinburgh festival screening

A short film about one woman's experience of dementia is being screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival next week (21 and 23 August 2006).

15 Aug 2006

Prospective Huntington At Risk Observational Study

Doctors have completed the first step of a unique medical research study, evaluating 1,001 individuals at risk of developing Huntington's disease who do not know - nor do they want to know - whether they carry the genetic defect that causes the condition.

8 Aug 2006

Relationships between spirituality and science in the human brain

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are examining the effectiveness of meditation on early cognitive impairment.

7 Aug 2006

Federally approved human embryonic stems inferior to those donated for research

Neural stem cells grown from one of the federally approved human embryonic stem cell lines proved to be inferior to neural stem cells derived from fetal tissue donated for research, a UCLA study has found.

4 Aug 2006

Literacy at less than a ninth-grade level almost doubles the five-year risk of mortality among elderly people

The literacy and mortality study analyzed data on 2,512 participants in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study that was conducted by the National Institute on Aging from 1999 to 2004.

4 Aug 2006

New method to predict dementia risk

A team of researchers have developed a new method to predict dementia risk that could help to identify individuals who might benefit from intensive lifestyle consultations and drug interventions.

3 Aug 2006

Check list for dementia and its all about lifestyle

Researchers from Sweden and Finland have created a dementia-risk test for middle-aged adults, and say the test can be used to help spot risk factors that people can change before dementia starts.

3 Aug 2006

Different genes may be responsible for causing autism in boys than in girls

Like detectives trying to solve a murder case, researchers searching for the biological cause of autism have come up with some surprising suspects.

2 Aug 2006

New insights into brain organisation

Scientists have provided new insights into how and why the brain is organised - knowledge which could eventually inform diagnosis of and treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's disease and autism.

2 Aug 2006

High blood pressure linked with a decline in walking ability in later life

Decline in lower limb function is common in older people, and worsening gait is associated with increased risk of dementia and death. However, factors contributing to gait difficulties in older persons are not well understood.

2 Aug 2006

Spatial organisation of the nervous system in primates and worms

Scientists have provided new insights into how the brain is organised - knowledge which could eventually inform diagnosis of and treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's disease and autism.

1 Aug 2006

Cheaper IVF deal on offer when women donate eggs for stem cell research

British women undergoing IVF procedures will soon be able to subsidise their treatment by donating some of their eggs to research.

30 Jul 2006

Promising therapy for Lou Gehrig's disease delivers antisense drug directly to nervous system

Researchers have designed and tested a molecular therapy in animals that they hope will be a major development in the fight to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease.

27 Jul 2006