Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

Avraham raises $3M to advance ladostigil Phase II Alzheimer's trial

The drug, ladostigil, is a molecule that combines components from the existing drugs Azilect and Exelon. Teva's Azilect, for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, was developed by Prof. Emeritus Moussa Youdim of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Azilect is the only anti-Parkinson's drug that has proven to have a disease-modifying effect. Novartis's Exelon was developed by Prof. Marta Weinstock-Rosin of Hebrew University to treat Alzheimer's disease.

17 Nov 2011

Excessive vitamin D levels can lead to onset of AF

While previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, new research at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute shows that too much vitamin D can lead to the onset of a dangerous heart condition known as atrial fibrillation.

16 Nov 2011

TU Darmstadt chemists develop new method to diagnose Alzheimer's

Chemists at the Technische Universität Darmstadt have developed a new method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. The method involves making protein deposits on mucous nasal membranes that are detectable years before the disease erupts visible.

16 Nov 2011

Nearly one-fifth of Americans have severe hearing loss

Nearly a fifth of all Americans 12 years or older have hearing loss so severe that it may make communication difficult, according to a new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers and published in the Nov. 14 Archives of Internal Medicine.

15 Nov 2011

Yissum Research and other investors complete additional investment round of $3 million in Avraham Pharmaceuticals

Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, today announced that it has participated in a U.S. $3 million financing round of Avraham Pharmaceuticals Ltd. together with Pontifax, Clal Biotechnology Industries (CBI), Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd. (TRDF), Professor Marta Weinstock-Rosin and others.

14 Nov 2011

New insight into how the human brain learns and remembers

New research released today provides insight into one of neuroscience's most intriguing mysteries: how the human brain learns and remembers. These studies - involving topics as diverse as musical memory, "change blindness," and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - illustrate the profound influence that specific changes in either the brain's structure, function, or both, can have on human behavior.

14 Nov 2011

Delirium may increase risk of death in elderly hospital patients

Hospital patients over 65 who are referred for a psychiatric consultation and found to have delirium are more likely than those without delirium to die within one year following diagnosis, according to a new study published in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.

11 Nov 2011

AHAF: Requests for ADR research grants increase by 33% this year

The American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF), a nonprofit organization funding innovative research through its Alzheimer's Disease Research (ADR) program, today announced that the number of scientists seeking ADR research grants through its annual application process increased by 33% this year.

11 Nov 2011

Worm model to evaluate drugs for Parkinson's disease

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have devised a simple test, using dopamine-deficient worms, for identifying drugs that may help people with Parkinson's disease.

11 Nov 2011

Researchers identify how to design drugs to target specific brain areas

The future of drug design lies in developing therapies that can target specific cellular processes without causing adverse reactions in other areas of the nervous system. Scientists at the Universities of Bristol and Li-ge in Belgium have discovered how to design drugs to target specific areas of the brain.

11 Nov 2011

Psychotherapy technique can help reduce dementia caregivers' stress

Family caregivers of people with dementia experience more burden and are at greater risk of developing depression than caregivers of people with a chronic illness. A new evidence review from the Netherlands finds that a psychotherapy technique called cognitive reframing can help reduce caregivers' stress when they are caring for loved ones with dementia.

11 Nov 2011

Novartis files suit against Watson over generic Exelon

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market rivastigmine transdermal system patches, 4.6 mg/24 hr and 9.5 mg/24 hr.

11 Nov 2011

PCMD researcher receives Alzheimer's Association grant to study dementia

The US-based Alzheimer's Association has awarded Dr. David Llewellyn of Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, a prestigious two-year $100,000 New Investigator Research Grant to further his dementia research.

10 Nov 2011

Benefits of hormone replacement therapy in protecting women from Alzheimer's inconclusive

A rigorous evaluation of the scientific literature reveals that the jury is still out when it comes to hormone replacement therapy and a woman's risk for Alzheimer's disease. Alzforum (http://www.alzforum.org) asked prominent scientists to analyze the results of published studies examining the effects of estrogen or estrogen-plus-progesterone therapy on women.

9 Nov 2011

Higher protein load in critical brain regions linked to severe depression in late life

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the elderly, but little is known about the underlying biology of its development in older adults.

8 Nov 2011

Moderate alcohol consumption during adult life, drinking patterns and breast cancer risk

A well-done analysis by Chen WY et al, published in JAMA assesses the association of moderate alcohol consumption during adult life, drinking patterns, and breast cancer risk. The authors use prospectively collected data from the 105,986 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study followed up from 1980 until 2008 with an early adult alcohol assessment and 8 follow ups.

4 Nov 2011

The brain and the heart may not be so different after all

What do heart disease and dementia have in common? Perhaps more than meets the eye, according to researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

3 Nov 2011

Eliminating senescent cells could prevent or delay onset of age-related disorders

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have shown that eliminating cells that accumulate with age could prevent or delay the onset of age-related disorders and disabilities. The study, performed in mouse models, provides the first evidence that these "deadbeat" cells could contribute to aging and suggests a way to help people stay healthier as they age.

3 Nov 2011

Old people today have more sex, are more likely to be divorced

Old people today have more sex, are more likely to be divorced, are cleverer and feel better, reveals a long-term research project comparing what it is like to be old today with 30 years ago. "It's time to start talking about the 'new old age'," says researcher Ingmar Skoog.

1 Nov 2011

Research into new Alzheimer's medication

Several potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's have worked well on mice - but none of them on humans. A leading researcher from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is now launching brand new methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's and monitoring treatment.

1 Nov 2011