Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

Startling results from first study of HIV dementia on the Africa

An international study led by Johns Hopkins suggests that the rate of HIV-associated dementia is so high in sub-Saharan Africa that HIV dementia along with Alzheimer's disease and dementia from strokes may be among the most common forms of dementia in the world.

30 Jan 2007

Stroke treatment helps victims recover brain function

A small but significant study in the U.S. has found that a treatment which was designed to clear blocked carotid arteries and prevent stroke has also improved brain function.

29 Jan 2007

North American Menopause Society releases guidelines saying HRT beneficial for younger women

The North American Menopause Society on Thursday released a revised position statement that said the benefits of short-term hormone replacement therapy for treatment of menopausal women likely outweigh the risks for younger women, the Wall Street Journal reports.

28 Jan 2007

Smart way of living for people with dementia

A groundbreaking home that uses the latest smart technology to give people with dementia and other serious long-term health conditions greater independence will be showcased for the first time in Bristol.

24 Jan 2007

Neuren reports successful NNZ-2566 safety trial results

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd has successfully completed a Phase 1 safety and tolerability trial of its second lead candidate, NNZ-2566, which is being developed to treat traumatic brain injury (TBI).

16 Jan 2007

Education does not protect against age-related memory decline

Adults over 70 with higher levels of education forgot words at a greater rate than those with less education, according to a new study from the University of Southern California.

9 Jan 2007

High uric acid levels indicate risk for cognitive problems in old age

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins and Yale university medical schools have found that a simple blood test to measure uric acid, a measure of kidney function, might reveal a risk factor for cognitive problems in old age.

2 Jan 2007

Research offers hope for alcoholics

Scientists at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have discovered a system in the brain that stops an alcoholic's craving for alcohol, as well as prevent relapse once they have recovered from alcohol addiction.

12 Dec 2006

Chemo drugs damage healthy brain cells

According to new research chemotherapy drugs which are used to treat cancer, damage the brain.

4 Dec 2006

Major Alzheimer’s test for highest resolution clinical PET camera in the world

The University of Manchester's Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre will carry out its first positron emission tomography (PET) brain scan on a patient volunteer this Friday (24 November 2006) at 10.00.

From The University of Manchester 23 Nov 2006

BACE 1 gene may hold the key to Alzheimer's

Canadian scientists have found a specific gene which they believe may hold the key to the degenerative brain disorder Alzheimer's disease.

21 Nov 2006

Quality of life for dementia patients improved by occupational therapy

According to researchers in the Netherlands, occupational therapy improves the quality of life for dementia patients and their carers.

20 Nov 2006

HRT shows promise in helping visual memory of postmenopausal women

Many women experience declines in their memory during and after menopause, a change thought to be due, in part, to the rapid hormonal changes they weather during that time.

20 Nov 2006

Community occupational therapy for patients with dementia and their caregivers

Occupational therapy can help to improve the ability of people with dementia patients to perform daily activities and can also reduce the pressure on their caregivers, says a British Medical Journal study.

19 Nov 2006

Nanogen announces new patents for inventions related to diabetes and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers

Nanogen has announced that it has been issued four patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for inventions related to diabetes and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.

30 Oct 2006

Paroxetine effective in treating patients with compulsive hoarding syndrome

In a paper published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, Sanjaya Saxena, M.D., Director of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD) Program at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, reports the surprising finding that the serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) medication, paroxetine, is effective in treating patients with compulsive hoarding syndrome.

24 Oct 2006

Researchers identify peptide that spurs cargo transport in nerve cells

For the first time, researchers have identified a peptide that can spur cargo transport in nerve cells, a discovery that could help scientists better understand nerve cell function and test possible therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

24 Oct 2006

Parkinson's disease affects more than just motor control

Although Parkinson's disease is most commonly viewed as a "movement disorder," scientists have found that the disease also causes widespread abnormalities in touch and vision - effects that have now been verified using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain.

17 Oct 2006

Brits unable to access Alzheimer's drugs

It appears that people in Britain suffering from Alzheimer's disease will be unlikely to benefit from the use of four drugs designed to treat the the degenerative brain disease.

16 Oct 2006

Overweight in middle age could mean dementia later in life

To add further fuel to the debate over obesity, researchers in France are saying that being overweight in middle age may indicate a higher risk of dementia later in life.

10 Oct 2006