Research Gives Alzheimer's Patients Hope

Could predict risk decades before symptoms show

(NEWSER) - A new test could predict a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s decades before symptoms appear—and it only takes half a minute, the Daily Telegraph reports. A London scientist identified a group of otherwise healthy people in their 40s whose brain scans revealed tiny lesions in the memory hub, similar to those found in post-mortem exams of Alzheimer's patients. He then had these patients take a quick computer test designed to evaluate reaction times; they showed a range of reaction times, while their lesion-free peers’ reactions were either consistently fast or slow. More»

iPod therapy stimulates cognitive functions lost to disease

(NEWSER) - Therapists and doctors who treat Alzheimer's are now using music not only to soothe and entertain their patients but to restore some cognitive function. For decades it's been recognized that Alzheimer's patients can still remember and sing songs long after they've stopped recognizing names and faces. Now it's thought that those tunes can provide a pathway back to memories otherwise lost. One claims intensive music therapy can lead to an increase of 50% on cognitive-function tests. More»

Discovery casts light on tangles found in brains of disease sufferers

(NEWSER) - A protein linked to Alzheimer’s can run amok in the brain, affecting healthy tissue, scientists have found. All nerve cells contain the tau protein, but a “rogue form” can lead to protein clumps in cells, called neurofibrillary tangles, that are believed to play a major role in Alzheimer’s disease, the BBC reports. The protein can spread, but that doesn’t mean the disease is contagious. More»

Hormone may have helped early humans remember where the rich pickings were

(NEWSER) - The same foods blamed for clogging arteries may help the brain build memories, National Geographic reports. Researchers studying obesity discovered that rats given oleoylethanolamide, or OEA—a compound produced in the intestines when fat is digested—demonstrated improved memory retention in tasks. They believe the same mechanism exists in humans and hope their findings will help create pills that can improve memory. More»

(NEWSER) - Gyms offering to exercise the brain instead of the body are attracting thousands of aging Americans seeking to tone their gray matter, the Wall Street Journal reports. The gyms are generally based around brain-fitness software, but some offer courses in brain nutrition as well as mental-fitness assessments with personal trainers and "neurobics." More»