Alzheimer's Disease

Stories

Stories 1 - 20 of 44

1 2 3 Next >>

August 2008
- Scientists Tinker With Biological Clock
  
  BBC | Aug 11, 08 2:07 CDT
  
  (Newser) - US researchers believe they have found a way to turn back the clock on the processes which make organs age. Scientists engineered genetic alterations to make the livers of older mice function like younger mice, the BBC reports. The discovery may lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's and other diseases associated with aging. More »
- 10 Factors That Affect Memory
  
  Forbes | Aug 6, 08 1:52 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - New research suggests our lifestyle choices affect memory loss almost as much as aging. Forbes looks at 10 surprising factors, positive and negative, that determine how sharp you'll stay: Tofu—eating too much can increase dementia in the elderly. Carbs—likewise, too many derail Alzheimer's-fighting enzymes in the brain. Hot flashes—women who suffer have trouble remembering names. More »
July 2008
- New Drug Twice as Effective Against Alzheimer's: Study
  
  Chicago Tribune | Jul 29, 08 4:42 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A new treatment could slow Alzheimer’s patients’ mental decline twice as fast as current drugs, the Chicago Tribune reports. A recent study found that the treatment—a chemical known commercially as “rember” that has been previously used to treat other conditions, and in blue dye—significantly reduces the rate of mental loss by breaking apart protein tangles in the brain. More »
- 'Pre-Dementia' on the Rise
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jul 29, 08 5:33 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Almost a million Americans each year develop a mild form of memory loss that is often a precursor to Alzheimer's, according to new research. Mild Cognitive Impairment—more serious than normal "senior moments"—was found to be more common in men, the Los Angeles Times reports. Doctors warn that a crisis is looming as the Baby Boom generation ages. More »
- Don't Talk Down to Alzheimer's Patients: Docs
  
  Chicago Tribune | Jul 28, 08 8:30 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Even after they lose the ability to communicate easily, Alzheimer’s disease patients remain aware of the world around them and know when they're being talked down to, a study shows. Video evidence suggests patients are twice as likely to accept help from caregivers, and to not shut down or become distressed, when addressed not as children but as adults, the Chicago Tribune reports. More »
- MRIs Hold Promise of Early Alzheimer's Detection
  
  Reuters | Jul 28, 08 2:01 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Researchers are a step closer to early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using conventional MRI scanners. Plaque associated with Alzheimer's has been detected in rabbits by a team in Canada using MRI equipment, Reuters reports. Currently, the disease is diagnosed based on a series of tests, but a diagnosis can only be confirmed by an autopsy. More »
- Exercise May Slow Alzheimer's
  
  WebMD | Jul 15, 08 8:30 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Alzheimer's patients may be able to slow the progression of the disease with exercise, a new study has discovered. Patients who were in poorer physical condition experienced up to four times more brain shrinkage than those who were physically fit, WebMD reports. More »
- Brains Get Noisier as They Age
  
  LiveScience | Jul 10, 08 1:36 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Just because you can't hear it doesn't mean your brain isn't making noise. It is, and scientists using high-tech gear to record it have now discovered that it increases as you mature, reports LiveScience . A comparison of noise generated by groups of children and young adults indicates that brain noise, once dismissed by neuroscientists as inconsequential static, increases along with cranial complexity. More »
- High Blood Pressure Linked to Dementia
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | Jul 8, 08 3:10 CDT
  
  (Newser) - High blood pressure increases an individual's risk of suffering dementia in old age by an astonishing 600%, reports the Daily Telegraph. The study, conducted in the UK—where 1 in 3 people have high blood pressure by middle age—found that hypertension increased the incidence of vascular dementia. The second most common form of the disease after Alzheimer's, vascular dementia can cause memory loss, seizures and increased risk of stroke. More »
- Low 'Good' Cholesterol Hurts Memory
  
  CBS | Jul 1, 08 12:27 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Low levels of high-density lipoprotein—so-called "good" cholesterol—lead to memory failure and perhaps dementia, a study finds. Researchers followed subjects aged 55-61, and found that patients with low HDL levels were 53% more likely to experience memory loss. "We looked at cognitive decline in midlife, but it may turn out that this decline is a risk factor for dementia," one researcher tells WebMD. More »
June 2008
- Study IDs Plaque Linked to Alzheimer's
  
  Associated Press | Jun 23, 08 9:07 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Researchers have triggered Alzheimer's disease in rats by injecting them with a particular type of sticky plaque found in the brains of human dementia patients, AP reports. Only one of three different types of plaques found in elderly brains sparked the disease—compelling evidence that scientists may have narrowed down the cause of the devastating illness. Once the cause is known, researchers can seek a cure or preventative measures. More »
- Alzheimer's Drug Shows Some Promise
  
  Wall Street Journal | Jun 17, 08 6:10 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A drug currently in experimental trials seems to be effective in battling Alzheimer's disease, the pharmaceutical companies developing it tell the Wall Street Journal . Bapineuzumab—developed by Elan and Wyeth—seems to be helpful in improving cognitive ability in those stricken by the disease, though much more so in patients who don't have a gene that increases risk of the brain disease. More »
- Light May Slow Dementia
  
  BBC | Jun 11, 08 11:53 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Brighter daytime lighting can significantly soften dementia symptoms, according to a Dutch study that found better moods and sleep patterns correlated with brighter environs. Combined with extra doses of the hormone melatonin, lighting slowed onset of symptoms by up to 5%, which “may not sound like a huge amount,” one researcher said, but “it could represent 6 months" of extra time in a patient's own home. More »
- Dementia Sufferers Get Unusual Help
  
  Deutsche Welle (Germany) | Jun 6, 08 5:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - German retirement homes have found a new way to help patients: building fake bus stops. Dementia sufferers who insist they have somewhere to go now have a destination, giving them a sense of control. That helps calm them, even if they forget where they're "going" after spending some time in the waiting area, Deutsche Welle reports. More »
May 2008
- Antipsychotic Drugs Triple Health Risks in Elderly
  
  Reuters | May 27, 08 8:53 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Elderly dementia patients given antipsychotic drugs, even briefly, are three times as likely to end up hospitalized or dead within a month, new research has found. The study looked at 40,000 elderly Canadians, half of them in nursing homes, and found that the drugs increased the risk of heart problems, pneumonia, and falls, Reuters reports. More »
- Ibuprofen Cuts Alzheimer's Risk: Study
  
  WebMD | May 6, 08 7:35 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Long-term use of ibuprofen and some similar drugs cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study found the drugs cut the risk of dementia by more than 40%, WebMD reports. Doctors warn, however, that such medications can have serious side effects and that it 's too early to recommend taking them to ward off the disease. More »
April 2008
- Brain Training Can Boost Smarts
  
  Wired | Apr 29, 08 3:13 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Software claiming to improve intelligence has met with market success in recent years— along with plenty of skepticism—but sales could now get a boost with the discovery that it really is possible to improve general intelligence with mental gymnastics. Researchers had thought so-called "fluid intelligence" was purely genetic, but tests have demonstrated that mental workouts can improve capacity, Wired reports. More »
- Depression Linked to Alzheimer's
  
  WebMD | Apr 8, 08 5:36 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Nearly 50% of Alzheimer's patients also suffer from depression, and new studies suggest the depression came first, WebMD reports. Researchers found that elderly people with a history of depression were much more likely to develop dementia. The findings give greater urgency to early treatment for depression, experts warn. More »
- Blood Test May Predict Dementia 6 Years Early
  
  Daily Mail (UK) | Apr 7, 08 1:42 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A new blood test can warn of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases six years before symptoms appear, its makers say. The assessment, set to launch this summer, could allow patients to begin fighting the ailments early with through dietary changes, exercise and drugs, the Daily Mail reports. But some worry advance knowledge of the illnesses could cause inflated insurance premiums. More »
- A Coffee a Day May Keep Dementia Away: Study
  
  BBC | Apr 3, 08 4:52 CDT
  
  (Newser) - A daily fix of caffeine helps shield the brain from the damaging effects of cholesterol, which is apparently the way coffee helps reduce the risk of dementia, new research suggests. The "blood-brain barrier" protects the brain from toxins in the bloodstream, but scientists have discovered that cholesterol makes it leaky. The strength of the barrier was boosted in rabbits given the caffeine equivalent of a daily cup of joe, reports the BBC. More »