People with early Alzheimer's disease may be more likely to have lower BMI

November 21st, 2011 in Diseases

Studies have shown that people who are overweight in middle age are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease decades later than people at normal weight, yet researchers have also found that people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease are more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI). A current study exa...

Cognitive reframing can help dementia caregivers with depression, stress

November 9th, 2011 in Health

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.

Cognitive reframing can help dementia caregivers with depression, stress

November 9th, 2011 in Health

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.

New findings contradict dominant theory in Alzheimer's disease

October 28th, 2011 in Neuroscience

For decades the amyloid hypothesis has dominated the research field in Alzheimer's disease. The theory describes how an increase in secreted beta-amyloid peptides leads to the formation of plaques, toxic clusters of damaged proteins between cells, which eventually result in neurodegeneration. Scientists at Lund University, Sweden, have now presented a study that turns ...

Reversing aging

October 17th, 2011 in Research

Technology developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin could significantly reduce the time and cost to finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease and help answer one of the greatest biological questions: why do we age?

The research, led by Cockrell School of Engineering Associate Professor Adela Ben-Yakar and College of Natural Sciences Assistant Professor Jon Pierce-Shimomura,...

Alzheimer's might be transmissible in similar way as infectious prion diseases: study

October 4th, 2011 in Diseases

The brain damage that characterizes Alzheimer's disease may originate in a form similar to that of infectious prion diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob, according to newly published research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

"Our findings op...

Alzheimer's protein kills nerve cells in nose

September 27th, 2011 in Neuroscience

A protein linked to Alzheimer's disease kills nerve cells that detect odors, according to an animal study in the September 28 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings shed light on why people with Alzheimer's disease often lose their sense of smell early on in the course of the disease.

"Deficits in odor detection and discrimination are among the...

Study finds dairy products in adult diets improve cognitive function

September 27th, 2011 in Health

Adults who consume dairy products at least once daily have higher cognitive function than those who rarely or never drink milk or eat dairy foods, according to a new study by researchers from the University of South Australia and University of Maine.

Those who consumed the most dairy products had the highest scores in an extensive cognitiv...

Diabetes may significantly increase your risk of dementia

September 19th, 2011 in Neuroscience

People with diabetes appear to be at a significantly increased risk of developing dementia, according to a study published in the September 20, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"Our findings emphasize the need to consider diabetes as a potential...

Older adults with too much salt in diet and too little exercise at greater risk of cognitive decline

August 22nd, 2011 in Health

Older adults who lead sedentary lifestyles and consume a lot of sodium in their diet may be putting themselves at risk for more than just heart disease.

A study led by researchers at Baycrest in Toronto – in collaboration with colleagues at the Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Mc...

Treatment with vitamin C dissolves toxic protein aggregates in Alzheimer's disease

August 18th, 2011 in Research

Researchers at Lund University have discovered a new function for vitamin C. Treatment with vitamin C can dissolve the toxic protein aggregates that build up in the brain in Alzheimer's disease. The research findings are now being presented in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The brains of people with Alzheimer's disease c...

Treatment with vitamin C dissolves toxic protein aggregates in Alzheimer's disease

August 18th, 2011 in Research

Researchers at Lund University have discovered a new function for vitamin C. Treatment with vitamin C can dissolve the toxic protein aggregates that build up in the brain in Alzheimer's disease. The research findings are now being presented in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The brains of people with Alzheimer's disease c...

Model of enigmatic Alzheimer's protein described for first time

July 18th, 2011 in Research

Side views of the structure of a Flak protein, a member of the same family of proteins that include presenilin, which is implicated in the onset of Alzheimer's. Understanding the structure of these proteins is an early step in the development of drugs that can combat dementia.

Yale School of Medicine researchers have described for the first time ...

Natural chemical found in grapes may protect against Alzheimer's disease

July 15th, 2011 in Diseases

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that grape seed polyphenols—a natural antioxidant—may help prevent the development or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The research, led by Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, The Saunder Family Professor in Neurology, and Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics and Adult Development at Mo...

Alzheimer's prevention in your pantry

June 27th, 2011 in Research

(Medical Xpress) -- Alzheimer's, the degenerative brain disorder that disrupts memory, thought and behavior, is devastating to both patients and loved ones. According to the Alzheimer's Association, one in eight Americans over the age of 65 suffers from the disease. Now Tel Aviv University has discovered that an everyday spice in your kitchen cupboard could hold the key to Alzheimer's prevention.

Common drugs linked to cognitive impairment and possibly to increased risk of death

June 24th, 2011 in Medications

A large, long-term study confirms that medications with anticholinergic activity, which include many drugs frequently taken by older adults, cause cognitive impairment. The research is also the first to identify a possible link between these drugs – which include over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids and incontinence treatments – and...

Alzheimer's may cause global cash crunch: experts

June 23rd, 2011 in Medicine & Health / Health

Alzheimer's disease could cause a global cash crunch in coming generations -- as people begin to regularly live to 100 -- and must be considered a serious fiscal danger, experts said Thursday.

Already 24-37 million people worldwide live with the incurable form of dementia, and that number is projected to reach 115 million by 2050, a panel ...

GPs missing early dementia -- new study

June 20th, 2011 in Diseases

New research from the University of Leicester demonstrates that general practitioners (GPs) are struggling to correctly identify people in the early stages of dementia resulting in both missed cases (false negatives) and misidentifications (false positives).

Researchers from the University of Leicester in the UK and National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, London...

Mystery ingredient in coffee boosts protection against Alzheimer's disease

June 21st, 2011 in Health

A yet unidentified component of coffee interacts with the beverage's caffeine, which could be a surprising reason why daily coffee intake protects against Alzheimer's disease. A new Alzheimer's mouse study by researchers at the University of South Florida found that this interaction boosts blood levels of a critical growth factor that seems to fight off the Alzheimer's disease pro...