http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/dementia/ Read the latest medical research on dementia. Causes, symptoms, lowering the risks, care, medications and new treatments for dementia. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/dementia/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114803.htm Women who store fat on their waist in middle age are more than twice as likely to develop dementia when they get older, reveals a new study. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114813.htm Scientists have found that the amyloid-beta protein, currently the target of Alzheimer's drug research, is essential for normal information transfer through nerve cell networks in the brain. "If this protein is removed from the brain," says one of the researchers, "it may cause an impairment of neuronal function, as well as a further and faster accumulation of amyloid-beta in Alzheimer's." Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165737.htm In a study that promises to improve diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease, scientists have developed a fast and accurate method for quantifying subtle, sub-regional brain volume loss using magnetic resonance imaging. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111339.htm For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study questions that assumption. In the 575 patients they studied, the investigators did not detect any long-term cognitive declines attributable to surgery. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111339.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117143413.htm Brain imaging can offer a window into risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study has demonstrated that genetic risk is expressed in the brains of even those who are healthy, but carry some risk for AD. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117143413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123602.htm A new study reveals that a previously undiscovered mouse gene reduces the two major pathological perturbations commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The research finds that the novel gene interacts with a key cellular enzyme previously linked with AD pathology, thereby uncovering a new strategy for treating this devastating disorder. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065911.htm Combination therapies to tackle multiple changes in the brain may be needed to combat the growing problem of dementia in aging societies, according to a new study. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173714.htm Individuals with weaker muscles appear to have a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and declines in cognitive function over time, according to a new report. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194747.htm While too much amyloid beta protein in the brain is linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, not enough of the protein in healthy brains can cause learning problems and forgetfulness, scientists have found. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095638.htm Middle-aged women with high levels of a specific amino acid in their blood are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's many years later, reveals new research from Sweden. This discovery this could lead to a new and simple way of determining who is at risk long before there are any signs of the illness. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095638.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101551.htm One of the many mysteries of Alzheimer's disease is how protein-like snippets called amyloid-beta peptides, which clump together to form plaques in the brain, may cause cell death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental difficulties. In order to answer that key question and develop new approaches to preventing the damage, scientists must first understand how amyloid-beta forms the telltale clumps. Researchers have now developed new molecular tools that can be used to investigate the process. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101551.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171207.htm New research shows that frontotemporal dementia -- a rare brain disorder that causes early dementia -- is highly hereditary. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114017.htm A new study finds that similar statin drugs can have profoundly different effects on brain cells -- both beneficial and detrimental. These findings reinforce the idea that great care should be taken when deciding on the dosage and type of statin given to individuals, particularly the elderly. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161521.htm Research has shown that diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease and the risk of memory loss in people who don't have Alzheimer's disease. But it hasn't been clear whether people with Alzheimer's disease and diabetes have more rapid memory loss than those who have Alzheimer's disease but no diabetes. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114706.htm Medical researchers have announced that a recently deceased member of the NFL Hall of Fame suffered from the degenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) when he died, becoming the 10th former NFL player diagnosed with the disease. All NFL and college football players studied post-mortem show signs of CTE Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114315.htm In a surprising reversal of long-standing scientific belief, researchers have discovered that inflammation in the brain is not the trigger that leads to buildup of amyloid deposits and development of Alzheimer's disease. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114315.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021125139.htm The eyes may be the windows to the soul, but new research indicates they also may mirror a brain ravaged by Alzheimer's disease. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021125139.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100754.htm Elderly people exhibiting memory disturbances that do not affect their normal, daily life suffer from a condition called "mild cognitive impairment" (MCI). Some MCI patients go on to develop Alzheimer's disease within a few years, whereas other cases remain stable, exhibiting only benign senile forgetfulness. It is crucial to develop simple, blood-based tests enabling early identification of these patients that will progress in order to begin therapy as soon as possible, potentially delaying the onset of dementia. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100754.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192206.htm One of the many reasons to pick a low-calorie and low-fat diet is that host of epidemiological studies have suggested that such a diet may delay the onset or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Now a study tests the effects of several diets for their effects on Alzheimer's disease pathology. Unexpectedly, the researchers found that a high protein diet apparently led to a smaller brain. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192206.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014174009.htm The clinical course of advanced dementia, including uncomfortable symptoms such as pain and high mortality, is similar to that experienced by patients of other terminal conditions, according to scientists in a new study. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014174009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151318.htm No one has yet found a cure or a way to prevent people from developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers are breaking new ground in biotechnology to find new tools that can help provide new solutions. A newly constructed protein has yielded experimental results that are promising when it comes to stopping the disease. And for the first time, using protein engineering, it seems researchers have successfully created the oligomer that is believed to trigger the disorder. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018171806.htm New data about amyloid precursor protein, or APP, a protein implicated in development of Alzheimer's disease, suggests it also may have a positive role -- directly affecting learning and memory during brain development. So is APP good or bad? Researchers say both, and that a balance of APP is critical. Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018171806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015091602.htm A breakthrough discovery in mice may lead to a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease that actually removes amyloid plaques -- considered a hallmark of the disease -- from patients' brains. This discovery is based on the unexpected finding that when the brain's immune cells (microglia) are activated by the interleukin-6 protein (IL-6), they actually remove plaques instead of causing them or making them worse. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015091602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012230443.htm Cognitive abilities other than memory, including visuospatial skills needed to perceive relationships between objects, may decline years prior to a clinical diagnosis in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new report. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012230443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008133457.htm New research has shown that there could be a protective role for copper in Alzheimer’s disease. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008133457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006122330.htm The action of a small protein that is a major villain in Alzheimer's disease can be counterbalanced with another brain protein, researchers have found in an animal study. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006122330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007103032.htm A researcher has discovered that the amount of an enzyme present in neurons can affect the mechanism thought to cause cell death in Alzheimer's disease patients and may have applications for other diseases such as stroke and heart attack. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007103032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012095659.htm While cognitive function can be improved by the medicines currently available for the treatment of dementias, the positive effects of improved socialibility, initiative and motivation on the patient and their carer as well as their capability of coping with everyday life should not be overlooked. The report suggests that care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia needs to be more holistic in approach and that assessment tools used for treatment options are not sensitive enough. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012095659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110949.htm Excessive physical strain in dementia care is not so much related to equipment or the resident's body weight as it is due to communication problems and misunderstandings. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914172530.htm Among individuals with mild cognitive impairment, often considered a transitional state between normal cognitive function and Alzheimer's dementia, those who have more difficulties performing routine activities appear more likely to progress quickly to dementia, according to a new report. Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914172530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164233.htm People taking one of several drugs commonly prescribed to treat Alzheimer's disease are more likely to be hospitalized for a potentially serious condition called bradycardia than patients not taking these medications. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164233.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929181808.htm Inhibiting the protein Hsp70 rapidly reduces brain levels of tau, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease when it accumulates as memory-choking tangles. One of the more effective Hsp70-inhibitor drugs was a derivative of methylthioninium chloride, or Rember, a new laboratory study by neuroscientists found. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929181808.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929133123.htm Oleocanthal, a naturally-occurring compound in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure and increases antibody recognition of neurotoxic proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. The structural change impedes the proteins' ability to damage brain nerve cells, while increased antibody recognition may enhance immunotherapy-based treatments. The findings suggest that oleocanthal may have potential as a preventative and therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929133123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172355.htm A new study suggests that impaired kidney function is a risk factor for cognitive decline in old age. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924141742.htm Chronic sleep deprivation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease makes Alzheimer's brain plaques appear earlier and more often, researchers report. They also found that orexin, a protein that helps regulate the sleep cycle, appears to be directly involved in the increase. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924141742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924101632.htm Researchers will begin testing an intriguing new approach to slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using Intravenous Immune Globulin (IGIV), also known as gammaglobulin. IGIV is traditionally used to treat primary immunodeficiency disorders, but is not currently approved for treating AD, which is one of the leading causes of dementia in the elderly. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924101632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921161752.htm Inability to handle financial transactions or manage money may be an early indicator that a person with mild memory problems soon is likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study examined patients with a condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), thought to be a precursor to Alzheimer's. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921161752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922132848.htm Researchers are now recruiting volunteers for a national gene therapy trial -- the first study of its kind for the treatment of patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922132848.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922162301.htm A new study suggests that the natural repair of myelin in the brain may be the root cause of various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922162301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921093604.htm A researcher who is working on a vaccine for Alzheimer's disease has demonstrated that it is possible to test and measure specific immune responses in mice carrying human genes and to anticipate the immune response in Alzheimer's patients. The work could one day lead to specific Alzheimer's vaccines that reduce plaque, neuronal damage and inflammation associated with the disease. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921093604.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914131906.htm Researchers have discovered a previously unknown substance in spinal fluid that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914131906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915174453.htm Cognitive testing by telephone in elderly individuals is generally as effective as in-person testing, according to a new study. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915174453.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909064910.htm Researchers in Germany investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake, plasma antioxidant micronutrient status and cognitive performance in healthy subjects aged 45 to 102 years. Their results indicated higher cognitive performance in individuals with high daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909064910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908023650.htm The belief that healthy older brains are substantially smaller than younger brains may stem from studies that did not screen out people whose undetected, slowly developing brain disease was killing off cells in key areas, according to new research. As a result, previous findings may have overestimated atrophy and underestimated normal size for the older brain. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908023650.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907162306.htm Getting a cold, stomach bug or other infection may lead to increased memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907162306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817143604.htm The polyphenols found in red wine are thought to help prevent Alzheimer's disease, and new research has shown that some of those compounds in fact reach the brain. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817143604.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163907.htm "N60" might not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Alzheimer's disease, but thanks to researchers from the United States, South Korea and France, this might change. That's because these researchers have found that the N60 section of a protein called "RanBP9" might be the key that unlocks an entirely new class of Alzheimer's drugs, and with them, hope. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828164528.htm Patients infected with a particular subtype of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are more likely to develop dementia than patients with other subtypes, a new study shows. Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828164528.htm