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, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 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/2012/02/120215185850.htm Simple tests such as walking speed and hand grip strength may help doctors determine how likely it is a middle-aged person will develop dementia or stroke. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215185850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214215342.htm Cognitive stimulation therapies have beneficial effects on memory and thinking in people with dementia, according to a systematic review. Despite concerns that cognitive improvements may not be matched by improvements in quality of life, the review also found positive effects for well-being. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214215342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214171036.htm The amount and quality of sleep you get at night may affect your memory later in life, according to new research. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214171036.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214100554.htm Curcumin, a substance extracted from turmeric, prolongs life and enhances activity of fruit flies with a nervous disorder similar to Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study indicates that it is the initial stages of fibril formation and fragments of the amyloid fibrils that are most toxic to neurons. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:05:05 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214100554.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185123.htm Scientists have used a brain imaging tool that effectively tracked and predicted cognitive decline over a two-year period. The team had previously developed this tool that can assess the neurological changes associated with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185121.htm A large, prospective study indicates that chronic exposure to particulate air pollution may accelerate cognitive decline in older adults. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213083717.htm New research suggests that consuming between 2,100 and 6,000 calories per day may double the risk of memory loss, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), among people age 70 and older. MCI is the stage between normal memory loss that comes with aging and early Alzheimer’s disease. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213083717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209144005.htm Neuroscientists have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The use of a drug appears to quickly reverse the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits caused by the onset of Alzheimer's in mice. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209144005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101839.htm UC Riverside biomedical scientists have identified a new link between a protein (beta-arrestin) and short-term memory that could open new doors for the therapeutic treatment of neurological disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease. They show that if beta-arrestin is removed from neurons, short-term memory loss is prevented. But beta-arrestin is also required for normal learning/memory. The researchers argue that a fine balance needs to be established, one that could be achieved by pharmaceutical drugs in the future. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202624.htm In low- and middle-income countries, mild cognitive impairment -- an intermediate state between normal signs of cognitive aging, such as becoming increasingly forgetful, and dementia, which may or may not progress -- is consistently associated with higher disability and with neuropsychiatric symptoms but not with most socio-demographic factors, according to a large study. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202624.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202201600.htm It can be difficult to distinguish between people with normal age-associated memory loss and those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However people with aMCI are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and identification of these people would mean that they could begin treatment as early as possible. New research shows that specific questions, included as part of a questionnaire designed to help diagnose AD, are also able to discriminate between normal memory loss and aMCI. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202201600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151725.htm Researchers have found new evidence that confirms the significance of a protein that neuroscientists call tau to the development of Alzheimer's disease. While earlier studies have focused on tau's aggregation into twisted structures known as "neurofibrillary tangles," the new work emphasizes intermediary steps between single protein units and the much larger tangles – small assemblages of two, three, four or more proteins, which the investigators believe are the most toxic entities in Alzheimer's. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201173228.htm The same gene mutations linked to inherited, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease have been found in people with the more common late-onset form of the illness. The discovery may lead doctors and researchers to change the way Alzheimer’s disease is classified. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201173228.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201173217.htm For decades, researchers have debated whether Alzheimer's disease starts independently in vulnerable brain regions at different times, or if it begins in one region and then spreads to neuroanatomically connected areas. A new study strongly supports the latter, demonstrating that abnormal tau protein, a key feature of the neurofibrillary tangles seen in the brains of those with Alzheimer's, propagates along linked brain circuits, "jumping" from neuron to neuron. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201173217.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201105124.htm New findings reveal a novel mechanism through which the brain may become more reluctant to function as we grow older. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201105124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201092316.htm In an animal study, researchers found that decaffeinated coffee may improve glucose utilization in the brain, reducing the risk for Type 2 diabetes and the brain dysfunction associated with some neurological disorders. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201092316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125163412.htm Researchers report that more than 6 percent of Americans age 70 to 89 develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) every year. Also, the condition appears to affect men and those who only have a high school education more than women and those who have completed some higher education. People with MCI are at the stage between suffering the normal forgetfulness associated with aging and developing dementia, such as that caused by Alzheimer's disease. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125163412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125162630.htm Men may be at higher risk of experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or the stage of mild memory loss that occurs between normal aging and dementia, than women, according to a new study. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125162630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125112703.htm A pilot study suggests infrared analysis of white blood cells is a promising strategy for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125112703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125112621.htm A protein recently discovered in the brain could play a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125112621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123163356.htm Individuals who keep their brains active throughout life with cognitively stimulating activities such as reading, writing and playing games appear to have reduced levels of the beta-amyloid protein, which is the major part of the amyloid plaque in Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123163356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123163348.htm People who have made mental engagement a lifelong habit have lower levels of a key protein linked to Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by neuroscientists. The findings could provide support for cognitive therapies to help prevent the onset of a debilitating disease. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123163348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122104638.htm Clarification of the role of a specific protein fragment that forms toxic clumps and damages the brain could lead to therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease. Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:46:46 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122104638.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112151607.htm Various molecules have been synthesized that inhibit self-assembly of the amyloid beta peptide in vitro. This peptide is strongly linked to Alzheimer's disease. Based on computer simulations, biochemists have recently shown how the active compounds and fragments of this disease-causing peptide interact with each other: it is the disordered structure of the peptide that determines the interactions with active compounds. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112151607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111134043.htm Scientists are reporting development and initial laboratory tests of an imaging agent that shows promise for detecting the tell-tale signs of Alzheimer's disease in the brain -- signs that now can't confirm a diagnosis until after patients have died. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111134043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109211815.htm Using a nicotine patch may help improve mild memory loss in older adults, according to a new study. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109211815.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120107151857.htm Scientists find that a method of positron emission tomography safely and accurately detects dementia, including the most common and devastating form among the elderly, Alzheimer's disease. Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120107151857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120103135327.htm Bingo, a popular activity in nursing homes, senior centers and assisted-living facilities, has benefits that extend well beyond socializing. Researchers found high-contrast, large bingo cards boost thinking and playing skills for people with cognitive difficulties and visual perception problems produced by Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120103135327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120103135135.htm The first changes in the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease can be observed as much as ten years in advance – ten years before the person in question has become so ill that he or she can be diagnosed with the disease. Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120103135135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120102180850.htm A hormone derived from visceral fat called adiponectin may play a role as a risk factor for development of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease in women, according to a new study. Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120102180850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120102180848.htm Demographics and clinical factors appear to be associated with survival in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), and the presence of dementia is associated with a significant increase in mortality, according to a new report. Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120102180848.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120102180844.htm Cerebrospinal fluid levels of A-beta42 appear to be decreased at least five to 10 years before some patients with mild cognitive impairment develop Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia whereas other spinal fluid levels seem to be later markers of disease, according to a new report. Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120102180844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229092038.htm New research links 'silent strokes,' or small spots of dead brain cells, found in about one out of four older adults to memory loss in the elderly. Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229092038.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222195019.htm Radiology researchers have found evidence that multiple sclerosis affects an area of the brain that controls cognitive, sensory and motor functioning apart from the disabling damage caused by the disease's visible lesions. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222195019.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111221211220.htm New research suggests that, in people who don't currently have memory problems, those with smaller regions of the brain's cortex may be more likely to develop symptoms consistent with very early Alzheimer's disease. Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111221211220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214162108.htm A new drug candidate may be the first capable of halting the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's disease, based on the findings of a new study. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214162108.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214094851.htm A new study has shown that an antioxidant can delay the onset of all the indicators of Alzheimer's disease, including cognitive decline. The researchers administered an antioxidant compound called MitoQ to mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214094851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213190021.htm Researchers have discovered that a chemical compound in the brain can weaken the synaptic connections between neurons in a region of the brain important for the formation of long-term memories. The findings may also provide a potential explanation for the loss of memory associated with Alzheimer's. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213190021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212221022.htm Atrophy in the hippocampus, the region of the brain known for memory formation and storage, is evident in Parkinson's disease patients with cognitive impairment, including early decline known as mild cognitive impairment, according to a new study. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212221022.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124713.htm A method of classifying brain atrophy patterns in Alzheimer's disease patients using MRIs can also detect cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. Researchers also found that higher baseline Alzheimer's patterns of atrophy predicted long-term cognitive decline in cognitively normal Parkinson's patients. The study is published online in Brain. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124713.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207113552.htm Drugs that affect the levels of an important brain protein involved in learning and memory reverse cellular changes in the brain seen during aging, according to an animal study. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207113552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130202601.htm There are many different causes of dementia and, although its progression can be fast or slow, it is always degenerative. Symptoms of dementia include confusion, loss of memory, and problems with speech and understanding. It can be upsetting for the affected person, their relatives and carers. New research shows that a regime of behavioral and mental exercises was able to halt the progression of dementia. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130202601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130161533.htm New research finds a marker used to detect plaque in the brain may help doctors make a more accurate diagnosis between two common types of dementia -- Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The study is published in the Nov. 30, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130161533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130100453.htm One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease -- loss of sense of smell -- can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease, a new study shows. The study confirms that the protein, called amyloid beta, causes the loss. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:04:04 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130100453.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130095257.htm People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130095257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121193923.htm 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 examines this relationship between Alzheimer's disease and BMI. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121193923.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121124121.htm Can the course of dementias and mild cognitive impairment be influenced by diseases and risk factors? Larger numbers of people are affected by mild cognitive impairments and dementia, which means that early detection of possible precursors as well as diagnosis and therapy of risk factors that can actually be influenced are gaining in importance. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121124121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101125814.htm Scientists have made a discovery that will change the direction of Alzheimer's research. They found that the protein tangles, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer's, involve three different proteins instead of one. The discovery of these additional proteins, called neurofilaments and vimentin, should help scientists better understand the biology and progression of Alzheimer's and provide additional drug discovery targets. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101125814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031220249.htm New research shows people with dementia who have a stroke are more likely to become disabled and not return home compared to people who didn't have dementia at the time they had a stroke. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:02:02 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031220249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031215941.htm Several potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s have worked well on mice, but getting the drugs to work in humans has proven more challenging. A leading researcher from Sweden is now launching brand new methods for diagnosing Alzheimer’s and monitoring treatment. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031215941.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028103219.htm 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 have now presented a study that turns this premise on its head. The research group’s data offers an opposite hypothesis, suggesting that it is in fact the neurons’ inability to secrete beta-amyloid that is at the heart of pathogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028103219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111027145851.htm Scientists outline new methods for better understanding links between specific proteins and the risks associated with Alzheimer's disease in a new study. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111027145851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025091640.htm Researchers in France have found that patients with mild Alzheimer's disease whose vision improved after cataract surgery also showed improvement in cognitive ability, mood, sleep patterns and other behaviors. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025091640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105918.htm A team of physicians and scientists have described using a combination of broadly available medical tests to produce a much improved predictive picture of the likelihood of impending AD in patients with mild cognitive impairment -- an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more pronounced decline of dementia. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017102609.htm A new study has looked at whether certain types of drugs used to treat high blood pressure, also called hypertension, might have beneficial effects in reducing the number of new cases of Alzheimer's disease each year. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017102609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017102557.htm Antiviral drugs used to target the herpes virus could be effective at slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a new study shows. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017102557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102008.htm Addressing the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease, before a patient shows outward signs of cognitive problems, has sometimes been a challenge for physicians and researchers, in part because they have not been using common and specific terms to describe the disease's initial phases. A new study recommends adding categories to more effectively identify and treat people and give researchers standard definitions to work with. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111010214527.htm Family history of Alzheimer disease is associated with several age-related changes that appear to influence Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarker abnormalities beyond the increased risk of the APOE4 gene, according to a new report. Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111010214527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111010173023.htm Although it is a small study and more clinical trials are needed, treatment with the medication gantenerumab appeared to result in a reduction in brain amyloid levels in patients with Alzheimer disease, according to a new report. Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111010173023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007073137.htm While medical researchers continue the search for advanced diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dementia, one researcher is focusing on improving the experiences of those already suffering with the devastating disease for whom any cure would be too late. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 07:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007073137.htm