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 Mon, 12 May 2008 21:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 21:05:01 EDT 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/2008/05/080512170723.htm In an important step toward demystifying the role protein clumps play in the development of neurodegenerative disease, researchers have created a stunning three-dimensional picture of an Alzheimer's peptide aggregate using electron microscopy. Researchers have shown -- for the first time -- how A-beta peptide, found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, forms a spaghetti-like protein mass called an amyloid fibril. Tue, 13 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512170723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512115927.htm Those with at least a high school education spend more of their older years without cognitive loss -- including the effects of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and dementia -- but die sooner after the loss becomes apparent, reveals a new study in the Journal of Aging and Health. Tue, 13 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512115927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105646.htm A new study in mice suggests molecules in plants may have beneficial effects on Alzheimer's disease. Researchers administered molecules called flavonoids, which are found in certain fruits and vegetables, to a mouse model genetically programmed to develop Alzheimer's disease. Thu, 08 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105556.htm Obesity may increase adults' risk for having dementia. Obesity increases the risk of dementia in general by 42 percent, Alzheimer's by 80 percent and vascular dementia by 73 percent. Being underweight increases the general dementia risk by 36 percent. But researchers who carried out an international review of research since 1995 found no elevated risk in people who were normal or overweight. Wed, 07 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105556.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162909.htm People with shorter arms and legs may be at a higher risk for developing dementia later in life compared to people with longer arms and legs, according to a new studyin the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers say the association between short limbs and dementia risk may be due to poor nutrition in early life, which can affect limb growth. Tue, 06 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162909.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162913.htm Long-term use of ibuprofen and other drugs commonly used for aches and pains was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. Previous studies have shown conflicting results, but this is the longest study of its kind. Tue, 06 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430201645.htm The risks of developing Alzheimer's disease differ between the sexes, with stroke in men, and depression in women, critical factors, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Fri, 02 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430201645.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430125254.htm Diabetic individuals have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease but the molecular connection between the two remains unexplained. Now, researchers have identified the probable molecular basis for the diabetes -- Alzheimer's interaction. Fri, 02 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430125254.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430134230.htm Older nursing home residents who took medications for dementia and incontinence at the same time had a 50 percent faster decline in function than those who were being treated only for dementia, according to a study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues. Fri, 02 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430134230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425123402.htm In studies of human brain cells, the widely-used anesthetic desflurane does not contribute to increased production of amyloid-beta protein; however, when combined with low oxygen conditions, it can produce more of this Alzheimer's associated protein. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425123402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422112946.htm According to estimates there are 85,000 Alzheimer patients in Belgium and approximately 20,000 new cases every year. This spectacular increase is due to the increasing aging population. Unfortunately it is still unclear precisely which aging process forms the basis of this spectacular rise in the occurrence of the disease. Scientists have now discovered an important molecular link between Alzheimer's disease and the development of the typical plaques in the brains of Alzheimer patients. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422112946.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422172624.htm Unexpected findings suggest need for alternate therapeutic approaches, different animal models for future research. One of the characteristics of the brain of people with Alzheimer disease (AD) is the presence of tangles, insoluble twisted fibers that build up inside the nerve cells of the brain resulting in malfunctions in communication between nerves and later in their death. A new study finds that the Pin1 enzyme, previously shown to be of benefit in "detangling" tau in Alzheimer's disease, actually has the contradictory effect in cases in which the tau has certain mutations. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422172624.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417211539.htm Anticholinergic drugs, such as medicines for stomach cramps, ulcers, motion sickness and urinary incontinence, may cause older people to experience greater decline in their thinking skills than people not taking the drugs. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417211539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416152000.htm When it comes to remembering things, new research shows men are more likely than women to have mild cognitive impairment, the transition stage before dementia. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416152000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415154223.htm From autopsies, researchers have long known that some people die with sharp minds and perfect memories, but their brains riddled with the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's disease. New research shows that those people have a larger part of the brain called the hippocampus. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415154223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416081641.htm People with high cholesterol in their early 40s are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those with low cholesterol. A new study found people with total cholesterol levels between 249 and 500 milligrams were one-and-a-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those people with cholesterol levels of less than 198 milligrams. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416081641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416140934.htm For people with chronic epilepsy, little is known about the impact of aging on the course of cognitive and brain health, the prevalence of clinical disorders of aging (mild cognitive impairment, dementia), or the disease burdens and risk factors associated with abnormal cognitive and brain aging. A new article presents data that suggest several reasons for concern. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416140934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409120612.htm The ability of brain cells to communicate and to take in substances from their surface is essential to the production of a key ingredient in Alzheimer's brain plaques, neuroscientists have learned. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409120612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409120632.htm Researchers have identified a key mechanism by which the protein sludge that kills brain cells accumulates in Alzheimer's disease. Their findings in mice offer clues to treating AD and also could explain why memory centers of the brain are most affected in the disease. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409120632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409170343.htm Men who develop diabetes in mid-life appear to significantly increase their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a long-term study in Neurology. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409170343.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407162400.htm People who have had depression are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than people who have never had depression, according to a new study. The study involved 486 people age 60 to 90 who had no dementia. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407162400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407160731.htm A new study supports the idea that depression is truly a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease rather than a subtle early sign of its underlying pathology. The study found no evidence of an increase in depressive symptoms during the prodromal phase before the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407160731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153401.htm Alzheimer's disease may be what most people fear as they grow older, but autopsy data from a long-range study of 3,400 men and women in the Seattle region found that the brains of a third of those who had become demented before death showed evidence of small vessel damage: the type of small, cumulative injury that can come from hypertension or diabetes. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404125354.htm An innovative discovery has been reported that highlights the problems that oxidative stress resulting from iron cumulated in the human brain can generate in relation with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, the brain disorder affecting almost 30 million throughout the world. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404125354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402211731.htm Mild cognitive impairment -- a state between the normal forgetfulness that comes with aging and the more pronounced thinking deficits of dementia -- often progresses to Alzheimer's disease, but some people remain stable and others recover. New technology is improving the ability to determine who might fall into each category. Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402211731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404125358.htm A promising vaccine being tested for Alzheimer's disease does what it is designed to do -- clear beta-amyloid plaques from the brain -- but it does not seem to help restore lost learning and memory abilities, according to a new study. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404125358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223830.htm Results of a randomized trial show no benefit in cognitive or neuropsychiatric outcomes from continuing neuroleptic drugs in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Almost all older dementia patients will have some neuropsychiatric symptoms. These symptoms can include agitation, aggression, and psychosis. Neuroleptics (sometimes called antipsychotics) are the class of drugs often used to manage or control neuropsychiatric problems, but there have been questions about their safety and appropriateness. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223830.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326114855.htm A groundbreaking study in the journal Brain confirms that Pittsburgh Compound-B binds to the telltale beta-amyloid deposits found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The finding is a significant step toward enabling clinicians to provide a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in living patients. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326114855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326134531.htm A novel strategy based on targeted immune suppression using human umbilical cord blood cells may improve the pathology and cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease, based on the results of a study in a mouse model of this currently untreatable neurodegenerative condition, as described in a groundbreaking report in Stem Cells and Development. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326134531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326161721.htm People with larger stomachs in their 40s are more likely to have dementia when they reach their 70s, according to a new study. Those who were overweight and had a large belly were 2.3 times more likely to develop dementia than people with a normal weight and belly size. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326161721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317093908.htm Researchers have found a process in the brain that may help explain the link between Alzheimer's and stroke. This finding connects the dots between a peptide called p25 and increased production of amyloid beta. This newly identified p25/cdk5 pathway could explain why the risk of Alzheimer's disease is significantly higher following a stroke. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317093908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318114824.htm Researchers have estimated that one in six women are at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease in their lifetime, while the risk for men is one in ten. Stroke and dementia are the most widely feared age-related neurological diseases, and are also the only neurological disorders listed in the ten leading causes of disease burden. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318114824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314130436.htm In findings with the potential to provide a therapy for Alzheimer's disease patients where none now exist, scientists have demonstrated in mice a way to reduce the overproduction of a peptide associated with the disease. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314130436.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318124436.htm More than a third of people over age 70 have some form of memory loss according to a national study. While an estimated 3.4 million Americans have dementia, defined as a loss of the ability to function independently, the researchers estimate that another 5.4 million over age 70 have memory loss that disrupts their regular routine but is not severe enough to affect their ability to complete daily activities. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318124436.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314164122.htm Researchers have developed a way of examining brain tissue with near-infrared light to detect signs of Alzheimer's disease. The new technique may help identify ways to predict and prevent deadly disease. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314164122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312164838.htm Who'd a thunk? Younger brains show evidence of more memory loss than those with Alzheimer's. But those younger brains are also making memories faster than they lose them. A new study shows that normal memory loss is hyperactivated in Alzheimer's, pointing to AD as a syndrome affecting the plasticity or malleability of the brain. Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312164838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310164920.htm Adult-age offspring of parents who have both been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease appear to have an increased risk of developing the disease compared with the general population, according to a new report. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310164920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305122528.htm Researchers involved in a large, multi-institutional study using positron emission tomography imaging with the radiotracer fluorodeoxyglucose were able to classify different types of dementia with very high rates of success, raising hopes that dementia diagnoses may one day be made at earlier stages. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305122528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080227164125.htm Taking the supplement ginkgo biloba had no clear-cut benefit on the risk of developing memory problems, according to a new study. The three-year study involved 118 people age 85 and older with no memory problems. Half of the participants took ginkgo biloba extract three times a day and half took a placebo. During the study, 21 people developed mild memory problems, or questionable dementia. Although there was a trend favoring ginkgo, the difference between those who took gingko versus the placebo was not statistically significant. Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080227164125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226092810.htm Nursing home residents with advanced dementia are frequently prescribed antibiotic medications, especially during the two weeks before death. This practice raises concerns about the end-of-life care of individual patients dying with advanced dementia, as well as the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226092810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080222082429.htm Computers are able to diagnose Alzheimer's disease faster and more accurately than experts, according to research in the journal Brain. The findings may help ensure that patients are diagnosed earlier, increasing treatment options. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080222082429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220121317.htm Although it's too soon to sound the death knell for the "senior moment," it appears that memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans. A new nationally representative study shows a downward trend in the rate of "cognitive impairment" -- the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer's disease -- among people aged 70 and older. The prevalence of cognitive impairment in this age group went down by 3.5 percentage points between 1993 and 2002 -- from 12.2 percent to 8.7 percent, representing a difference of hundreds of thousands of people. Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220121317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219102417.htm Researchers and clinicians are blurring the distinction between lab and clinic as they debut the second generation of memory care. Building upon a care model they developed and extensively tested over the past 7 years, the focus of second generation memory care is on two groups -- patients with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219102417.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206131646.htm The amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients may form much more rapidly than previously expected. Using an advanced microscopic imaging technique to examine brain tissue in mouse models of the devastating neurological disorder, researchers find that plaques can develop in as little as a day and that Alzheimer's-associated neuronal changes appear soon afterwards. Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206131646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204212850.htm Folate deficiency is associated with a tripling in the risk of developing dementia among elderly people, suggests new research. The onset of dementia was significantly more likely in those whose folate levels then fell further over the two years, while their homocysteine levels rose. People who were folate deficient to begin with, were almost 3.5 times more likely to develop dementia. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204212850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124092540.htm Scientists have discovered that mental and physical stimulation delays the onset of dementia in the fatal genetic disease, Huntington's disease. This research opens up new therapeutic possibilities for other devastating and difficult to treat brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease where dementia is a key component. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124092540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123101629.htm A molecule designed by a Purdue University researcher to stop the debilitating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease has been shown in its first phase of clinical trials to be safe and to reduce biomarkers for the disease. CoMentis, the pharmaceutical company developing the drug, announced completion of its Phase 1 study of a treatment based on the molecule. Results from the study indicate that the treatment is safe and well tolerated. Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123101629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123150503.htm A review of epidemiological data has found evidence that people who spend fewer years in school may experience a slight but statistically significant delay in the realization that they're having cognitive problems that could be Alzheimer's disease. Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123150503.htm