A drug that has been used to treat certain cancers for years is effective in reversing Alzheimer’s symptoms in a mouse model, scientists have found. The new study, published in one of science’s top journals, shows that cognitive defects can be reversed, and plaques that characterize the disease can be cleared. Neuroscientists at Case Western… [Continue Reading]
Advances in Alzheimer’s Disease Research Give Insights into Spread of Disease
February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
New models of Alzheimer’s disease are helping scientists better understand how the condition progresses in the brain. Researchers have discovered part of the process through which a key protein is transferred between brain cells. Further insights into the movement of the protein could suggests ways to stop disease progression. Two different research groups have independently… [Continue Reading]
Simulating Development of Alzheimer’s Disease Could Help Scientists Find Treatments
January 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Alzheimers’ disease is a major cause of dementia, and is characterized by the build-up of protein plaques. Scientists are trying to develop drugs that prevent the formation of these plaques, and it essential to understand exactly how they happen. A new report has modelled the process using computer software to gain new insights into the… [Continue Reading]
Hormone Produced By Fat Cells Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease
January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
A long-term study examining factors that might predict the development of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia has found a link between a certain hormone and the conditions. The hormone adiponectin is involved in regulating sugar metabolism and insulin function, and higher levels in the body correlate with an increased risk of dementia. A hormone derived from… [Continue Reading]
Gene Variants Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease
December 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Mutations in the gene that codes for apolipoprotein E are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. New research suggests that a group of other genes can also contribute to developing sporadic forms of the disease. One of our genes is apolipoprotein E (APOE), which often appears with a variation which nobody would want to have: APOEε4, the… [Continue Reading]
Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms Can Be Reversed in Mouse Model
December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A loss of the ability to smell is one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease, and researchers have now shown the link between small plaques in the brain and the symptom. In a mouse model of Alzheimer’s, a drug that breaks up protein plaques was able to reverse the mice’s loss of smell. Researchers… [Continue Reading]
Drugs Targeting Estrogen Could Help Treat Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimers’, Cardiovascular Disease
October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Estrogen plays multiple roles in the body, regulating many processes essential for health. Cells are able to sense and respond to estrogen through an estrogen receptor. Multiple types of estrogen receptors exist, and researchers argue that the receptors should be used as targets to develop drugs. They propose that modifying the effects of estrogen could… [Continue Reading]
Mechanism Behind Neural Degeneration Discovered: Implications for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
October 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Scientists have made a key advance in understanding how neurodegenerative diseases damage the brain. In a new study, researchers have found that when under physiological stress, like in neurodegenerative diseases, harmful forms of oxygen cause the connections between brain cells grow too much. Research by biologists at the University of York and Hull York Medical… [Continue Reading]
Exercise During Pregnancy Linked to Reduced Risk of Child Developing Alzheimer’s Later in Life
September 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Scientists have found more evidence that a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy has a long-lasting impact. In a newly published study in mice, researchers have found that mothers exercising during pregnancy have offspring with a reduced risk of developing neurodegenerative disease. If you are pregnant, here’s another reason to work out: you will reduce the chances… [Continue Reading]
Humour Therapy Just As Effective in Reducing Agitation in Dementia Patients
September 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A new study shows that using humor therapy to treat agitation in patients suffering from dementia is as effective as anti-psychotic medication. Researchers compared a commonly prescribed medication to therapy with trained staff, and find that humor therapy comparably reduces agitated behaviors, without any of the side effects of drugs. Humour therapy is as effective… [Continue Reading]