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]
Drugs Targeting Estrogen Could Help Treat Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimers’, Cardiovascular Disease
October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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]
Survival Signal for Nerve Cells Discovered
September 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Understanding how nerve cells, or neurons, work and survive in the body is essential to regenerative medicine and understanding neurodegenerative diseases. New research in a high-profile scientific journal now shows there is a key signal that is sent from a neuron’s target that is necessary for cell survival. Nerve cells that regulate everything from heart… [Continue Reading]
Vitamin C May Help Slow Alzheimer’s Disease Progression
August 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by deposits of aggregated proteins in the brain. A new research study suggests that vitamin C could play a role in dissolving these plaques. 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… [Continue Reading]
Exercise Can Help Ward Off Neurodegeneration
August 15, 2011 By 1 Comment
Exercise may be a way to significantly reduce neurodegeration in the brain caused by disease and injury, new research shows. A recently published study has found that in a mouse model, regular exercise before a brain injury caused a reduction in brain inflammation, which exacerbates brain damage. The work provides another reason to stay active… [Continue Reading]
Drug May Slow Progression of Pre-Alzheimer’s Disease State
July 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Prior to developing Alzheimer’s disease, patients often display gradually increasing cognitive impairments including memory loss. A drug already used for preventing seizures and boosting brain function in epilepsy patients could slow the progression of this pre-Alzheimer’s-like condition. An existing anti-seizure drug improves memory and brain function in adults with a form of cognitive impairment that… [Continue Reading]
Protein Links Chronic Stress to Disease
June 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Scientists have determined a molecular link between chronic stress and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. A newly published study has found that in a mouse model, stress changes the levels of a certain protein that regulates the connections between brain cells, and whose malfunction is linked to Alzheimer’s. Chronic stress has long been linked with… [Continue Reading]
Cinnamon Extracts Could Have Medicinal Uses Against Infection, Alzheimer’s
June 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Treating a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease with an extract of cinnamon is effective at slowing disease progression, new research suggests. Scientists have found that a particular compound found in the spice also has antiviral properties. Alzheimer’s, the degenerative brain disorder that disrupts memory, thought and behavior, is devastating to both patients and loved ones…. [Continue Reading]