15 March 2016
A New Perspective on the Possible Cause of Alzheimer's Disease: Microbes
A landmark Editorial issued by 33 senior scientists and clinicians from a dozen countries across the world has been published in the highly regarded peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. This major call for action is based on substantial evidence indicating that some microbes – a specific virus and particular bacteria – are likely major causes of the disease.
15 March 2016
Omega-3 fatty acids shown to exert a positive effect on the aging brain
Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin were able to show that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation improves memory function in humans. They studied the effects of supplementation with natural omega-3 fatty acids in healthy older adults over a period of six months. Results from the study, which show that supplementation leads to significant improvements in memory function, have been published in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
11 March 2016
Different Kinds of Physical Activity Shown to Improve Brain Volume and Cut Alzheimer’s Risk in Half
A new study shows that a variety of physical activities from walking to gardening and dancing can improve brain volume and cut the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 50%. This research, conducted by investigators at UCLA Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh, is the first to show that virtually any type of aerobic physical activity can improve brain structure and reduce Alzheimer’s risk. The study, funded by the National Institute of Aging, was published on March 11 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
6 March 2016
Some Ethnicities have a Greater Chance of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease before Age 65
Prof PK Panegyres and Dr HY Chen from Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Pty Ltd (Perth, Western Australia) analysed statistics from the C-PATH online data repository (CODR) and concluded that “ethnicity may impact on Alzheimer’s disease through age of onset, co-morbidities, family history, ApoE gene status and cognitive change over time. The greater odds of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease among African Americans, Alaskans and Hawaiians suggest that some ethnicities may be at risk of Alzheimer’s disease at a younger age.
3 March 2016
Depressive symptoms and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in mild cognitive impairment
According to a community-based longitudinal study in Japan, researchers found that depressive symptoms increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in an amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) group, but not in a non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment (naMCI) group. Likewise, depressive symptoms increased the risk of aMCI but not naMCI in a cognitively normal group. Depressive symptoms might be a clue to finding prodromal AD in patients with a certain type of MCI.
1 March 2016
Dementia: “illness” label can lower mood
Research led by the University of Exeter looked at people who had recently been diagnosed with dementia, and encountered symptoms such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating or carrying out daily tasks. The study, supported by the Economic Social Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research, and by the European Regional Development Fund, found that people who saw these symptoms as an illness reported lower mood than those who saw it simply as part of the aging process.
11 February 2016
Alzheimer Funding Analyzer Launched on Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Website
The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (JAD) is proud to announce the launch of the Alzheimer’s Funding Analyzer (AFA) on the JAD website. It is a free service that is part of a new suite of online features that have been designed to serve the needs of the Alzheimer disease (AD) research community. AFA presents in-depth data on 115 funders from 42 countries including all of the European Union, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Qatar, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
8 February 2016
Research discovers neuroprotective protein in blood is biomarker of Alzheimer's disease
Tel Aviv University, Harvard, Technion team suggests a routine blood test can reveal Alzheimer's risk and IQ measurements.
Medical professionals have to conduct a long series of tests to assess a patient's memory impairment and cognitive skills, functional abilities, and behavioral changes to accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease. They also have to execute costly brain imagining scans and even, sometimes, invasive cerebral spinal fluid tests to rule out other diseases. The process is laborious at best -- and subjective at worst.
28 January 2016
Evidence of a lipid link in the inherited form of Alzheimer's disease
Australian researchers have found biochemical changes occurring in the blood, in the rare inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease. Changes in these fat-like substances, may suggest a method to diagnose all forms of Alzheimer’s disease before significant damage to the brain occurs. In an article published today in JAD, the Australian team led by Professor Ralph Martins from the CRC for Mental Health and Edith Cowan University, examined the lipid profiles of 20 people who carry a mutation responsible for the rare inherited form of Alzheimer’s, known as familial Alzheimer’s disease.
20 January 2016
Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Complicated by History of Reading Problems
Correctly diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease remains a challenge for medical professionals. Now, a new study published in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease reveals a new clue to possible misdiagnosis. The study found that older adults with a history of reading problems perform similarly on some neuropsychological tests to those who show signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) associated with early Alzheimer’s disease. The finding, based on the results of a Stony Brook University-led research team in collaboration with Boston University School of Medicine, emphasizes the need for professionals to take into account developmental history and have a broad understanding of neuropsychological testing when interpreting the meaning of low memory test scores.
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