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Alzheimer’s Disease
Latest News Regarding Alzheimer’s Disease and Your Health
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Brain atrophy refers to a loss of brain cells or a loss in the number of connections between brain cells. People who experience brain atrophy typically develop poorer cognitive functioning as a result of this type of brain damage. There are two main types of brain atrophy: focal atrophy, which occurs in specific brain regions, and generalized atrophy, which occurs across the brain. Brain atrophy can occur as a result of the natural aging process. Other causes include injury, infections, and certain underlying medical conditions. This article describes the symptoms and causes of brain atrophy. It also outlines the treatment options available in each case, as well as the outlook. Brain atrophy can affect one or multiple regions of the brain. The symptoms will vary depending on the location of the atrophy and its severity. According to the National Institute of Neurological Conditions and Stroke, brain atrophy can cause the following symptoms and conditions: Seizures A seizure is a sudden, abnormal spike of electrical activity in the brain. There are two main types of seizure. One is the partial seizure, which affects just one part of the brain. The other is the generalized seizure, which affects both sides of the […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Obesity in middle age is associated with an increased risk of dementia later in life, according to a study of more than 1 million women in the United Kingdom. Those who were obese in their mid-50s had 21% greater risk of being diagnosed with dementia 15 or more years later, compared with women who had a healthy weight, a team of British and international researchers found. The study adds to the “ever-expanding body of data that says what you do with yourself in midlife — and really even earlier — affects your risk for dementia as you age,” said Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago. He was not part of the research. For the study, the researchers followed about 1 out of every 4 women born in the United Kingdom between 1935 and 1950, more than 1.1 million overall. Their average age at the start of the study was 56. None had dementia. At the outset, researchers calculated each woman’s body mass index (BMI), an estimate of body fat based on height and weight. They also asked about […]
What brand names are available for rivastigmine? Exelon, Exelon Patch Is rivastigmine available as a generic drug? GENERIC AVAILABLE: Yes Do I need a prescription for rivastigmine? Yes What are the uses for rivastigmine? What are the side effects of rivastigmine? The most common side effects Exelon and Exelon Patch are: Dizziness Diarrhea Headache Stomach pain Vomiting Nausea Weight loss About one-half of patients who take Exelon and Exelon Patch develop symptoms of nausea, and about one-third vomit at least once, most commonly during the first few weeks of treatment as the dose is slowly increased. Between one in five and one in four patients lose weight during rivastigmine therapy (about 7 to 10 pounds, on average). One in six patients experiences a loss of appetite. About one in fifty patients develops dizziness. Overall, 15% of patients (between one in seven and one in six) discontinue therapy due to side effects. Serious side effects include: What is the dosage for rivastigmine? Exelon and Exelon Patch usually is taken twice daily with meals. Due to gastrointestinal side effects that can be seen early in therapy, rivastigmine therapy is generally started at a low dose. Exelon and Exelon Patch for treating dementia […]
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, April 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Amyloid beta has long been a prime suspect in Alzheimer’s disease, since abnormal levels of the protein form disruptive plaques between patients’ brain cells. But drug trials aimed at lowering amyloid levels have repeatedly failed to save people’s brains, and some researchers now believe the focus needs to shift to other potential culprits. Researchers pulled the plug early on the latest failed clinical trial, after patients’ brain power continued to decline even though the amyloid beta blocker verubecestat successfully lowered amyloid levels in their brains and spinal fluid. The disappointing verubecestat results appear in the April 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, alongside a research letter announcing similarly negative preliminary findings from the clinical trial of another amyloid blocker called atabecestat. These negative results jibe with those of earlier trials, and present “pretty strong evidence that amyloid-lowering is the wrong target,” said Dr. David Knopman. He’s a professor of neurology with the Mayo Clinic who wrote an editorial accompanying the new reports. Knopman noted that the verubecestat trial showed that amyloid levels declined slightly in the brain and fairly substantially in the spinal […]
By Karina Lichtenstein on 10/28/2019 3:26 PM Latest Alzheimer’s News Source: MedicineNet Health News Donuts, flaky pastries, and cakes can be tasty, but eating some of them may come at a price. Eating foods high in trans fats may greatly increase your risk of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, per the results of a new study in the journal Neurology. For 10 years researchers followed 1,600 Japanese men and women aged 60 and older who did not have dementia. Those who had the highest blood levels of trans fats had a 75% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia over that time period compared to those who had the lowest levels, according to the study. What Increases Alzheimer’s Risk? Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease that causes memory impairment and eventually disturbances in planning, reasoning, language, and perception, according to MedicineNet author Howard Crystal, MD. Increasing age is the main risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Crystal said. Approximately 15% of people over the age of 65 have the condition, but that number increases to 50% of people over the age of 85. Alzheimer’s rates in the U.S. are skyrocketing, with an estimated 13.8 million […]
By Len CanterHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News THURSDAY, Oct. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — If you have a hard time remembering names or what to get at the supermarket, there are ways to boost your memory. According to a study in the journal Consciousness and Cognition, one of the best things you can do is say the information you want to remember out loud, and it’s even stronger if you repeat the information to another person — that means not just mouthing the words. This could explain why you can recite your child’s favorite book unaided — read it out loud enough times and you can have near total recall. An everyday example is to repeat the name of a new acquaintance out loud as soon as you’re introduced. Instead of just saying, “It’s nice to meet you,” add their name and say, “It’s nice to meet you, Mary.” Making word and number associations is effective, too. Break down a phone number you want to memorize into digits you can associate with special dates or the ages of your kids, for example. You might try dividing almost any type of information into chunks that you learn one by one. Other […]
Gum disease bacteria may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, researchers say. Latest Alzheimer’s News They studied dead and living patients with diagnosed and suspected Alzheimer’s and found bacteria associated with chronic gum disease in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, BBC News reported. Tests on mice confirmed the bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis could migrate from the mouth to the brain and that a toxic protein they secrete (gingipain) destroyed brain neurons. The bacteria also boosted production of amyloid beta, a component of brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s, BBC News reported. Further tests on mice showed that drugs that block the toxic proteins produced by the bacteria stopped brain degeneration. The study was published in the journal Science Advances. The researchers said their findings could point to new ways to help people with Alzheimer’s. Currently there is no cure or effective treatment, BBC News reported. The team developed a new drug and plan to test it later this year in a clinical trial with patients who have mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. The study adds to evidence of a link between gum disease and dementia, but it’s still not clear if gum disease bacteria actually trigger Alzheimer’s, said scientists not involved in […]
By E.J. MundellHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News MONDAY, July 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Even if you are unlucky enough to carry genes that predispose you to Alzheimer’s disease, a healthy lifestyle can minimize that risk, new research shows. The study tracked the genetics, lifestyles and Alzheimer’s disease incidence of nearly 200,000 British people over 60 for an average of eight years. Researchers found that people who had a high genetic risk for Alzheimer’s and who followed unhealthy lifestyles had nearly triple the odds of getting the disease, compared to people with low genetic risk and a healthy lifestyle. Conversely, living well — exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, not smoking, and drinking moderately — appeared to cut the odds for Alzheimer’s, even among those at high genetic risk. Among people found to be at highest genetic risk, healthy living appeared to reduce the chances of developing the disease by 35%, said a team led by David Llewellyn at the University of Exeter Medical School in England. That implies that “1 case of dementia would be prevented for each 121 individuals per [every] 10 years with high genetic risk who improved their lifestyle from unfavorable to favorable,” the researchers reported […]
The results of a new study suggest that virtual reality could make life easier for people with dementia. The authors conclude that virtual reality helped the participants recall memories and contributed to an improvement in patients’ relationships with caregivers. Could virtual reality enhance the lives of people with dementia? Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of conditions, including Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. It can cause memory loss so severe that it negatively impacts a person’s ability to perform day-to-day activities. A person’s risk of dementia increases as they get older, and a person can be more prone to developing Alzheimer’s based on their ethnicity. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), African Americans are the group most at risk for Alzheimer’s among seniors, followed by Hispanic people, then non-Hispanic white people. The CDC state that the greatest increase in Alzheimer’s disease over the coming decades will occur among Hispanic and African American people and that these increases are largely due to people living longer, as the rates of people dying from chronic diseases are decreasing. Virtual environments triggered memories In the current study, the researchers — many from the University of Kent in […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News FRIDAY, Dec. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — New study results about an experimental drug its maker claims can slow mental decline in Alzheimer’s disease patients were released Thursday. Studies on aducanumab were halted earlier this year because the drug didn’t appear to be effective. But the new results suggest it’s effective at a high dose, the Associated Press reported. The findings were presented at an Alzheimer’s conference in San Diego. However, some experts say that changes during the study and unusual analyses make the results difficult to interpret and the risks and benefits of the drug unclear, the AP reported. “I don’t see how you can conclude anything other than that another trial needs to be done,” said Dr. David Knopman of the Mayo Clinic, who is a member of an FDA panel likely to review the drug. He’s not likely to participate in such a review because he was involved in one of the studies, the AP reported. Aducanumab — being developed by U.S. company Biogen and Japanese company Eisai — is designed to clear harmful plaques, or protein clumps, from the brain. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SLIDESHOW Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Aging […]
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Could a pacemaker for the brain improve the memories of people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease? New research suggests it might be possible one day: Electrical stimulation directed at key memory regions of the brain created intense flashbacks in some Alzheimer’s patients, including sensations of emotions, smells, taste and temperature. In one case, a patient suddenly recalled “an entire experience of being inebriated while drinking a margarita at a resort in Aruba,” researchers said. In another, a man had a vivid flashback of feeling very full after eating sardines on his front porch two decades previously. In fact, about half of the 42 Alzheimer’s patients in the clinical trial experienced electrically induced flashbacks from decades prior, stretching back as far as the Vietnam War era, said lead researcher Dr. Wissam Deeb, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Florida. “These memory recollections were very vivid for some people,” Deeb said. “They were associated with a lot of emotional content when patients remembered them, because they were memories they hadn’t even thought of for such a long time.” Researchers cautioned that the deep brain stimulation […]
Research showed that an antibiotic mix impacted the gut bacteria in mice to the point that it slowed the growth and development of Alzheimer’s, but only in males. New research in mice suggests that antibiotics may reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms by impacting the gut bacteria. The study, conducted at The University of Chicago, IL, demonstrated how long-term antibiotic use could reduce inflammation and slow the growth of amyloid plaques in male mice. Amyloid plaques are a feature specific to Alzheimer’s disease. They form when a particular protein within the neurons of the brain buildup and clump together. These amyloid plaques disrupt brain cell function and lead to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. The team was led by Professor Sangram S. Sisodia, who is also the director of the Center for Molecular Neurobiology at The University of Chicago. The team was already aware that people with Alzheimer’s showed changes in their gut bacteria, and they had previously carried out studies showing how gut bacteria could potentially affect Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in rodents. This research found that changes to the microbiome limited the development of amyloid plaques in male mice, but not females. Sisodia says of the research that “[w]hile compelling, our published studies on […]
An international working group of experts has agreed on guidelines to help increase scientific and public awareness about a brain condition that mimics Alzheimer’s disease. The condition is not new but has come to light in recent research and clinical trials. Researchers have identified a misfolded protein in the brain that may be ‘a possible Alzheimer’s mimic.’ Scientists have recently recognized Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE) as a “newly named pathway to dementia.” The working group consists of scientists from a number of centers that receive support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), together with colleagues from other countries. The experts suggest that the public health impact of LATE on people in their mid-80s and older is probably about the same, if not bigger, than that of Alzheimer’s disease. In a report that now features in the journal Brain, the group proposes the first definition of LATE and recommends guidelines for those who are concerned with diagnosis and furthering research. Richard J. Hodes, M.D., who is director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), which forms part of the NIH, says that even though researchers working on Alzheimer’s disease are making progress, they still ask themselves: “When is Alzheimer’s […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Older adults who regularly consume a group of antioxidants called flavonols may have a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. The compounds exist in many fruits and vegetables, with the richest sources including green vegetables like kale, spinach and broccoli, apples and tea. The researchers found that of over 900 older adults they followed for six years, the one-fifth with the highest flavonol intake were 48% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the one-fifth with the lowest intake. The findings do not prove the antioxidants are a magic bullet against dementia, the researchers stressed. But they add to evidence that a healthy diet — including plenty of fruits and vegetables — may help protect the aging brain. While studies have linked healthy eating habits to a lower risk of mental decline, the new findings get closer to one potential reason, according to lead researcher Dr. Thomas Holland. “We’ve understood that fruits and vegetables are great for our health. We wanted to focus more on the ‘why,’” said Holland, of Rush University in Chicago. Flavonols are known to act as antioxidants and fight […]
PET scans that can detect changes in the brain relating to Alzheimer’s disease could improve the diagnosis and medical care of people with dementia and similar symptoms. An innovative type of brain scan may improve care for people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other forms of cognitive impairment. Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing the early results of a study that is examining the clinical impact of a new type of scan called amyloid PET imaging. The study is a nationwide trial involving more than 11,000 people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia symptoms who enrolled at 595 sites across the United States. It is the first investigation of its kind, and all the participants are beneficiaries of Medicare, the U.S. federal health insurance plan. The results of the first phase of the trial, which now feature in a JAMA paper, reveal that providing doctors with amyloid PET scan results can affect the medical management of people with dementia symptoms. In almost two-thirds of cases, doctors changed their minds about medications, counseling, and other medical decisions after seeing the amyloid PET imaging results. Also, in more than a third of cases, doctors altered their diagnosis of the cause […]
By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Being yelled at or insulted is never easy. But it’s a situation faced by about one-quarter of U.S. home health care workers, a new study finds. Certain environments, such as caring for someone with dementia or working in a very cramped space, were linked to a higher risk of verbal abuse from patients or their kin. “Our study found that aides frequently experience verbal abuse from the clients and their families,” said the study’s senior author, Margaret Quinn. She’s director of the Safe Home Care Project at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. “There is increasing scientific evidence that verbal abuse, as well as physical abuse, can have harmful, long-term impacts on employees’ health, such as depression and burnout, and on the stability of the workforce, such as high turnover, which is costly for employers and hard on those receiving care when an aide they’ve developed a relationship with does not return,” she said. Despite this study’s findings, Quinn said most home care aides report a high level of job satisfaction and get great reward from helping people age in place in their homes with dignity. Addressing […]
By the time that the symptoms of dementia emerge in Alzheimer’s disease, tissue damage is well underway in the brain. Now, scientists propose that specific psychiatric symptoms – such as depression, anxiety, sleep disruption, and loss of appetite – may serve as markers of very early brain changes in Alzheimer’s. Depression and anxiety may be signs of early-stage Alzheimer’s. Working with the Brazilian Biobank for Aging Studies (BBAS) at the University of São Paulo, investigators at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) studied results of postmortem brain tissue tests and compared them with psychiatric symptoms obtained from detailed interviews conducted with people who knew the deceased well, such as relatives and carers. They suggest that their study — a paper on which now features in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease — reveals that psychiatric symptoms are not the cause of Alzheimer’s, but more likely early indicators of the disease. Such markers could help doctors to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease much earlier and thus increase opportunities for slowing its progress, they note. Better understanding of Alzheimer’s The authors also propose that the findings could alter our understanding of how the biology of Alzheimer’s leads to psychiatric symptoms in people who […]
By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News TUESDAY, March 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Most seniors expect their doctor to recommend testing of thinking and memory when it’s needed. But a new survey discovered that is rarely the case: Only one in seven seniors received a regular assessment for memory and thinking (or “cognitive”) troubles. That finding is in sharp contrast to those who receive assessments for other common health issues. Ninety-one percent of seniors said they were regularly checked for blood pressure, and 83 percent said their cholesterol levels were routinely tested. “Both doctors and patients have a strong belief that cognitive assessment is important, but there’s a disconnect about who should bring it up,” explained Joanne Pike, chief program officer at the Alzheimer’s Association, which conducted the survey. The survey found that most seniors thought that the doctor would recommend such screening when it was necessary. Meanwhile, doctors were waiting for patients or family members to report that someone might be having memory issues. Pike said that while seniors reported believing that early detection of memory and thinking issues would be beneficial, many didn’t tell their doctors about their own memory concerns. “Half of all seniors were aware […]
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News MONDAY, Aug. 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The evidence continues to mount that staying socially engaged as you age helps keep dementia at bay. In a new study, British researchers found that being socially active in your 50s and 60s may reduce the risk of developing dementia. The findings showed that people in their 60s who interacted with friends nearly every day had a 12% lower risk of developing dementia than people who saw a couple of friends every few months. “This has important implications for people in middle-age as it suggests that keeping socially active is important for brain health. We know that it has other health benefits in terms of benefiting physical and mental health,” said lead researcher Andrew Sommerlad, a research fellow in the division of psychiatry at University College London. Social activity during midlife was linked with better memory and reasoning skills, he said. “We think this may be because social contact gives us a chance to exercise different aspects of thinking, like memory and language, which may make people more resilient against the damage which accumulates in the brain in people who develop dementia,” Sommerlad explained. For the […]
A recent study concludes that social interaction might be more than just a pleasant pastime; it might help doctors predict an individual’s risk of cognitive decline and, perhaps, dementia. How does social interaction influence cognitive decline? Cognitive decline refers to a general reduction in mental abilities over time. It affects many people as they age and, in some cases, can lead to dementia. As the average age of the population rises, an increasing number of people are likely to experience cognitive decline. A group of researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, are interested in the potential role that social interaction might play. Specifically, their most recent study looked at whether there is an interaction between levels of social activity, cognitive performance, and the amount of beta-amyloid in the brain, which is a neurological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Cognitive decline and sociability To investigate, the scientists followed 217 older adults involved in the Harvard Aging Brain Study. At the beginning of the study, participants were aged 63–89 and showed no cognitive deficits. The authors followed the group for 3 years. Each participant completed a questionnaire that ascertained their levels of social interaction; this included meeting family and friends, […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News By E.J. MundellHealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Dec. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For decades, scientists have known that Alzheimer’s disease is accompanied by the buildup of clumps of amyloid protein between brain cells. Could these plaques be causing the disease? That’s been a prevailing theory driving Alzheimer’s research for years. But a new study suggests the strategy could be wrong. Researchers reporting Dec. 30 in the journal Neurology have found that early declines in memory and thinking seen in Alzheimer’s patients tend to occur before amyloid plaques begin to appear in the brain, not after. “Our research was able to detect subtle thinking and memory differences in study participants and these participants had faster amyloid accumulation on brain scans over time, suggesting that amyloid may not necessarily come first in the Alzheimer’s disease process,” study author Kelsey Thomas explained in a journal news release. “Much of the research exploring possible treatments for Alzheimer’s disease has focused on targeting amyloid, but based on our findings, perhaps that focus needs to shift to other possible targets,” said Thomas, who conducts research at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. This isn’t the first indication that amyloid plaques might not cause Alzheimer’s […]
Researchers found that using a computer, playing games, and participating in social activities may reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment. New research suggests that playing games, using a computer, and having a rich social life can keep mild cognitive impairment at bay. Our brains go through changes as we get older, and some people may experience issues with memory, thinking, or judgment. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the stage between age-related cognitive decline and dementia — however, MCI does not significantly affect daily life and activities. People with MCI tend to forget things, lose their train of thought or the thread of conversations, and feel overwhelmed by making decisions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 16 million people in the United States are living with cognitive impairment. MCI may increase the risk of dementia, but not everyone with MCI goes on to develop the condition. To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not approved any treatments specifically for MCI. Lifestyle choices such as physical exercise and intellectual stimulation have positive effects on the brain. In recent years, researchers have been conducting more studies to find treatments that may prevent cognitive decline. […]
Researchers are finding new evidence that exercise — even low-intensity, casual physical activity — can boost brain health in the short- and long-term. Frequent but leisurely exercise can boost brain health. Evidence that exercise can benefit the brain and help maintain cognitive function — including memory — is accumulating. One study, for instance, suggests that engaging even in low-level phyisical activities, such as doing household chores, can help reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in older adults. Now, a team led by Michelle Voss — from the University of Iowa in Iowa City — has found evidence in support of the notion that the benefits of just one workout can predict the benefits of frequent physical activity in the long run. The team presented these findings at this year’s Cognitive Neuroscience Society’s symposia in San Francisco, CA. As symposium chair Wendy Suzuki, of New York University in New York City, explains, “There is a strong and direct link between physical activity and how your brain works.” “People still do not link physical health to brain and cognitive health; they think about fitting into a bikini or losing that last pound, not about all the brain systems they are improving and […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Poor sleep is common among Alzheimer’s patients, and researchers say they’re beginning to understand why. Scientists studied 119 people aged 60 and older. Eighty percent had no thinking or memory problems, while the rest had only mild problems. The researchers found that participants with less slow-wave sleep — deep sleep that’s needed to preserve memories and to wake up feeling refreshed — had higher levels of the brain protein tau. Elevated tau levels are a possible sign of Alzheimer’s disease and have been linked to brain damage and mental decline, the scientists said. The findings suggest that poor sleep among older adults could be a warning sign of declining brain health, according to the researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “We saw this inverse relationship between decreased slow-wave sleep and more tau protein in people who were either cognitively normal or very mildly impaired, meaning that reduced slow-wave activity may be a marker for the transition between normal and impaired,” said first author Dr. Brendan Lucey. He’s an assistant professor of neurology and director of the Washington University Sleep Medicine Center. “Measuring how people sleep may […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News MONDAY, July 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Join a book club, take a cruise or just visit friends — new research supports the notion that social activities help stave off mental decline as you age. The study found that seniors with high levels of an Alzheimer’s-linked protein in their brains were able to slow any mental decline if they got out and socialized regularly. So, “social engagement may be an important marker of resilience” in older adults at risk of dementia, said senior author Dr. Nancy Donovan. She’s chief of geriatric psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. In the study, researchers tracked data on 217 men and women aged 63 to 89. These seniors were all taking part in the Harvard Aging Brain Study, a trial aimed at identifying early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Participants started the study with no evidence of mental decline, but some had high levels of amyloid beta protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s that can be detected in brain scans. The researchers assessed seniors’ levels of social engagement (such as spending time with friends and family, and doing volunteer work) and their mental (cognitive) function at the start of the study […]
By Peter Schelden on 11/08/2019 2:29 PM Latest Alzheimer’s News Source: MedicineNet Health News People with Down syndrome seem to face a much greater risk of dementia — particularly Alzheimer’s disease — than previously known, according to new research. And they often exhibit symptoms much earlier in life. For the first time, researchers inspected Medicaid claims to show how common these memory conditions are in the lives of people with Down syndrome above age 40. Claims records for nearly 3,000 Wisconsin Medicaid enrollees with Down syndrome were analyzed. Investigators found that 40% of 40 to 54 year olds with Down syndrome have made claims for dementia, and 27% specifically made claims for Alzheimer’s, a type of dementia. In comparison, people over the age of 60 have a 5% to 8% dementia rate in the general population, according to the World Health Organization. This research goes beyond prior studies by examining real cases from a large, diverse group, said Chief of NICHD’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Branch Melissa Parisi, M.D., Ph.D. Other approaches might leave out patients who seek care from more expensive health providers. The study could encourage investigators to search for similar patterns in other states. Dr. Parisi said […]
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News TUESDAY, April 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Elderly adults commonly have memory and thinking problems that look a lot like Alzheimer’s disease, but they might really be suffering from a different form of dementia. That’s according to an international panel of experts who are giving the disease a name for the first time, and detailing what’s known about it so far. Writing in the April 30 issue of the journal Brain, they dub the condition limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy — with the more memorable acronym, LATE. LATE mainly affects people older than 80, the experts explained. And it may account for about 17% of all cases of dementia. That fairly high prevalence helps explain a puzzling phenomenon, according to Dr. Peter Nelson, a professor at the University of Kentucky, who co-authored the report. Some people who die with what appears to be Alzheimer’s do not show telltale signs of the disease when their brains are autopsied — namely, abnormal protein clumps known as plaques and tangles. That means their dementia symptoms did not arise from Alzheimer’s. “This is part of a growing understanding that not all dementias are the same,” Nelson said. As […]
New research suggests that stools from so-called “super donors” have such rich microbial diversity that using them for fecal transplants could cure conditions ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. Scientists have found that stool samples from ‘super donors’ hold the potential for curing a wide range of conditions. Recently, a growing number of studies have discovered diseases that are connected with changes in the gut’s microbiota. Cancer, obesity, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder are only some of the conditions that researchers have linked with an imbalance in the bacterial composition of our gut. This imbalance bears the name “dysbiosis,” and observational studies have noted a link between microbial dysbiosis and allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. More recently, Medical News Today reported on research that found connections between gut bacteria and age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or age-induced paralysis. Many of the studies that have illuminated these connections have been conducted in germ-free mice. In these tests, researchers replaced the rodents’ gut microbiotas with healthier bacteria by performing fecal transplants from a healthy donor. Physicians use the same procedure of stool transplantation in human clinical trials. But new research suggests that some stools are better […]
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News MONDAY, Aug. 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Seniors, here’s a recipe for preventing dementia: eat well, exercise and don’t smoke. The only catch, according to a new study? If you carry genes that leave you vulnerable to the memory-robbing disease, lifestyle might not be enough. In the study, researchers found that of over 6,300 adults aged 55 and older, those with healthy habits had a lower risk of being diagnosed with dementia over the next 15 years. That was true, at least, for people at low or intermediate risk of dementia because of their genes. Among people who carried high-risk genes, there was no evidence that lifestyle swayed the odds of developing dementia. The findings, published Aug. 26 in the journal Nature Medicine, support a number of past studies suggesting that heart-healthy habits may also protect the brain. But they are at odds with some past research, too: Other studies have suggested that lifestyle choices do, in fact, make a difference for people at high genetic risk for dementia. The reasons for the differing findings are unclear. But the age of the study participants could be a factor, according to lead researcher Dr. […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — If someone you know is struggling to keep track of their finances as they age, early dementia might be the culprit. That’s the conclusion of researchers who tested 243 adults, aged 55 to 90, on their financial skills and performed brain scans to assess the buildup of beta-amyloid plaques, which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the participants had no mental decline, some had mild memory impairment and some had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Specific financial skills declined with age and at the earliest stages of mild memory impairment, with similar declines in men and women, the study authors said. “There has been a misperception that financial difficulty may occur only in the late stages of dementia, but this can happen early and the changes can be subtle,” said senior study author P. Murali Doraiswamy. He is a professor of psychiatry and geriatrics at Duke University, in Durham, N.C. After accounting for education levels and other factors, the researchers found that the more extensive the amyloid plaques were, the worse a person’s ability to understand and use basic financial concepts or to complete financial tasks, such as calculating […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News THURSDAY, Aug. 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A simple blood test helped pinpoint the early signs of Alzheimer’s in a new study. Up to two decades before people develop Alzheimer’s symptoms such as memory loss and confusion, harmful clumps of amyloid beta protein begin to accumulate in their brain, researchers explained. But it’s possible to measure levels of amyloid beta in the blood and use that information to determine whether the protein has accumulated in the brain, they added. Combining blood amyloid levels with two other major Alzheimer’s risk factors — age and the genetic variant APOE4 — can identify people who have early Alzheimer’s brain changes with 94% accuracy, according to the scientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study included 150 adults over age 50 who had no thinking or memory problems. The blood test may be even more sensitive than the current gold standard — a PET brain scan — at detecting early amyloid accumulation in the brain, according to the authors. The findings advance efforts to have a blood test to identify people who will develop Alzheimer’s before they have symptoms, and such a test could be available in […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, March 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A dementia study has led researchers to a brain region that processes spoken, not written, words. Northwestern University researchers worked with four patients who had a rare type of dementia called primary progressive aphasia (PPA), which destroys language. Although able to hear and speak, they could not understand what was said out loud. However, they could still process written words. For example, if they read the word “hippopotamus,” they could identify a picture of a hippo. But if someone said the word “hippopotamus,” they couldn’t point to its picture. Through their tests with these patients, the researchers were able to identify an area in the left brain that appears specialized to process spoken words. “We always think of these degenerative diseases as causing widespread impairment, but in early stages, we’re learning that neurodegenerative disease can be selective with which areas of the brain it attacks,” said senior author Sandra Weintraub. She’s a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and neurology at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “The fact that only the auditory words were impaired in these patients and their visual words were untouched leads us to believe […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A diet high in trans fats could put you at increased risk for dementia, a new study suggests. Most trans fats were banned in the United States last year. But foods with less than a half-gram of trans fats can be labeled as containing zero, so some foods still contain them. The new study included over 1,600 people in Japan without dementia. Their average age was 70, and they were followed for an average of 10 years. During that time, 377 of them developed dementia. Of the 407 who started the study with the highest levels of trans fats in their blood, 104 developed dementia, a rate of 29.8 per 1,000 person-years. (A “person-year” is a formula that accounts for the number of people in a study and how long they were followed.) Among those with the second-highest level of trans fats, the rate was 27.6 per 1,000 person-years. The rate was 21.3 among those with the lowest trans fat levels in their blood. After adjusting for other dementia risk factors — such as high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking — the researchers concluded that compared to study participants with […]
For the first time, researchers have identified two clusters of genes that appear to generate the neurological hallmarks of dementia. The discovery provides a new path toward drug discovery. Understanding the genetic mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s moves us ever closer to an effective treatment. Dementia is a growing concern throughout the Western world and beyond. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, around 5.7 million adults in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. By 2050, that figure is expected to rise to about 14 million. As the average lifespan extends, so does the reach of dementia. Currently, there is no cure for dementia and no way to slow its progress. Although many questions about dementia remain unanswered, our understanding is steadily growing. For instance, we know that a protein called tau plays an important role in a number of dementia types. Tau and dementia In healthy nerve cells, tau helps stabilize microtubules — the scaffolding that helps maintain the structure and rigidity of cells. In dementia, however, tau becomes hyperphosphorylated and clumps together in so-called neurofibrillary tangles. Scientists think that when tau is tangled, it damages nerve cells in at least two ways. Firstly, it can […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News MONDAY, Nov. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — An experimental Alzheimer’s disease vaccine shows promise in animal tests, and researchers say it could have the potential to reduce dementia cases by half. In mice created to develop Alzheimer’s, the vaccine triggered an immune response that reduced accumulation of two toxic proteins associated with the fatal brain disease. There was a 40 percent reduction in beta-amyloid proteins and up to a 50 percent reduction in tau proteins, with no harmful side effects, according to researchers at the University of Texas. But there’s a catch: While such tests showed positive results in mice, research on animals doesn’t always produce the same effects in humans. More study is needed. Still, the researchers remained optimistic. Reductions in these proteins could someday have significant benefits in people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, said study senior author Doris Lambracht-Washington, of the UT Southwestern Medical Center Brain Institute in Dallas. “If the onset of the disease could be delayed by even five years, that would be enormous for the patients and their families,” she said in a center news release. “The number of dementia cases could drop by half.” Lead researcher Dr. Roger Rosenberg is […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News THURSDAY, Sept. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease, working out a couple of times a week might at least slow the onset of the illness, new research suggests. Regular exercise over a year slowed the degeneration of the part of the brain tied to memory among people who had a buildup of amyloid beta protein in their brain. These protein “plaques” are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, noted researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Aerobic exercise didn’t stop plaques from spreading, but it might slow down the effects of amyloid on the brain, especially if started at an early stage, the research team suggested. “What are you supposed to do if you have amyloid clumping together in the brain? Right now doctors can’t prescribe anything,” lead researcher Dr. Rong Zhang said in a university news release. However, “if these findings can be replicated in a larger trial, then maybe one day doctors will be telling high-risk patients to start an exercise plan,” he said. “In fact, there’s no harm in doing so now.” One expert who wasn’t involved in the study agreed with that advice. “Exercise is […]
Research has linked a particular sleep disorder called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. What characterizes this sleep problem, and can its presence be a good way to predict Parkinson’s risk? People who experience a sleep disorder that causes them to act out their dreams have a high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicate that every year, approximately 50,000 people in the United States learn that they have Parkinson’s disease, a neurological condition that affects a person’s motor function and exposes them to other neurodegenerative problems, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers still do not fully understand exactly what causes Parkinson’s disease, but they have identified a few risk factors that can predispose a person to develop this condition. These include a person’s age and sex as well as some genetic factors. Still, it remains a challenge to establish early on who is likely to develop Parkinson’s disease at some point in their life. However, a team of researchers from McGill University in Montreal, Canada decided to see if one particular factor — a sleep disorder called REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) — could be a […]
(HealthDay News) — If a loved one has symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, he or she should visit a doctor for a formal evaluation. Latest Alzheimer’s News It may be easier to control the disease if it’s diagnosed early, the Alzheimer’s Association says. Here is the association’s list of other potential benefits of early diagnosis: Better access to treatment options. Possible participation in a clinical trial. More time to improve health concerns, such as obesity and high blood pressure. More time to spend with family and planning for the future. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Building on decades of research, a new paper brings us one step closer to a vaccine that targets the neurological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Prevention may soon be possible. Scientists inch closer to finding a way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is a degenerative neurological disease. Memory issues are often the first sign of the condition, which steadily progresses over time. Alzheimer’s disease is a growing concern as it appears almost exclusively in older adults. As the number of older people rises in the United States, the number of cases will also increase. Although scientists are still investigating the exact causes of Alzheimer’s disease, they believe that certain neurological markers play a significant role. The disease seems to involve a buildup of specific proteins in the brain called beta-amyloid and tau. Doctors refer to these abnormal congregations as plaques and neurofibrillary tangles respectively. The hunt for a vaccine Current treatments for Alzheimer’s do not stop disease progression, so the search for effective alternatives is ongoing. Some researchers hope that targeting amyloid buildup might make it possible to stop Alzheimer’s in its tracks. Many scientists are on the hunt for a vaccine, including Dr. […]
(HealthDay News) — Memory loss is common, but should not be taken lightly, says Mayo Clinic. If you have difficulty remembering things, Mayo Clinic offers a few simple ways to sharpen your memory: Stay physically and mentally active. Socialize often. Stay organized. Sleep well. Eat healthy. Manage chronic conditions. Latest Alzheimer’s News If memory loss affects your ability to complete your daily activities, or if you notice it getting worse, talk with your doctor. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
New research finds that eye tracking tests can accurately detect people who have a form of mild cognitive impairment that predisposes them to Alzheimer’s disease. The direction of a person’s gaze can be a telltale sign of cognitive impairment. Alzheimer’s disease often evolves from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — a small decline in memory and reasoning that is not serious enough to interfere with daily activities, but that is noticeable to the person who develops the condition. In fact, according to some studies, 46% of people with an MCI diagnosis go on to develop dementia within 3 years. By comparison, only 3% of adults of the same age experience Alzheimer’s in the same time span. However, MCI does not always develop into full blown dementia. It often remains stable and sometimes the symptoms disappear completely with the person reverting to a normal, healthy cognition. Experts have divided MCI into two forms: amnesic (aMCI) and nonamnesic (naMCI). The former describes impairment that predominantly affects memory, whereas the latter affects other cognitive skills. Having aMCI raises the risk of Alzheimer’s significantly more than naMCI. Detecting Alzheimer’s as early as possible improves a person’s brain health and may reduce their symptoms, especially if […]
The causes of dementia can damage the brain in different ways. Is it possible that these differences may reveal themselves in the way that people walk? A new study that compared walking patterns in people with two types of dementia explored the question. New research suggests a person’s gait may offer clues into the type of dementia they are living with. “Alzheimer’s and Lewy body disease have unique signatures of gait impairment,” state the authors in a recent Alzheimer’s & Dementia paper about their findings. The researchers suggest that the unique impairments to gait — or alterations to walking pattern — may reflect the specific damage that each disease inflicts on mental function and the brain. Should further studies corroborate the findings, the researchers suggest that walking pattern could become a useful and inexpensive addition to the medical toolbox for diagnosing different types of dementia. “It is a key development,” says first study author Ríona McArdle, Ph.D., of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, “as a more accurate diagnosis means that we know that people are getting the right treatment, care, and management for the dementia they have.” Types and causes of dementia Dementia […]
Doctors may find it hard to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease before the obvious symptoms set in, and many of the current tests for it are expensive and complicated. However, researchers recently devised a blood test that could accurately detect this condition. Recent research aimed to develop an accurate blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the condition will affect an estimated 5.7 million people in the United States by 2050. Despite this, there are few ways of accurately diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease early on. These include MRI and CT scans, which help doctors rule out other conditions that might cause similar symptoms. Another way of diagnosing Alzheimer’s is by collecting cerebrospinal fluid and looking for biomarkers of the disease. This is the most accurate test for this neurodegenerative condition, but it is costly and invasive. For all these reasons, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, have been developing a blood test for Alzheimer’s that aims to be accurate, more cost-effective, and less unpleasant. In the study paper, which appears in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the researchers explain that the test may be able to detect biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease before the appearance of obvious symptoms. […]
The blood-brain barrier is a protective layer that surrounds the brain. Its main function is to prevent potentially harmful agents from leaking into this organ. However, it can also stop certain therapeutic drugs from reaching their target. Using ultrasound in new ways could open the door to better treatments for conditions that affect the brain. The blood-brain barrier prevents antitumor drugs and those that fight the symptoms of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease from reaching the brain and doing their work. Scientists can address this issue by temporarily bypassing the blood-brain barrier by using low-frequency ultrasound pulses. So far, they have only experimented with long-wave ultrasound pulses. However, these can bring on side effects, such as brain tissue damage and prolonged exposure to harmful molecules penetrating the blood-brain barrier alongside the drugs. Now, research conducted at Imperial College London in the United Kingdom suggests that a new approach to ultrasound disruption of the blood-brain barrier may work better and cause fewer problems. The team — led by James Choi, Ph.D. — is focusing on the use of shorter-wave ultrasound pulses, which the scientists have recently tested in mouse models. Following the new research, the results of which appear in […]
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the body’s insulin production and blood sugar levels. New research, however, suggests that the scope of this condition may be broader than previously thought, as scientists find a link between type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline over 5 years. New research suggests that type 2 diabetes may affect brain size in midlife. Michele Callisaya, from the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Australia, led the new research. Callisaya and her colleagues set out to investigate if there was an association between type 2 diabetes, on the one hand, and brain atrophy and cognitive decline, on the other. Moreover, in case the researchers found such a connection, they wanted to discover whether there was a causal relationship underlying it. The researchers recruited 705 people aged between 55 and 90 years from the so-called Cognition and Diabetes in Older Tasmanians study and took measures of the participants’ brains and cognition. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to compare both cognition and brain size among people with and without type 2 diabetes. The results appear in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Type 2 diabetes tied […]
Dehydration can cause headaches and several physiological issues, and older adults are most at risk of experiencing it. Does it also affect cognitive function, however? And might overhydration also affect mental performance? Share on PinterestRecent research set out to reveal whether or not hydration levels can affect cognitive performance in older adults. Dehydration can cause headaches, lethargy, dizziness, and many other issues, depending on how severe it is. Studies have tended to focus on the effects of dehydration in younger populations — especially in the context of sports and fitness, where overexertion and abundant sweating can cause people to lose more fluids than they than ingest. However, one segment of the population is particularly susceptible to dehydration: older adults. “As we age, our water reserves decline due to reductions in muscle mass, our kidneys become less effective at retaining water, and hormonal signals that trigger thirst and motivate water intake become blunted,” explains Hilary Bethancourt, Ph.D., from the Pennsylvania State University College of Health and Human Development in State College. Older adults also have a higher risk of cognitive impairment. Are their hydration levels and their cognitive performance linked in any way? Bethancourt and colleagues set out to answer this […]
As scientists delve deeper into the nature of Parkinson’s, the more it appears that it is highly varied, suggesting numerous subtypes. A new review proposes that Parkinson’s falls into one of two main categories, depending on whether it originates in the central nervous system (CNS) or the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Share on PinterestNew research redefines Parkinson’s disease. In a recent Journal of Parkinson’s Disease paper, scientists from Denmark argue how results from imaging and tissue studies fit with a theory of Parkinson’s that divides the condition “into a PNS-first and a CNS-first subtype.” Parkinson’s disease principally destroys dopamine cells in the brain’s substantia nigra area. This is the part that controls movement. This damage gives rise to the most common symptoms, including tremors, rigidity, and balance difficulties. Parkinson’s disease may also cause emotional changes, depression, constipation, sleep disruption, and urinary problems. The pattern of symptoms and their rate of progression can vary widely among individuals. A distinguishing feature of Parkinson’s, however, is the accumulation and spread of toxic clumps of alpha-synuclein protein called Lewy bodies. These clumps are also hallmarks of dementia with Lewy bodies. Debating the origins of Parkinson’s Some scientists have proposed that the toxic alpha-synuclein forms […]
What is memantine, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Memantine is an oral medication for treating patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Other medications used for Alzheimer’s disease affect acetylcholine, one of the neurotransmitter chemicals that nerve cells in the brain use to communicate with one another. These drugs – galantamine (Razadyne – formerly known as Reminyl), donezepil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and tacrine (Cognex) – inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase that destroys acetylcholine and thereby increase the effects of acetylcholine. Memantine’s effects are independent of acetylcholine and acetylcholinesterase. Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. It is believed that too much stimulation of nerve cells by glutamate may be responsible for the degeneration of nerves that occurs in some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Like other neurotransmitters, glutamate is produced and released by nerve cells in the brain. The released glutamate then travels to nearby nerve cells where it attaches to a receptor on the surface of the cells called the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Memantine blocks this receptor and thereby decreases the effects of glutamate. It is thought that by blocking the NMDA receptor and the effects of glutamate, memantine may protect nerve cells from excess stimulation by […]
By Alan MozesHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Could your personality as a teen forecast your risk for dementia a half-century later? Very possibly, say researchers, who found that dementia risk is lower among seniors who were calm, mature and energetic high schoolers. “Being calm and mature as teen were each associated with roughly a 10% reduction in adult dementia risk,” said study co-author Kelly Peters, principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C. “And vigor was associated with a 7% reduction.” The finding has its origins in the 1960s, when more than 82,000 students in roughly 1,200 U.S. high schools took a personality test. More than 50 years later, their personality traits were compared to dementia diagnoses. While Peters said there’s plenty of evidence that personality changes near the time of a dementia diagnosis, the lingering question has been whether personality or some aspects of it actually causes dementia. “That’s the big question,” she said. “Is it only that personality can be affected by dementia? Is it just an expression of the disease?” By focusing on teens who didn’t later develop dementia, Peters said, “this study really starts to tease […]
New research in the Journal of Biological Chemistry breaks down the process through which tau tangles grow as long as they do. The findings may lead to new therapies that target the formation of tau aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers knew that Alzheimer’s-related tau aggregates consisted of a small number of long tau fibrils. One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is the so-called tau tangles. Tau is a protein contained within the axons of the nerve cells. More specifically, tau helps form microtubules — essential structures that transport nutrients within nerve cells. In a healthy brain, the tau protein helps these microtubules remain straight and strong. But in Alzheimer’s, tau collapses into aggregates called tangles. When this happens, the microtubules can no longer sustain the transport of nutrients and other essential substances in the nerve cells, which eventually leads to cell death. How toxic and damaging these tau tangles can be, and how far they can spread, depends on their length. However, until now, scientists did not know why some tau tangles are longer than others in Alzheimer’s, or how these aggregates grow so long in the first place. But now, scientists at the Ohio State University in Columbus […]
New research finds that a 6-month regimen of aerobic exercise can reverse symptoms of mild cognitive impairment in older adults. Just 6 months of exercise that raises the heart rate can reverse signs of age-related cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by a mild loss of cognitive abilities, such as memory and reasoning skills. A person with MCI may find it hard to remember things, make decisions, or focus on tasks. While the loss of cognitive abilities is not serious enough to interfere with daily activities, MCI raises the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 15–20 percent of adults aged 65 and over in the United States have MCI. New research suggests that there might be a way to reverse these age-related cognitive problems. James A. Blumenthal, Ph.D. — of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC — and colleagues examined the effects of regimented exercise in 160 people aged 65 on average. They published their findings in the journal Neurology. Studying exercise, diet, and MCI The participants included in the research were sedentary at the beginning of the study. They had cardiovascular risk factors and reported symptoms of MCI. […]
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, but what part those plaques play in the development of the disease isn’t clear. Now researchers have taken the first steps to trace the progression of plaque buildup in living patients. This way of “staging” the disease has implications for research and one day may help doctors treat this debilitating, fatal disease. “It is possible to stage individuals in terms of how advanced their beta-amyloid deposition is, using PET scans,” said lead researcher Dr. Niklas Mattsson, an associate professor of clinical neuroscience at Lund University in Sweden. When beta-amyloid appears, it follows certain stages, he explained. Some brain regions are involved early, others at the intermediate stage, and some in the late stage of Alzheimer’s. “These stages are also associated with other hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, such as levels of tau [another type of protein] in cerebral spinal fluid, cognitive decline and the wasting away of brain cells,” Mattsson added. “This staging system can be used both to improve research and perhaps also in clinical trials, to see if certain drugs […]
(HealthDay News) — Dementia is a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or thinking skills. Latest Alzheimer’s News Because the progression of dementia varies, deciding when a person is no longer able to drive safely can be difficult, says the National Center on Caregiving. For caregivers and those who have a loved one with dementia, the center suggests: If the person has mild dementia, have driving skills evaluated immediately. If the person with dementia passes, continue to have driving skills evaluated every 6 months. Watch for behavioral signs, such as disorientation and difficulty processing. Watch for poor driving behavior, such as drifting or incorrect signaling. Encourage the person to drive on familiar roads, and avoid nighttime driving. The NCC also suggests reducing the need to drive by arranging alternative transportation. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SLIDESHOW Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Aging Brains See Slideshow
By Deborah DiSesa HirschHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News TUESDAY, Oct. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Unpaid bills, overdrawn accounts, dwindling investments: When seniors begin experiencing fiscal troubles, early dementia or Alzheimer’s disease could be an underlying cause, researchers say. In the early stages of the disease, people with undiagnosed Alzheimer’s are at high risk of making foolish and dangerous decisions about their finances, mostly because families may not know they need help, researchers say. “Individuals often aren’t diagnosed early enough, and it’s a perfect storm,” said study author Carole Gresenz, a professor of health systems administration at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. “They’re vulnerable to large reductions in liquid assets because they’re not making wise decisions about their finances, savings and checking accounts. This can also reduce net wealth,” added Gresenz. Ruth Drew, director of information and support services for the Alzheimer’s Association, pointed out that Alzheimer’s destroys the brain. “As the disease progresses, everyone with Alzheimer’s will reach a point where they need help with their finances and ultimately assistance with daily tasks and around-the-clock care. We have certainly spoken to people whose finances were significantly affected,” she said. In some cases, people responsible for making major financial decisions, […]
As interest in gut bacteria peaks, they are implicated in yet another condition. Researchers recently identified stark differences in levels of specific gut bacteria in people with dementia. A new study links changes in gut bacteria to dementia. Our bodies swarm with microscopic visitors. On our skin, in our mouths, deep in our lungs, and, of course, nestled in our digestive systems. The bacteria in the gut have long been known to assist the digestive process, but in recent years, it has become clear that they are involved in much, much more. With bacteria now implicated in conditions as diverse as diabetes and schizophrenia, we truly are in the age of the microbiome. Recently, researchers in Japan investigated whether gut bacteria might, one day, help in the diagnosis and even treatment of dementia. Dr. Naoki Saji, from the Center for Comprehensive Care and Research on Memory Disorders at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology in Obu, Japan, led the team of scientists. The researchers will present their findings at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2019 in Honolulu, HI. Examining feces The researchers recruited 128 participants from their memory clinic. The average age was 74.2, and 59 percent […]
A large new study has found a link between taking various kinds of blood pressure-lowering drugs and a lower risk of dementia among older adults, adding to the discussion around the link between cognitive decline and high blood pressure. People who take blood pressure-lowering medication may have a lower risk of dementia. Dementia is an umbrella-term for various neurodegenerative conditions, the most widespread of which is Alzheimer’s disease. The main characteristic of dementia is progressive cognitive decline, wherein a person experiences memory loss and a decline in their thinking and decision-making abilities. Researchers are still uncertain as to what causes dementia, but in an effort to improve prevention strategies, they have been studying the potential risk factors that may contribute to the development of this condition. Many recent studies have linked hypertension with a higher risk of dementia. For instance, a paper that appeared in the journal Neurology last year found that hypertension is tied to a higher risk of experiencing brain lesions, which are, in turn, tied to dementia. Now, a large study that used data from the Disease Analyzer database — which is a large German database that collects and stores the health information of millions of people […]
By Maureen SalamonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The toll of U.S. military service can be steep for female veterans, with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injury each significantly raising the odds of later dementia, new research suggests. The study, of more than 100,000 older women veterans, spotlights the risk factors stemming from military service that can lead to thinking and memory problems down the road, said study author Dr. Kristine Yaffe. “It’s really the first time anybody in the world has tried to understand women veterans and their risks for dementia,” said Yaffe, a professor of psychiatry, neurology and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco. “Nothing was known about these older women, yet more and more women are going into the military and more younger women are in combat,” she added. Yaffe is also a physician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. She said her prior research showed similar effects in male veterans. “I thought we should try to understand more about older women veterans and … if some of the things we’ve shown in the past about men also relate to women,” she explained. Women accounted for more […]
(HealthDay News) — It’s taking you longer than it once did to learn a new task. Or you’ve forgotten about today’s doctor’s appointment. Should you be worried? Latest Alzheimer’s News In other words, do you have mild forgetfulness or symptoms of a more serious memory problem? The National Institute on Aging says you should speak to your doctor, who can help determine if your memory and thinking problems are normal or not, and what might be causing them. Signs of a more serious memory issue include: Asking the same questions repeatedly. Getting lost in familiar places. Not being able to follow instructions. Becoming confused about time, people or places. Copyright © 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
One hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is the massing of tangles of tau protein in the brain. Now, a new study in mice proposes that a type of brain immune cell called microglia drives the tissue damage that is linked to tau clumping. Could deactivating microglia be the key to treating Alzheimer’s disease? Brain scans of people with Alzheimer’s disease have revealed that the brain damage that accompanies forgetfulness and confusion becomes visible soon after tau tangles start fusing into a mass. A recent Journal of Experimental Medicine paper explains how the microglia become active as the tau clumps begin to form. The study authors also showed that eliminating microglia greatly reduced tau-related damage in the brains of mice genetically modified to develop protein tangles. They suggest that the findings point to a new way to delay the dementia that tau-related brain damage causes in humans. “If you could target microglia in some specific way and prevent them from causing damage,” says senior study author David M. Holtzman, a professor of neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, “I think that would be a really important, strategic, novel way to develop a treatment.” Toxic protein and […]
A recent study has concluded that people with both higher-than-normal and lower-than-normal levels of hemoglobin have a higher risk of developing dementia as they age. A new paper looks at the link between hemoglobin and dementia risk. Hemoglobin is a protein present in red blood cells. It is responsible for carrying life giving oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Low levels of hemoglobin normally signify anemia. Anemia is one of the most common blood disorders; worldwide, it affects an estimated 1.62 billion people. Low hemoglobin levels are linked to a number of adverse health outcomes, including stroke and coronary heart disease. However, there is little information regarding how hemoglobin levels might relate to the risk of dementia. Anemia and dementia Recently, researchers from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, decided to look for links between hemoglobin levels, anemia, and dementia. They published their findings this week in the journal Neurology. Earlier experiments had found an association between anemia and dementia, but most studies only followed participants for an average of 3 years. Because of the relatively short duration of these investigations, subtle changes in behavior, diet, or metabolism during the early phases of dementia […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News MONDAY, Aug. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Heat waves can pose a serious risk to people with Alzheimer’s disease, so their families should know how to keep them safe, advocates say. Extreme heat is “dangerous for everyone, but especially for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, who may be unable to spot the warning signs of trouble or know how to get help,” said Charles Fuschillo Jr., president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). “Caregivers need to be proactive and prepared to protect their loved ones. Taking a few simple steps will go a long way,” he said in a foundation news release. Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia can diminish a person’s ability to know when they are thirsty, so it’s crucial for caregivers to watch them and encourage them to drink often. Don’t let them have alcohol and caffeinated beverages, which may contribute to dehydration. Seniors and people with chronic medical conditions are at high risk for hyperthermia, an abnormally high body temperature caused by an inability to regulate heat from the environment. A life-threatening form of hyperthermia is heat stroke, a dangerous elevation in body temperature. Watch Alzheimer’s patients for warning signs such […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News FRIDAY, June 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — People with Alzheimer’s disease who take opioid painkillers are more likely to develop pneumonia, Finnish researchers report. The overall odds are 30% higher, especially in the first two months of use, the researchers found. And the risk is highest for those taking strong opioids such as oxycodone or fentanyl. However, pneumonia risk also rose among Alzheimer’s patients who took milder opioids, according to the team from the University of Eastern Finland. Why might this be? Aleksi Hamina, a researcher in the university’s School of Pharmacy, and colleagues explained that opioids can impair the cough reflex, interfere with normal respiratory function, and cause sleepiness and fatigue. All of these factors could increase pneumonia risk, the study authors said. For their study, the investigators analyzed data collected in 2010 and 2011 from more than 5,600 Alzheimer’s patients in Finland. Patients who used opioids were matched with Alzheimer’s patients who were not prescribed the drugs. The findings were published recently in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. It is often difficult to assess pain among Alzheimer’s patients due to problems with communication, the researchers explained in a university news release. So if opioid painkillers […]
As we age, we may experience a decline in our mental ability. A recent study has concluded that chronic inflammation in midlife might speed up this decline as we get older. Could influencing inflammation slow cognitive decline? The average age of the population of the United States is gradually increasing, so conditions of old age are moving into the spotlight. Growing older is associated with a progressive decline in average thinking abilities. However, it may only affect some people very mildly, while other individuals can develop significant cognitive deficits. Understanding the risk factors involved is of growing importance. We already know some risk factors; for instance, lower levels of physical activity, smoking, and obesity appear to increase the rate of decline. Recently, some scientists have turned their attention toward the potential role of inflammation. Inflammation and its consequences As a protective mechanism that prevents any damage to tissue, inflammation occurs in response to an infection or injury. However, if this acute inflammation continues for longer periods — which doctors call chronic inflammation — it can cause damage. Scientists have already linked inflammation to a range of health concerns, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and asthma. Could inflammation also have a […]
A new drug for treating Alzheimer’s disease has successfully passed the first phase of testing in humans. Preclinical studies had already shown that the drug could improve memory and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in older mice. A potential treatment for Alzheimer’s moves a step closer. Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, both in Germany, developed the candidate drug, which, for now, bears the name PRI-002. PRI-002 eliminates toxic beta-amyloid oligomers, the self-replicating proteins that scientists suspect of causing and advancing Alzheimer’s disease. The team had previously shown that the drug could significantly reduce signs and symptoms in older mice that were genetically engineered to develop an Alzheimer’s-like disease through the insertion of a mutant human gene. That preclinical study featured online in 2018 in the journal Molecular Neurobiology. In the ensuing, recently completed phase 1 clinical trial, healthy volunteers took daily dosages of PRI-002 for 4 weeks. The results show that the drug is safe for human use. Passing this stage of testing in humans means that the candidate drug can now proceed to a phase 2 trial to evaluate its effectiveness in people with Alzheimer’s disease. “Our next goal is the proof of efficacy in […]
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Keeping your brain active as you age, whether it be working on a computer, playing games or being socially involved, might ward off memory loss, a new study suggests. Losing memory as you age is a sign of mild cognitive impairment, which can be a gateway to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. But using your brain can help keep it sharp, and it’s never too late to start reaping the benefits, researchers say. Why keeping mentally active has this effect isn’t known, but it might be that the brain responds positively to increased use, said senior researcher Dr. Yonas Geda, a psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. “It’s like watering a flower,” he said. It’s also possible that people who engage in mental activities also have other good behaviors, such as exercising and eating a healthy diet, which benefit brain health, Geda said. Study lead author Janina Krell-Roesch, a research fellow at the Mayo Clinic, cautioned that this study can’t prove that mental activity keeps mild cognitive impairment at bay. “Our study was an observational study, so we can only say that there is an […]
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Alzheimer’s and dementia are not an inevitable part of normal aging, and a little exercise might help keep them at bay, a new study suggests. The researchers found that every hour of light exercise on top of recommended weekly levels of more intense activity reduced brain aging by about a year. “This study emphasizes the relationship we are seeing between people doing more light-intensity physical activity and also having maintained brain structures,” said lead researcher Nicole Spartano. She added that the study shows a link but does not prove that physical activity keeps the brain healthy. “We can’t be certain that physical activity is causing people to have a better brain structure,” said Spartano, a research assistant professor at Boston University School of Medicine. Though it’s not clear how much exercise is needed to keep your brain in peak condition, this study suggests that the bar is lower than thought. Spartano’s team suspects a moderate amount of low-intensity activity may do the trick. For the study, Spartano and her colleagues collected data on more than 2,300 men and women, average age 53, who each wore a […]
Leg shaking can be a subtle annoyance or an intense experience that causes muscle tension and difficulty walking. Many issues, ranging from restless legs syndrome (RLS) to serious conditions such as dementia, can cause someone’s leg to shake. It is not possible to diagnose the cause of shaky legs based on symptoms alone. For this reason, people who experience leg shaking should speak to a doctor or healthcare provider. Keep reading this article to learn about 10 possible causes of leg shaking. Share on PinterestA tremor is a possible cause of leg shaking. A tremor is an involuntary muscle contraction. The contraction is rhythmic, so a person might feel the muscle shaking or moving at predictable intervals. A person with a leg tremor may notice their leg shaking while a muscle or group of muscles pulses or spasms out of control. The tremor may last for a few minutes, or it may be an ongoing problem. Numerous medical conditions can cause a tremor. They are often those that damage the neurological system, including: Liver and kidney failure may also cause tremors. A rare type of tremor, called primary orthostatic tremor, specifically affects the legs. People with this condition notice a […]
An existing blood thinner — used to prevent the formation of blood clots in people at risk of stroke — could help delay the development of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study in a mouse model. Could a common blood thinner help people with Alzheimer’s disease? Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, a neurodegenerative condition in which people experience progressive memory loss. Some treatments can help people with Alzheimer’s disease manage this symptom and others to a certain extent. However, there is currently neither a cure nor a tried and true method of preventing the condition. This is why researchers worldwide continue to search for strategies and therapies that could at least delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms. This is also what a team of investigators — many from the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), in Madrid, Spain, and The Rockefeller University, in New York — has recently investigated. In a new study, coordinated by Marta Cortés Canteli, Ph.D., the team has used a known anticoagulant, a drug that prevents blood clots, to slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms in a mouse model. The researchers took this approach because previous studies have shown that […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News THURSDAY, Feb. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A genetic variant associated with Alzheimer’s disease increases the risk of dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease, researchers say. The finding could lead to new treatments for dementia in Parkinson’s patients, according to the team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that causes tremors, stiffness, slow movement and impaired balance. Eighty percent of patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s develop dementia within 20 years. Those who carry a particular variant of the gene APOE have an especially high risk, the study authors said. The researchers found that Parkinson’s-related proteins spread more rapidly through the brains of mice with the high-risk APOE4 variant, and that memory and thinking skills decline faster in Parkinson’s patients who have the variant. APOE4 is known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by three to five times. The study was published Feb. 5 in the journal Science Translational Medicine. “Dementia takes a huge toll on people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers,” said lead author Dr. Albert Davis, an assistant professor of neurology. “The development of dementia is often what determines whether someone with Parkinson’s is able to […]
Researchers have previously shown that a type of light therapy could potentially reduce toxic proteins that build up in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease. Now, the same team has identified what happens at cell level to achieve this result. A recent study asked why flickering light might help fight Alzheimer’s. In 2016, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge found that shining a flickering light into the eyes of mice could reduce the toxic buildup of amyloid and tau proteins that occur in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease. Light therapy boosts a form of brain wave called gamma oscillation, which research suggests is impaired in people with Alzheimer’s disease. More recently, the MIT team revealed that combining light therapy with sound therapy extended the beneficial effects even further. Those studies also saw that light therapy can improve memory in mice genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer’s disease and spatial memory in older mice without the condition. The most recent investigation, which now features in the journal Neuron, has shown that boosting gamma oscillations can improve the connection between nerve cells, reduce inflammation, and preserve against cell death in mouse models of Alzheimer’s. It also shows that the treatment’s far-reaching […]
For reasons as yet unknown, Alzheimer’s disease is more likely to affect women. However, new research sheds light on the potential impact of stress on their cognitive functioning. Stress during midlife can put older women at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Affecting millions of people in the United States, this progressive condition has no proven cause, treatment, or cure. What researchers do know, however, is that women bear the brunt of the condition. Almost two-thirds of U.S. individuals with Alzheimer’s are women, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. However, only theories exist to explain this difference; there is no concrete evidence. One understudied area — say researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD — is the role of stress on cognitive function. Previous research has shown that age can have a significant impact on women’s stress response, and that a stressful life experience can cause memory and cognitive issues. However, these problems tend to be short term. Researchers have now decided to look at the relationship between stress and the long term cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s. “A normal stress response causes a temporary increase in stress hormones […]
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By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, March 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A grandparent’s mental decline or a great uncle’s waning memory may indicate you, too, have greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease — especially if closer relatives have the condition, a new study says. Alzheimer’s in both a first-degree relative (parents, siblings) and a second-degree relative (grandparent, aunt, uncle, nieces or nephews) doubles your risk of the brain-destroying disorder, researchers found. But if you have one first-degree relative and two second-degree relatives with the disease, your risk increases by 21 times. “Family history is a very powerful piece of information that can accurately predict someone’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and this study shows there are more people at risk than we know,” said the study’s lead author, Lisa Cannon-Albright. She’s a professor of epidemiology at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Family history is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive disease that causes difficulty in thinking and memory. Previous research has focused on close family relations, the researchers noted. The current study used a database that includes family records of Utah pioneers dating back to the 1800s. That information is also linked to health-related […]
For years, many experts have assumed that spending more time in education protects against dementia. The latest study may overturn this long-held theory. A new study examines the links between education and dementia risk over time. It will have escaped no one’s attention that dementia is on the rise. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.7 million adults in the United States have Alzheimer’s. Primarily due to our increasing lifespan, dementia incidence is set to keep rising. Currently, there is no cure, and treatments can only reduce certain symptoms. For this reason, it is vital that we understand the relevant risk factors and discover ways to prevent or slow down dementia. Some risk factors are well-known, such as smoking and lack of physical activity. Well-known protective factors include sticking to a healthful diet. Education and cognitive reserve Many experts think that the length of time someone spends in education helps protect against dementia. Although studies have generated conflicting or inconclusive results, many researchers believe that higher levels of educational attainment provide an individual with a certain “cognitive reserve.” Scientists believe that this hypothetical reserve lowers the risk or, at the very […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, Sept. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Sleep loss is a problem for people who care for loved ones with dementia, which can put both caregivers and patients at risk, researchers say. Investigators at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, found caregivers lost between 2.5 to 3.5 hours of sleep a week due to difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. “Losing 3.5 hours of sleep per week does not seem much, but caregivers often experience accumulation of sleep loss over years,” said review lead author Chenlu Gao, a doctoral candidate of psychology and neuroscience. “Losing 3.5 hours of sleep weekly on top of all the stress, grief and sadness can have a really strong impact on caregivers’ cognition, and mental and physical health,” Gao added in a university news release. But improving caregivers’ sleep quality can significantly improve their functioning and quality of life, Gao said. For example, the researchers found that caregivers’ sleep noticeably improved after simple changes such as getting more morning sunlight, establishing a regular and relaxing bedtime routine, and doing moderate physical exercise. Chronic stress can cause sleep problems, and nighttime awakenings by people with dementia can also disrupt caregivers’ sleep, the researchers noted. […]
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A brain protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease might potentially be transmitted to people during neurological procedures, a new preliminary study suggests. Genetically engineered lab mice developed amyloid-beta deposits in their brains after they were injected with amyloid-laced samples of human growth hormone taken from decades-old human cadavers, researchers found. “We have now provided experimental evidence to support our hypothesis that amyloid-beta pathology can be transmitted to people from contaminated materials,” said senior researcher Dr. John Collinge. He is head of University College London’s department of neurodegenerative disease. Clumps of amyloid-beta in the brain are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, although researchers still don’t understand the relationship between these clumps and the degenerative brain disease. Collinge pointedly noted that this study does not mean that you can catch Alzheimer’s from another person. And animal findings often don’t replicate in humans. “Although we’re generating evidence that Alzheimer’s pathology may be transmissible, there’s absolutely no suggestion that Alzheimer’s disease itself is a contagious disease,” he said. Rebecca Edelmayer, director of scientific engagement at the Alzheimer’s Association, went even further, noting that the new study did not look at Alzheimer’s […]
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News TUESDAY, March 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A long-running study questions the conventional wisdom that a healthy diet may help ward off dementia. European researchers followed more than 8,200 middle-aged adults for 25 years — looking at whether diet habits swayed the odds of being diagnosed with dementia. In the end, people who ate their fruits and vegetables were at no lower risk than those who favored sweets and steaks. The findings, published March 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, stand in stark contrast to many past studies. Those studies have linked heart-healthy diets to lower odds of mental decline and abnormalities in the brain that can foretell dementia. Currently, groups like the Alzheimer’s Association suggest that people adopt those diets as one potential way to stave off dementia. Most studies, though, have followed people for only a fairly short time — less than 10 years, said lead researcher Tasnime Akbaraly, from the French national research institute INSERM. This study is the first to look at diet quality starting in middle age and the long-term risk of dementia, explained Akbaraly. Her team found that 344 people were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s […]
Although a vaccine for dementia is a long way down the road, researchers recently made a few tentative steps closer. The authors of a recent study in mice hope that in the coming years, they can move into human trials. Share on PinterestScientists believe that they are on the path to a vaccine against dementia. Globally, dementia affects an estimated 50 million people. Because dementias are primarily a disease of older age, this figure is likely to increase as the average life expectancy increases. In fact, some scientists have calculated that the burden of dementia in the United States could double by the year 2060. Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia, is characterized by changes in the brain. Specifically, there is a buildup of beta-amyloid, which is a protein that produces amyloid plaques. Similarly, another protein, known as tau, accumulates to form neurofibrillary tangles. Together, these proteins drive cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. Currently, there is no cure for dementia, and treatments are limited. Over the years, several promising drug candidates have proven unsuccessful in human trials. A preemptive strike The authors of the current study believe that one of the reasons that experimental drugs have failed […]
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Those Sunday crossword puzzles may not prevent the aging brain from slowing down — but they might protect it in a different way, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at the “use it or lose it” theory on brain health. The concept holds that mentally engaging activities — from reading to crosswords to board games — may help the brain resist dementia later in life. In this study, older adults who said they enjoyed those pastimes were no less likely to show signs of mental decline over time, versus other older folks. But they did, on average, score higher on standard tests of mental sharpness. That means that while they did decline over time, they did so from a higher “starting point,” the researchers explained. “The results indicate that a lifetime of engagement lifts you to a high point from which you decline, and that can be considered as passive cognitive reserve,” said lead researcher Roger Staff, of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. “Starting from a high point,” he said, “will mean that the threshold at which you are considered impaired will be farther into […]
Recent research into older adults confirms that loneliness is tied to a raised risk of developing dementia. The study also reveals that the effect ranges across a diversity of people and is independent of how much social contact they have. A large new study confirms that loneliness is a risk factor for dementia. Scientists from Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee used data on 12,030 individuals from the Health and Retirement Study, a United States government-sponsored longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample of people aged 50 and older. They report their findings in a paper that now features in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B. “We are not the first people,” says first study author Dr. Angelina Sutin, who is an associate professor in FSU’s College of Medicine, “to show that loneliness is associated with increased risk of dementia.” “But this is by far the largest sample yet, with a long follow-up,” she adds. “And the population was more diverse.” The study data contained measures of loneliness and social isolation and a range of risk factors, including behavioral, clinical, and genetic. Through telephone interviews, individuals had also completed assessments of cognitive ability, a low score on which indicates dementia. […]
Researchers reveal a marker and new testing tool of frontotemporal dementia that may help distinguish this condition from Alzheimer’s disease. ‘Moral emotions’ are ones that prompt us to do good and contribute to pro-social behavior and cooperation. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a less common form of dementia than Alzheimer’s. Sometimes called Pick’s disease or frontal lobe dementia, this condition occurs when brain cells in the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain, or both, become damaged. The frontal lobes of a person’s brain are responsible for problem-solving, planning, emotional control, and behavior. FTD may also affect the temporal lobes, which can be found on each side of the brain and deal with speech, the meaning of words, and recognition of faces or objects. In addition to difficulties with language, FTD also causes changes in personality and behavior. For instance, people with FTD may experience mood changes that do not normally characterize them. They may act more impulsively, lose their social inhibitions, feel apathetic, or lose interest in the emotions of other people or in socializing. Although some of these symptoms are similar to other, more common forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, FTD is different from Alzheimer’s. In an […]
A new study finds that people with Alzheimer’s disease who also took antidiabetes medication exhibited fewer molecular markers of the neurological condition. These findings could inform future Alzheimer’s treatments. A study examined the molecular pathways of brain tissue and the cells that line the inside of blood vessels in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s and diabetes. New research — led by Vahram Haroutunian, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, NY — analyzed the brain tissues of people who had both Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. The findings suggest that antidiabetes drugs may protect the brain against Alzheimer’s. As Prof. Haroutunian and colleagues explain in their paper, a mounting body of evidence has been pointing to a link between the risk of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and type 2 diabetes. Additional studies have uncovered an association between an insulin receptor pathway in the brain and the accumulation of Alzheimer’s-specific brain pathologies. Previous studies conducted by the same Prof. Haroutunian and colleagues found that the brains of people with Alzheimer’s who had also undergone treatment for diabetes, such as insulin or antidiabetes medicine, had reduced brain pathologies. So, […]
Recent research reveals that leaky capillaries in the brain could have a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Changes in blood vessel permeability offer new clues about the onset of dementia. Dementia, the main type of which is Alzheimer’s disease, affects about 50 million people worldwide. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, over 5 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s. This number is expected to reach 14 million by 2050. For this reason, it is becoming more and more important to diagnose these health conditions earlier, and to locate new targets for drugs to slow down or prevent the condition. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved some drugs that help with the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but none of them treat the underlying cause. A new study conducted at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles could pave the way for new, more effective treatments. The findings now appear in the journal Nature Medicine. Leaky capillaries in the brain Previous studies indicated that two toxic proteins, amyloid and tau, may be “the trigger and bullet” in the development of Alzheimer’s. Findings showed that soluble forms of amyloid and tau work together to […]
In the future, a doctor might be able to tell whether someone is heading toward Alzheimer’s disease — not by carrying out expensive brain scans, but during an eye exam. One day, a simple eye test might help predict the onset of Alzheimer’s. A new study paper in the journal Ophthalmology Retina outlines research that took place at Duke Eye Center in Durham, NC. The researchers propose that a loss in density of blood vessels in the retina could suggest development of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers studied more than 200 people with normal brain function as well as individuals with Alzheimer’s. They used a technique called optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), which is noninvasive and can reveal blood flow in every layer of the retina. In the control group, they found that the web of tiny blood vessels located at the back of the eye was quite dense. The vessels of those with Alzheimer’s disease, however, were less dense. In some cases, they were also much more sparse. Senior study author Dr. Sharon Fekrat, an ophthalmologist and retinal surgeon at Duke Eye Center, notes that they measured blood vessels that are not normally seen during a routine eye exam. She explains […]
There is no link between statin use and memory impairment, researchers have concluded, after evaluating effects of the cholesterol-lowering drugs over 6 years in more than 1,000 older people in Australia. Share on PinterestNew research reinforces the idea that statins are safe for older adults to use. A team from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), both in Sydney, Australia, led the study. “Over 6 years, there was no difference in the rate of decline in memory or global cognition between statin users and never users,” they write in a recent Journal of the American College of Cardiology paper on the findings. In fact, for certain individuals, statins may even offer some protection against memory decline, they suggest. The results show that, among participants with risk factors for dementia, those who used statins had a slower rate of decline in memory and thinking skills than those who did not use the drugs. The researchers hope that the findings will help to allay fears among consumers who have become concerned following reports of isolated cases of statin users experiencing cognitive decline. “Many factors can contribute to the cognitive symptoms that isolated case reports […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Rates of Alzheimer’s disease are higher in women than in men, and researchers now think they know why. A team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, Tenn., has identified gender differences in how the Alzheimer’s-related protein tau spreads in the brain. Research suggests that tau spreads through the brain like an infection, moving from neuron to neuron and turning other proteins into abnormal tangles that result in the death of brain cells. In this study, investigators used data from positron emission tomography (PET) scans of healthy people and patients with mild mental (cognitive) impairment to create a graph analysis of how tau spreads. “It’s kind of like reconstructing a crime scene after a crime. You weren’t there when it happened, but you can determine where an intruder entered a house and what room they entered next,” said lead investigator Sepi Shokouhi, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. “The graph analysis does something similar to show how tau spreads from one region to another,” Shokouhi explained in a center news release. The researchers found that the structure of tau networks is different in men and women, with women […]
It is natural for a person’s memory and thinking abilities, or cognitive function, to wane as they age — even if they are in good health. However, the rate of cognitive decline can speed up if they experience heart attack or angina, according to new research. Cognitive decline may speed up after a heart attack or angina. Studies that have explored the links between circulation problems and cognitive decline have tended to focus on conditions that affect the blood supply to the brain, such as stroke. Few of these earlier studies, however, have looked at the long-term links between incident coronary heart disease (CHD), such as heart attack and angina, and cognitive decline. The recent Journal of the American College of Cardiology study is unique; it tracked cognitive decline both before and after incident CHD. “Incident CHD,” its authors conclude, “is associated with accelerated cognitive decline after, but not before, the event.” They suggest that the findings highlight the long-term relationship between cognitive decline and CHD. Lead and corresponding study author Wuxiang Xie, Ph.D., says that because there is not yet a cure for dementia, it is important to detect and treat the brain condition as early as possible in […]
A recent article raises important questions about the prevalence of firearms in the aging population of the United States. The authors argue that there is a vital need to discuss the relationship between dementia and guns. A recent article investigates the issue of gun ownership in an aging population. Gun ownership is a controversial topic, and people are sure to continue debating it for many years to come. This debate often focuses on young men and violent crime, but a recent article investigates the other end of the age spectrum. Older adults are more likely to own a gun than younger people. An estimated 27 percent of people over the age of 65 years own at least one gun, while 37 percent live in a home where a firearm is present. A seemingly unrelated but equally hot topic is the rise of dementia. Dementia and firearms As dementia occurs almost exclusively later in life, the longer that people live, the more prevalent it becomes. Currently, around 5.7 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Although Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, it only accounts for 60–80 percent of all dementia cases. A recent article in […]
Following their study in rats, scientists have broken new ground in memory research. The finding concerns how the brain retrieves long-term memory and should open new avenues for investigating and treating Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia. New research in rats has unveiled a brain mechanism that could explain how we retrieve old memories. Researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas have discovered that two brain areas that work together to consolidate memories interact differently during the retrieval of remote memories. The two brain areas are the hippocampus and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). During consolidation, memory dependence transfers from the hippocampus to the ACC. However, the recent study reveals that during remote memory recall, the ACC takes the lead and drives the hippocampus. Graduate student Ryan A. Wirt and psychology professor James M. Hyman describe the 4 years of laboratory and analysis work that led to the findings in a Cell Reports paper. “Our research,” says Prof. Hyman, “opens up potential new avenues to explore why certain dementias and disorders lead to problems recalling long-term memories, which could help pave the way for future treatments that might be able to restore this ability to afflicted individuals.” Memory […]
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News FRIDAY, June 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Researchers have found more evidence of a puzzling phenomenon: Older adults who survive cancer seem to be somewhat protected against dementia. A number of studies in recent years have found that cancer survivors have a relatively lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The new research adds another layer. It shows that even before their diagnosis, older adults who go on to develop cancer have an edge when it comes to memory performance. Among the older Americans who were tracked for 16 years, those who developed cancer typically had sharper memory skills — both before and after the diagnosis — than those who remained cancer-free. Researchers said it all supports the theory that some of the biological processes that contribute to cancer may actually protect against dementia. But the big remaining question is, what are those mechanisms? “We’re really interested in understanding what [they] could be, because it might point the way to strategies to prevent dementia,” said senior researcher Maria Glymour, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. The study findings are based on more than 14,500 U.S. adults born before 1949. […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Cross-country skiing may be good for your brain, a new study suggests. Previous research found that participants of the Vasaloppet, a popular long-distance, cross-country skiing race in Sweden, have a lower risk of heart attack, but potential brain benefits have been unclear. This new research compared the brain health of about 200,000 who took part in the Vasaloppet between 1989 and 2010 and a control group from the general population. Compared with the control group, 50% fewer skiers developed vascular dementia over two decades, the study found. (Vascular dementia is caused by a series of small strokes.) However, the skiers’ risk of Alzheimer’s disease was not lower — a finding that contradicts other studies showing that physical activity may modify Alzheimer’s risk. Researchers said 233 skiers developed dementia, including 40 with vascular dementia and 86 with Alzheimer’s. In the general population, 319 developed dementia, including 72 with vascular dementia and 95 with Alzheimer’s. “As brain researchers, we have had the unique opportunity to analyze an exceptionally large group of very physically active people over two decades, and we have unraveled some interesting results,” said research team leader Tomas Deierborg, an […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News FRIDAY, Jan. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Frailty is associated with a higher risk of both Alzheimer’s disease and its crippling symptoms, a new study shows. “By reducing an individual’s physiological reserve, frailty could trigger the clinical expression of dementia when it might remain asymptomatic in someone who is not frail,” said study leader Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, a professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. “This indicates that a ‘frail brain’ might be more susceptible to neurological problems like dementia as it is less able to cope with the pathological burden,” he added. The study included 456 adults in Illinois, aged 59 and older, who did not have Alzheimer’s when first enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project. They underwent annual assessments of their mental and physical health, and their brains were examined after they died. By their last assessment, 53 percent of the participants had been diagnosed with possible or probable Alzheimer’s disease. For the physical assessments, the researchers created a frailty index using 41 components, including fatigue, joint and heart problems, osteoporosis, mobility and meal preparation abilities. Overall, 8 percent of the participants had significant Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes without having been diagnosed with […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News FRIDAY, March 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The largest study to date of the genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer’s has uncovered five new gene mutations that make people more vulnerable to the memory-robbing disease. The international team of scientists analyzed the DNA of more than 94,000 people collected by the four groups that make up the International Genomic Alzheimer’s Project. “The ability to combine data from so many research groups gave us the power to detect new links to the causes of Alzheimer disease,” said study co-lead author Brian Kunkle. He is an associate scientist at the University of Miami’s John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics. Margaret Pericak-Vance, director of the institute, added that “this is an exciting time to be studying Alzheimer disease” — the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. “Genes contain the body’s instruction manuals, and we now have a much better understanding of how to read the instructions related to Alzheimer disease as the initial step to translation to clinical care,” she explained in a University of Miami news release. Learning more about how the five gene variants influence Alzheimer’s risk could improve knowledge on how the disease begins and provide […]
A proof-of-concept brain imaging study suggests that exercising four or five times a week may delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people who already have toxic buildups of beta-amyloid protein. Aerobic exercise could slow the cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s, a small new study suggests. The new research is a 1-year randomized controlled trial led by Prof. Rong Zhang. The team published their findings in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Prof. Zhang is affiliated with the departments of neurology, neurotherapeutics, and internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas. He and his team previously dedicated their efforts to studying the relationship between exercise and dementia. One such study that Medical News Today reported on found that aerobic exercise preserves the brain health of people with mild cognitive impairment. Specifically, that study found that regular exercise maintains the integrity of the brain’s white matter, which encompasses billions of nerve fibers and is linked with better executive function. Executive function refers to the brain’s ability to plan, organize, and complete tasks. Now, the new research has examined the effects of exercise in 70 adults aged 55 or over. The participants had amnestic mild cognitive impairment — the most […]
A large study concludes that atrial fibrillation does, indeed, raise the risk of dementia even in people who did not have a stroke and that anticoagulants may reduce this risk. An irregular heartbeat may be a sign of A-fib, which may, in turn, raise dementia risk. Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is a condition in which the heart beats irregularly. More specifically, the atria of the heart — the chambers that receive blood and pump it out to the heart’s ventricles and the rest of the body — beat at an irregular rhythm. A-fib is the most common form of arrhythmia, affecting between 2.7 and 6.1 million adults in the United States. Previous research has shown that people with A-fib have a higher risk of dementia, and also that people can take blood thinners to reduce this risk. New research confirms that the above is true, even in people who never experienced a stroke. The new study is the largest of its kind ever conducted. Boyoung Joung, who is a professor of cardiology and internal medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Republic of Korea, is the leading author of the paper, which appears in the European Heart Journal. A-fib […]
According to recent research in vitro and in mice, viruses that come into contact with biological fluids acquire a protein coating that renders them more infectious. Moreover, it seems that some viruses that ‘change identity’ in this way may promote neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s. Research shows that viruses can acquire a protein ‘coating’ that makes them more infectious. Viruses are strange, fascinating agents, not least because scientists still find it difficult to say whether they qualify as living organisms or not. To replicate, viruses have to infect a host — so in a live biological environment, viruses are also “alive,” interacting with the cells of the host they infect and multiplying. At the same time, on their own, outside an infected host, viruses are more “dead” than “alive,” since they are a protein “package,” containing specific genetic material. Though not clearly “dead” or “alive,” viruses can exploit certain biological mechanisms to preserve their integrity and be more likely to replicate. In a new study that used both human biological samples and mice, researchers from Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet in Solna, Sweden, have been looking at one such phenomenon that allows viruses to become more infectious, namely, the formation […]
Latest Alzheimer’s News (HealthDay News) — Confusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as normal, says MedlinePlus. From intoxication to head trauma, confusion can have a variety of causes. To help a confused person, MedlinePlus suggests: Always introduce yourself, no matter how well the person once knew you. Remind the person of his or her location. Place a calendar and clock near the person. Talk about current events and plans for the day. Keep surroundings calm, quiet and peaceful. MedlinePlus urges you to call 911 if confusion has come on suddenly or is accompanied by other symptoms. Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SLIDESHOW Brain Food Pictures: What to Eat to Boost Focus See Slideshow
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter Latest Alzheimer’s News MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — When older adults fall prey to scam artists, it might in some cases be an early warning of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. The study of 935 older adults found that those who appeared susceptible to scams were at higher risk of mental decline over the next six years. Compared with their more skeptical peers, they were 47% more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment — problems with memory and thinking that can progress to dementia. And they were typically twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers said it all suggests that “low scam awareness” can be a harbinger of dementia. That’s important, in part, because financial fraudsters go after the elderly. “Older adults hold most of the wealth in this country,” said Patricia Boyle, lead researcher on the study. “We know they are often the target of scam artists, and they’re vulnerable to falling victim — to the tune of about $35 billion a year.” If an older adult falls for a scam, that alone does not mean they’re on a path toward dementia, said Boyle, a neuropsychologist with the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease […]
For many years, specialists believed that people who studied more and kept their brains more active had lower dementia risk. Some recent studies have contradicted this idea. So how is education linked to the evolution of Alzheimer’s disease, if at all? Another study suggests that there is no link between a person’s level of education and Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline. In the recent past, researchers have argued that people who continue their education throughout their lives have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia and primarily characterized by progressive memory loss. However, studies published this year have found no evidence in support of this conclusion. A high level of education is supposed to boost a person’s cognitive reserve, which refers to the brain’s ability to preserve and maintain cognitive function despite any damage. A high cognitive reserve should act as a safeguard against cognitive impairment, which can occur naturally, as a person ages. But is it really effective in preventing or slowing down the development of Alzheimer’s disease? New research — conducted by Dr. Rebecca Gottesman, from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, MD, and colleagues — has found no […]
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