Scientists Identify Protein That Spurs Formation Of Alzheimer’s Plaques

sample brain tissue

In Alzheimer’s disease, the problem is amyloid-β, a protein that accumulates in the brain and causes nerve cells to weaken and die. Drugs designed to eliminate plaques made of amyloid-β have a fatal problem: they need to enter the brain and remove the plaques without attacking healthy brain cells. A new breakthrough from the laboratory of Nobel Prize winner Paul Greengard, however, suggests that treatments modeled on the blockbuster cancer drug Gleevec could be the solution. The findings are reported in the September 2 issue of the journal Nature.

Stress In Middle Age May Contribute To Late-Life Dementia

stressed out women

Psychological stress in middle age could lead to the development of dementia later in life, especially Alzheimer’s disease, reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Based on data from a study which followed women for 35 years, this is the first research in Sweden to indicate a link between stress and dementia. The results were published in prestigious scientific journal Brain.

The Latest Findings On Improving The Mind And Stopping Memory Loss

On August 16, 2010, in Cognition, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Human Brain Power

The ability to remember is not just to glimpse into the past; a sharp memory can help with creativity, productivity and even the ability to imagine the future, according to several psychologists. Sleep, aging and brain chemistry research were all discussed during several presentations on memory at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

When Memory-Related Region Of Brain Is Damaged, Other Areas Can Compensate

On August 3, 2010, in Neuroscience, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
MRI of the human amygdala

Many neuroscientists believe the loss of the brain region known as the amygdala would result in the brain’s inability to form new memories with emotional content. New UCLA research indicates this is not so and suggests that when one brain region is damaged, other regions can compensate. The research appears this week in the early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Eating Foods Rich In Vitamin E Associated With Lower Dementia Risk

mixed nuts

Consuming more vitamin E through the diet appears to be associated with a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Oxidative stress – damage to the cells from oxygen exposure – is thought to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, according to background information in the article. Experimental data suggest that antioxidants, nutrients that help repair this damage, may protect against the degeneration of nervous system cells.

Mental Decline Thwarted in Aging Rats

House

Scientists have discovered a compound that restores the capacity to form new memories in aging rats, likely by improving the survival of newborn neurons in the brain’s memory hub. The research, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, has turned up clues to a neuroprotective mechanism that could lead to a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Depression May Nearly Double The Risk Of Dementia

Elderly Women

A new study shows that having depression may nearly double your risk of developing dementia later in life. The research will be published in the July 6, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers examined data on 949 people with an average age of 79 from the Framingham Heart Study.

Education Helps Protect Against Dementia

On June 2, 2010, in Neurological, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
University of North Texas

Researchers have discovered that education not only delays the early symptoms of dementia, but can also slow down the development of the disease – a finding that could result in faster diagnosis and treatment of dementia, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Previous studies have shown that education [...]

Science Closing In On Mystery Of Age-Related Memory Loss

Romidepsin

The world’s scientific community may be one step closer to understanding age-related memory loss, and to developing a drug that might help boost memory. In an editorial published May 7 in Science, J. David Sweatt, Ph.D., chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Neurobiology, says that drugs known as histone deacetylase [...]

Investigational Immune Intervention Slows Brain Shrinkage In Alzheimer’s Patients

Brain Map

An investigational intervention using naturally occurring antibodies in human blood has preserved the thinking abilities of a group of mild- to moderate-stage Alzheimer’s patients over 18 months and significantly reduced the rate of atrophy (shrinkage) of their brains, according to a study performed at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Personality May Influence Brain Shrinkage In Aging

MRI

Psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis have found an intriguing possibility that personality and brain aging during the golden years may be linked. Studying MRI images of 79 volunteers between the ages of 44 and 88 – who also had provided personality and demographic data – the researchers found lower volumes of gray matter [...]

Family Caregiving Can Be Stress Filled And Isolating

On April 26, 2010, in Neurological, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Wheelchair

Family members who provide care to relatives with dementia, but do not have formal training, frequently experience overwhelming stress that sometimes leads to breakdowns or depression, according to Penn State and Benjamin Rose Institute researchers. Interventions to alleviate this stress are not always effective, leaving caregivers isolated to deal with their stresses.

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