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Alzheimer's

Obama administration boosts Alzheimer's research with $50 million in funding

February 08, 2012

The Obama administration has said it will devote $50 million to fund Alzheimer's research this year, and an additional $80 million in 2013.

ALFA: Alzheimer's taskforce ignores assisted living options

January 26, 2012

In a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Assisted Living Federation of America said it was "dismayed to see the lack of acknowledgment of the role assisted living has in caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease," in the HHS taskforce plan released Jan. 9.

Shuffling down the aisle

Mary Gustafson January 19, 2012

For anyone who's in the trenches caring for someone with Alzheimer's — either in your own home or a long-term care community — the announcement of government initiatives aimed at finding a cure might not excite you too much.

Alzheimer's experts to finalize Obama administration taskforce plan

January 17, 2012

A panel of Alzheimer's experts is kicking off a two-day meeting in Washington today to formalize an Obama administration goal of developing effective ways to treat and prevent Alzheimer's by 2025.

Patching together an Alzheimer's treatment

January 11, 2012

Previous research has suggested that smokers are less likely to get Alzheimer's disease. A new study finds that nicotine patches may be similarly helpful. In the latest investigation, 67 nonsmoking patients with mild cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to wear a transdermal nicotine patch (15 milligrams daily) or a placebo patch. After six months, those receiving nicotine patches scored higher on a battery of standardized tests that measured attention, memory and psychomotor skills. Full findings appear in the Jan. 10 issue of Neurology.

Modified bingo playing method helps cognition

January 04, 2012

Playing bingo boosts more than just nursing home residents' social skills: using the large, high-contrast bingo cards also improves cognitive skills and visual perception, researchers have found.

Drug may be first to halt Alzheimer's progression

December 21, 2011

A new medication may actually halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease, investigators have found. When given to mice with Alzheimer's, the drug, known as J147, improved memory and prevented brain damage caused by the disease. The new compound, developed by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, could soon be tested on humans. Currently, only medications that slow the diseases' progression have received federal approval. Full findings appear in PLoS ONE.

Hearing highlights Aging Committee's accomplishments

December 15, 2011

In a Senate hearing commemorating the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Special Committee on Aging, committee chairman, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) said funding for home and community based services should not be cut.

Nursing homes transferring advanced dementia residents to hospitals for questionable reasons, study suggests

September 30, 2011

The rate of questionable transfers of end-stage dementia patients from nursing homes to hospitals has raised red flags, according to researchers.

Memory problems in seniors could signal lower cognitive function, study reports

September 19, 2011

Seniors with complaints about short-term memory gaps, such as difficulty recalling recent events, might be experiencing more than just age-related changes, according to researchers. They say their new study findings could lead to new protocols for clinicians treating seniors with memory problems.

Moderate drinking could prevent dementia, analysis finds

August 18, 2011

Imbibing in the occasional glass of wine might actually reduce the risk of dementia, according to an analysis of 143 studies conducted since 1977.

Familial versions of Alzheimer's could be detected two decades before symptoms start, research finds

July 25, 2011

Inheritable types of Alzheimer's disease could be detectable up to 20 years before the onset of memory and cognition problems, new research suggests.

Grave concerns about Alzheimer's, high lack of knowledge, report shows

July 21, 2011

The vast majority of adults would see a doctor if they experienced the kind of confusion or memory problems associated with Alzheimer's disease, and would encourage a loved one to do the same, according to a recent survey.

Half of worldwide Alzheimer's cases are preventable, study suggests

July 20, 2011

Many Alzheimer's disease cases can be prevented by making healthy lifestyle changes that are often associated with preventing other chronic health conditions, new research shows.

Invest more in products for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's: paper warns

July 06, 2011

More than five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease and nearly one and a half million from Parkinson's disease. And both totals are projected to rise dramatically in the coming decades. Yet relatively little is being spent on new products and other innovations that can help the nation deal better with these debilitating conditions, according to an essay in the July 5 Wall Street Journal. "With healthy brains, Americans will do more than just live longer, they will remain productive longer and contribute to the well-being of our nation instead of adding substantially to the costs and other burdens of healthcare," the article notes.

Lithium might have protective effect against Parkinson's disease, study finds

June 27, 2011

The drug lithium has been found to greatly prevent the buildup of the toxic proteins and brain cell loss linked to Parkinson's disease, according to a study conducted on laboratory mice.

Study: New test might help diagnose Alzheimer's earlier

June 24, 2011

A new test that measures amyloid levels in the spinal fluid of people with mild cognitive impairment could help physicians more accurately predict who will develop Alzheimer's, a new study finds.

Alzheimer's-detecting PET scans could be on the market within a year

June 08, 2011

Nuclear medicine experts say positron emission tomography (PET) scans that detect beta amyloid plaques in the brain could make it to the marketplace within the next year. Beta-amyloid is a naturally occurring protein that is directly implicated in the development of Alzheimer's.

Federal funding for age-related diseases and illnesses is declining, report finds

May 24, 2011

One of the realities of the national budget crisis is that government funding for age-related health conditions — particularly Alzheimer's — is drying up, says a new report from the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.

Housebound seniors are more likely to develop Alzheimer's, research finds

April 28, 2011

New research shows housebound seniors are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease as more active individuals, which may provide indications and clues for prevention.

Alzheimer's groups announce new diagnostic criteria and biomarkers

April 20, 2011

New diagnostic criteria and new biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease should go a long way in helping physicians catch the disease earlier and develop therapies faster, according to new guidelines released by the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Aging.

Treatment of vascular conditions can delay or prevent Alzheimer's onset

April 19, 2011

Seniors with memory and cognitive impairments who are treated for other conditions that impact blood flow to the brain — such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes — might be able to halt development of full-blown Alzheimer's and dementia, a new study finds.

Researchers identify five Alzheimer's genes

April 05, 2011

Two new studies — which examined 50,000 subjects worldwide — have identified five new genes that are definitively associated with Alzheimer's, according to a study published in the journal Nature Genetics.

Asthma drug shows promise for Alzheimer's, researchers say

March 28, 2011

The asthma drug Zileuton (5-lipoxygenase) has demonstrated that it can reduce the formation of beta amyloid, the peptide in the brain linked to the development of Alzheimer's, according to researchers with the Temple University School of Medicine.

Study: Onset of Alzheimer's preceded by years of rapidly accelerating mental decline

March 17, 2011

People who develop Alzheimer's disease typically experience up to six years of accelerated mental decline before the disease presents itself, according to new research.

Alzheimer's onset slower in bilingual individuals: study

February 23, 2011

Bilingual individuals who have been able to speak more than one language for several years are able to delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms four or five years longer than those who speak just one language, Canadian researchers have found.

Alzheimer's scan clears advisory committee

January 24, 2011

An advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously Thursday that the FDA should approve a brain scan that can identify the beta amyloid plaques that characterize Alzheimer's in living persons. The FDA typically follows the advice of the advisory committee.

Two Alzheimer's tests hold hope for early diagnosis and risk assessment

January 20, 2011

Alzheimer's researchers are getting closer to marketing tests that can assist in early diagnosis of this deadly form of dementia and assess risk factors for memory loss.

Scientists developing blood test for Alzheimer's

January 12, 2011

Scientists have developed an antibody-screening blood test that may one day be used to detect diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Brain changes occur before amyloid plaques develop in those with Alzheimer's, study finds

December 22, 2010

People who are considered at risk for developing Alzheimer's have abnormal brain function even before they develop amyloid plaques, a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found.