Alzheimer's disease

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What Really Happened in Astor's House

Millionaire's former staff say abusive son bilked her of $60M

(Newser) - A new book about Brooke Astor portrays the New York philanthropist as a frail, paranoid 105-year-old pressured to give up her fortune. Drawing on notes from Astor's former staff, Mrs. Astor Regrets describes son Tony Marshall's alleged bilking of her millions. Astor's staff "filled 30 journals over four years...

Vitamin Could Delay Onset of Alzheimer's

B3 pills caused big improvement in mice; human trials to begin

(Newser) - A simple dose of vitamin B3 may be one of the keys to combating the brain deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s disease, California scientists say. The team found that diseased mice given high levels of the vitamin retained normal memory ability over the four months of a study, and healthy...

Web Use Gives Brain a Boost
Web Use Gives Brain a Boost
Oct 14, 2008 3:56 PM CDT

Web Use Gives Brain a Boost

For middle-aged, regular Internet surfing is better than reading a book: study

(Newser) - Sudoku not your thing? Web surfing may help boost brain power and prevent brain shrinkage in middle-aged and older people in a way that reading books cannot, the BBC reports. By studying the brain scans of volunteers aged 55 to 76, researchers found that experienced internet users show enhanced activity...

Chemistry Nobel Goes to 3 Who Found Glowing Protein

Compound vital to Alzheimer's research

(Newser) - The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded today to three scientists who discovered green fluorescent protein, a compound that allows biochemists to study cellular processes. The glowing protein, first found in jellyfish more than 40 years ago, can be attached to other structures and has been critical in research on...

For a Lifelong Healthy Diet, Look to the Mediterranean

Diet is healthy and satisfying, doctors say

(Newser) - A Mediterranean getaway may be too expensive these days, but a taste of the region is just what the doctor ordered. The most thorough study to date of the Mediterranean diet confirms long-held beliefs about its health benefits, writes Dr. Peter Libby in the New York Times. It’s “...

Genome Project Is a Bust: Expert
Genome Project Is a Bust: Expert
Sep 16, 2008 11:40 AM CDT

Genome Project Is a Bust: Expert

$3B effort to pinpoint disease-causing genes too broad, Duke doc says

(Newser) - The idea behind mapping the human genome (and spending $3 billion to do so) was to uncover common gene variants that cause disease. But a Duke University geneticist says that natural selection has worked better than we thought, that there are no common variants but rather a multitude of rare...

Low B12 Levels Tied to Brain Shrinkage, Memory Loss

Many adults deficient in crucial nutrient

(Newser) - Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause memory loss, particularly in the elderly, reports the BBC. People short on the nutrient were 6 times more likely than individuals with normal levels to experience brain shrinkage, which is strongly linked to dementia, a new study shows. Forty percent of people are believed to...

Brain Doesn't Remember Events—It Relives Them

Study records evidence supporting long-suspected memory pathway

(Newser) - Scientists for the first time have observed how brain cells drum up a memory, and the findings buttress the notion that our minds don't so much remember events as relive them. When recalling short film clips they had seen, patients' brains repeated the same pattern of neuron activity they experienced...

To Remember, Exercise
 To Remember, Exercise 
Sep 3, 2008 4:26 PM CDT

To Remember, Exercise

Australian study shows exercise improves 'flawed memory'

(Newser) - A little sweatin' to the oldies might help oldsters with mild memory problems, an Australian study suggests. Volunteers who took part in “home-based physical activity” showed a “modest improvement in cognitive function" over those who did not. Results showed that just a few hours of walking per week...

Scientists Tinker With Biological Clock

New discovery on engineered liver genes could slow aging

(Newser) - US researchers believe they have found a way to turn back the clock on the processes which make organs age. Scientists engineered genetic alterations to make the livers of older mice function like younger mice, the BBC reports. The discovery may lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's and other diseases...

10 Factors That Affect Memory
 10 Factors That Affect Memory
Aug 6, 2008 1:52 PM CDT

10 Factors That Affect Memory

From diet to depression, here's what to watch

(Newser) - New research suggests our lifestyle choices affect memory loss almost as much as aging. Forbes looks at 10 surprising factors, positive and negative, that determine how sharp you'll stay:  
  1. Tofu—eating too much can increase dementia in the elderly.
  1. Carbs—likewise, too many derail Alzheimer's-fighting enzymes in the brain.
...

New Drug Twice as Effective Against Alzheimer's: Study

Treatment breaks apart protein clusters in brain cells of patients with disease

(Newser) - A new treatment could slow Alzheimer’s patients’ mental decline twice as fast as current drugs, the Chicago Tribune reports. A recent study found that the treatment—a chemical known commercially as “rember” that has been previously used to treat other conditions, and in blue dye—significantly reduces the...

'Pre-Dementia' on the Rise
 'Pre-Dementia' on the Rise
Jul 29, 2008 5:33 AM CDT

'Pre-Dementia' on the Rise

Mild impairment strikes nearly a million elderly a year, especially men

(Newser) - Almost a million Americans each year develop a mild form of memory loss that is often a precursor to Alzheimer's, according to new research. Mild Cognitive Impairment—more serious than normal "senior moments"—was found to be more common in men, the Los Angeles Times reports. Doctors warn...

Don't Talk Down to Alzheimer's Patients: Docs

Trouble communicating leads to frustration, uncooperative behavior

(Newser) - Even after they lose the ability to communicate easily, Alzheimer’s disease patients remain aware of the world around them and know when they're being talked down to, a study shows. Video evidence suggests patients are twice as likely to accept help from caregivers, and to not shut down or...

MRIs Hold Promise of Early Alzheimer's Detection

Brain plaque spotted in rabbits

(Newser) - Researchers are a step closer to early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using conventional MRI scanners. Plaque associated with Alzheimer's has been detected in rabbits by a team in Canada using MRI equipment, Reuters reports. Currently, the disease is diagnosed based on a series of tests, but a diagnosis can only...

Exercise May Slow Alzheimer's
 Exercise May Slow Alzheimer's 
Jul 15, 2008 8:30 AM CDT

Exercise May Slow Alzheimer's

Study finds fit patients have less brain atrophy

(Newser) - Alzheimer's patients may be able to slow the progression of the disease with exercise, a new study has discovered. Patients who were in poorer physical condition experienced up to four times more brain shrinkage than those who were physically fit, WebMD reports.

Brains Get Noisier as They Age
Brains Get
Noisier as
They Age
Jul 10, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Brains Get Noisier as They Age

Study finds neural complexity generates more cranial static

(Newser) - Just because you can't hear it doesn't mean your brain isn't making noise. It is, and scientists using high-tech gear to record it have now discovered that it increases as you mature, reports LiveScience. A comparison of noise generated by groups of children and young adults indicates that brain noise,...

High Blood Pressure Linked to Dementia

Risk rockets stunning 600%: study

(Newser) - High blood pressure increases an individual's risk of suffering dementia in old age by an astonishing 600%, reports the Daily Telegraph. The study, conducted in the UK—where 1 in 3 people have high blood pressure by middle age—found that hypertension increased the incidence of vascular dementia. The second...

Study IDs Plaque Linked to Alzheimer's

Scientist uncover key clue to cause of illness

(Newser) - Researchers have triggered Alzheimer's disease in rats by injecting them with a particular type of sticky plaque found in the brains of human dementia patients, AP reports. Only one of three different types of plaques found in elderly brains sparked the disease—compelling evidence that scientists may have narrowed down...

Alzheimer's Drug Shows Some Promise
Alzheimer's Drug Shows Some Promise
Jun 17, 2008 6:10 PM CDT

Alzheimer's Drug Shows Some Promise

Bapineuzumab could be a blockbuster if it passes final trials

(Newser) - A drug currently in experimental trials seems to be effective in battling Alzheimer's disease, the pharmaceutical companies developing it tell the Wall Street Journal. Bapineuzumab—developed by Elan and Wyeth—seems to be helpful in improving cognitive ability in those stricken by the disease, though much more so in patients...

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