Alzheimer’s News
Updates on Alzheimer’s research, interspersed with tips on Alzheimer’s care and stories from the Alzheimer’s trenches by family members.
How to tell apart the forgetful from those at risk of Alzheimer’s disease
It can be difficult to distinguish between people with normal age-associated memory loss and those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However people with aMCI are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and identification of these people would mean that they could b...
Untangling the mysteries of Alzheimer's
Researchers have found new evidence that confirms the significance of a protein that neuroscientists call tau to the development of Alzheimer's disease. While earlier studies have focused on tau's aggregation into twisted structures known as "neurofibrillary tangles," the new work emphasizes inte...
Alzheimer's disease may spread by 'jumping' from one brain region to another
For decades, researchers have debated whether Alzheimer's disease starts independently in vulnerable brain regions at different times, or if it begins in one region and then spreads to neuroanatomically connected areas. A new study strongly supports the latter, demonstrating that abnormal tau pro...
Same genes linked to early- and late-onset Alzheimer's
The same gene mutations linked to inherited, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease have been found in people with the more common late-onset form of the illness. The discovery may lead doctors and researchers to change the way Alzheimer’s disease is classified.
Decaffeinated coffee may help improve memory function and reduce risk of diab...
In an animal study, researchers found that decaffeinated coffee may improve glucose utilization in the brain, reducing the risk for Type 2 diabetes and the brain dysfunction associated with some neurological disorders.
Making memories last: Prion-like protein plays key role in storing long-term ...
Memories in our brains are maintained by connections between neurons called "synapses." But how do these synapses stay strong and keep memories alive for decades? Neuroscientists have discovered a major clue from a study in fruit flies: Hardy, self-copying clusters or oligomers of a synapse prote...
Mild cognitive impairment is common, affects men most, study finds
Researchers report that more than 6 percent of Americans age 70 to 89 develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) every year. Also, the condition appears to affect men and those who only have a high school education more than women and those who have completed some higher education. People with MCI a...
Men at higher risk for mild memory loss than women, study finds
Men may be at higher risk of experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or the stage of mild memory loss that occurs between normal aging and dementia, than women, according to a new study.
Alzheimer's neurons from pluripotent stem cells: First-ever feat provides new...
Scientists have, for the first time, created stem cell-derived, in vitro models of sporadic and hereditary Alzheimer’s disease (AD), using induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with the much-dreaded neurodegenerative disorder.
Could Alzheimer's disease be diagnosed with a simple blood test?
A pilot study suggests infrared analysis of white blood cells is a promising strategy for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
