A much needed boost in the research of early-stage Alzheimer’s.
Scientists reverse damage by key gene involved in Alzheimer’s Disease
The results astonishingly suggest that Alzheimer’s effects on the brain could be reversed.
Poor sleep linked to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease
The findings underline the importance of good sleep for preserving brain health.
Bill Gates invests $100 million to study and defeat Alzheimer’s
Putting his money where his mouth is: Gates invests massively into addressing Alzheimer’s disease.
What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s and Dementia?
Dementia is a syndrome while Alzheimer’s is a disease. More key differences between the two after the jump.
Extra-virgin olive oil might prevent Alzheimer’s and protect your brain
It’s really, really good for you.
An Alzheimer’s drug could become the unlikely replacer of fillings
No more of that awful drilling in your teeth.
Frequent sauna seems to protect from dementia and Alzheimer’s, new study shows
Finnish people sure love their sauna – and there could be a good reason for that.
Pollution particles reach the brain, new study finds
Tiny pollution particles have been discovered in brain samples, a finding described as “dreadfully shocking” by researchers.
Light stimulation can help recover Alzheimer’s memories
Recovering memories lost after Alzheimer’s can be as simple as flipping a switch – at least for mice. According to a new research, these memories aren’t lost, it’s just the retrieval of the retrieval mechanism that is impaired. Loss of long-term memory and some learned experiences is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s diseases. Despite the disease affecting millions of people, we still don’t fully
Rare disorder makes patients at loss for words, but isn’t Alzheimer’s
A rare kind of aphasia, abbreviated PPA, leaves people at a loss for words. Patients blabber and stutter, seemingly unable to communicate. Often times families think their diseased relatives and loved ones have Alzheimer’s. Because primary progressive aphasia is so rare and unknown, even doctors often misdiagnose the disease. Upon closer inspection though, the PPA patient clearly is able to understand questions and reason . It’s just they simply can’t verbally use words. At a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, PPA has been put in the center of discussion to raise awareness but also share some of the most promising therapies.
Kept in the dark: half of Alzheimer’s diagnoses aren’t disclosed by doctors
For its annual report, the The Alzheimer’s Association in the US claims that more than half of all reported early Alzheimer’s diagnoses aren’t disclosed to the patient by doctors. This is a situation reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s when cancer diagnoses were rarely disclosed to patients as the disease was generally seen as incurable. Like in the case of the long-gone cancer stigma, doctors may be doing more harm than good. They don’t want patients to lose hope, but being kept in the dark as to their suffering can be equally bad, if not worse.
Pollution Damages Short Term Memory, IQ and Brain Metabolism
City smog significantly lowers children’s IQ, while also raising the risk for Alzheimers disease. A new study has found that children living in highly polluted cities are at an increased risk for detrimental effects to the brain, including short-term memory loss.
Long-term memory isn’t stored in synapses, meaning it could be restored even when struck by Alzheimer’s
For a while, the general consensus was that long term memories are stored in synapses. A new UCLA research topples this paradigm after experiments made on snails suggests that synapses aren’t that crucial storing memories as previously believed, but only facilitate the transfer of information someplace else, most likely in the nucleus of the neurons themselves – though this has yet
Meditation Could Slow the Progress of Alzheimer’s
Meditation has been shown to have an impact on brain activity, decreasing beta waves and impacting each part differently. Activity in the frontal and parietal lobe slows down, while the flow of information to the thalamus is reduced. This can lead to positive side effects such as improved focus, better memory, and a reduction in anxiety. According to a new
Obama funds brain mapping, interesting questions arise
This week, the Obama administration has announced plans to pursue a 10-year, $3 billion research effort aimed at mapping the human brain in “its entirety”. The project, called the Brain Activity Map, is designed to help scientists better understand how the ~100 billion neurons interact in our brains. Initially, the announcement was met with applause, as the study could prove
Increasing brain enzyme may slow Alzheimer’s
The fight against Alzheimer’s is a harsh and rugged one, and despite numerous advancements, there still isn’t a definitive cure for the disease around – or a fail proof way to detect it in the early stages.. Still, if you can’t defeat it, it’s still better to slow it down a little, and that’s exactly what researchers from Los Angeles