Latest dementia Stories

A new Swedish study published in the journal Neurology shows that the risk of developing dementia may have declined over the past 20 years, in direct contrast to what many previously assumed. The result is based on data from SNAC-K, an ongoing study on aging and health that started in 1987. "We know that cardiovascular disease is an important risk factor for dementia. The suggested decrease in dementia risk coincides with the general reduction in cardiovascular disease over recent...

Close family members of people with Alzheimer's disease are more than twice as likely as those without a family history to develop silent buildup of brain plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Duke Medicine. The study, published online in the journal PLOS ONE on April 17, 2013, confirms earlier findings on a known genetic variation that increases one's risk for Alzheimer's, and raises new questions about other genetic factors involved in the disease that...

Investment is an Important Advancement in the Company's Long-term Commitment to Bringing New Medicines to Millions of Alzheimer's Disease Patients Who Are Waiting INDIANAPOLIS, April 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced it has acquired two investigational positron emission tomography (PET) tracers from Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. The tracers are intended to image tau (or neurofibrillary) tangles in the brain, one of two known hallmarks...

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports - Your Universe Online There is no evidence drugs, vitamins or herbal supplements can help prevent cognitive decline in otherwise healthy older adults, claims a new study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Lead author Dr. Raza Naqvi of the University of Toronto and colleagues conducted a thorough review of 32 previously published randomized trials and reportedly found no proof any of those methods could help keep seniors'...

- Alzheimer's Association Statement - WASHINGTON, April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Association commends the Obama Administration for dedicating an additional $100 million within the President's FY 2014 budget toward the fight against Alzheimer's and the implementation of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease. These new resources will be used to fund research, awareness, education and outreach, and caregiver support. "In addition to the human...

Preventive measures, genetic risks, new diagnostic tools needed to identify effects of traumatic brain injury in athletes, soldiers One of the most controversial topics in neurology today is the prevalence of serious permanent brain damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Long-term studies and a search for genetic risk factors are required in order to predict an individual's risk for serious permanent brain damage, according to a review article published by Sam Gandy, MD, PhD, from the...

Jason Pierce, MSN, MBA, RN for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and the RAND Corporation report that in the United States the annual healthcare expenses associated with dementia exceed those associated with heart disease or cancer. According to the report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the total annual cost of dementia care in the United States ranges from $159 billion to $215 billion. This estimate...

The most common genetic cause of both ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and FTD (frontotemporal dementia) was recently identified as an alteration in the gene C9orf72. But how the mutation causes neurodegenerative disease appeared mysterious. Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have demonstrated that this ALS/FTD mutation may be harmful because it creates an "RNA sponge," soaking up an important regulatory protein that binds RNA. The results were published online Monday...

NEW YORK, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA), a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to optimal care for people with Alzheimer's disease and their families, today applauded President Obama's announcement to invest $100 million in ground-breaking research that will map the human brain. The "BRAIN" (Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative, an idea that the President first noted in his State...

- Alzheimer's Association Statement - WASHINGTON, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association, participated in an event at the White House on the Obama Administration's BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative referenced during the State of the Union. A large-scale effort to map brain activity is important in advancing the understanding of complex diseases like Alzheimer's...