Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, a neurologic disease characterized by loss of mental ability severe enough to interfere with normal activities of daily living, lasting at least six months, and not present from birth. AD usually occurs in old age, and is marked by a decline in cognitive functions such as remembering, reasoning, and planning.
Language learning makes the brain grow – At the Swedish Armed Forces Interpreter Academy in the city of Uppsala, young people with a flair for languages go from having no knowledge of a language such as Arabic, Russian or Dari to speaking it fluently in the space of 13 months. From morning to evening, weekdays and weekends, the recruits study at a pace unlike on any other language course.
Midlife fitness staves off chronic disease at end of life, UT Southwestern researchers report — Fitness at 50 – free from chronic illness – Being physically fit during your 30s, 40s, and 50s not only helps extend lifespan, but it also increases the chances of aging healthily, free from chronic illness. For decades, research has shown that higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels lessen the risk of death, but it previously had been unknown just how much fitness might affect the burden of chronic disease in the most senior years ? a concept known as morbidity compression.
Binge drinking increases the risk of cognitive decline in older adults – Researchers from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, suggesting a link between binge drinking in older adults and the risk of developing dementia. The work is supported by the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care in the South West Peninsula (NIHR PenCLAHRC).
First detailed timeline established for brain’s descent into Alzheimer’s – Scientists have assembled the most detailed chronology to date of the human brain’s long, slow slide into full-blown Alzheimer’s disease. As part of an international research partnership known as the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN), scientists at Washington University and elsewhere evaluated a variety of pre-symptomatic markers of Alzheimer’s disease in 128 subjects from families genetically predisposed to develop the disorder.
Stress link to Alzheimer’s goes under the spotlight — A new ?1.5 million study to find role of stress in development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – Chronic stress is being investigated in a new Alzheimer’s Society funded research project as a risk factor for developing dementia. It is part of a ?1.5 million package of six grants being given by the charity fighting to find a cause, cure and way to prevent the disease.
Clinical trial examines antioxidant effects for Alzheimer’s disease on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers – An antioxidant combination of vitamin E, vitamin C and a-lipoic acid (E/C/ALA) was not associated with changes in some cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers related to Alzheimer disease in a randomized controlled trial, revealed by researchers.
Reversing Alzheimer’s gene ‘blockade’ can restore memory, other cognitive functions — Neuroscientists show that HDAC2 enzyme could be a good target for new drugs – MIT neuroscientists have shown that an enzyme overproduced in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients creates a blockade that shuts off genes necessary to form new memories. Furthermore, by inhibiting that enzyme in mice, the researchers were able to reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Fish oil omega-3 fatty acids linked to brain health — A Diet Rich in Fish May Help the Aging Brain – A diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients commonly found in fish, may cause your brain to age faster and lose some of its memory and thinking abilities. Omega-3 fatty acids include the nutrients called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
Drug quickly reverses Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice — Case Western Reserve researchers discover FDA-approved drug rapidly clears amyloid from the brain and reverses cognitive defects – Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The research shows that use of a drug in mice appears to quickly reverse the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits caused by the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Lifelong brain-stimulating habits linked to lower Alzheimer’s protein levels – Individuals who keep their brains active throughout life with cognitively stimulating activities such as reading, writing and playing games appear to have reduced levels of the ?-amyloid protein, which is the major part of the amyloid plaque in Alzheimer disease.
