Cognitive impairment Archives

New study to find role of stress in development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

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.

Cognitive decline linked to brain volume decreases in parkinson’s disease patients

Cognitive Decline in Patients with Parkinson Disease Associated With Certain Patterns of Brain Volume Decreases – Patients with Parkinson disease-related dementia appear to have increased brain atrophy in the hippocampal, temporal and parietal lobes and decreased prefrontal cortex volume compared to patients with Parkinson disease without dementia.

Heading a soccer ball could lead to brain injury

Frequent ‘heading’ in soccer can lead to brain injury and cognitive impairment – Einstein Montefiore research suggests frequency threshold for injury that could lead to safety guidelines – Frequent ‘heading’ in soccer can lead to brain injury and cognitive impairment, revealed by researchers. Einstein Montefiore research suggests frequency threshold for injury that could lead to safety guidelines.

People with early Alzheimer’s disease may have lower BMI

People with early Alzheimer’s disease may be more likely to have lower BMI – People in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease are more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI). A new study examined 506 people with advanced brain imaging techniques and analyses of cerebrospinal fluid to look for biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, which can be present years before the first symptoms begin.

Blood test may detect Alzheimer’s Disease progression

Blood Tests May Hold Clues to Pace of Alzheimer?s Disease Progression – Researchers found a way to predict how quickly patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) will lose cognitive function by looking at ratios of two fatty compounds in their blood.

Low vitamin B12 may lead to brain shrinkage and cognitive problems

Low vitamin B12 levels may lead to brain shrinkage, cognitive problems – Older people with low blood levels of vitamin B12 markers may be more likely to have lower brain volumes and have problems with their thinking skills, according to researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

Mild memory loss and thinking problems may impact life expectancy

Even mild cognitive impairment appears to substantially increase risk for death – Cognitive impairment, especially at the moderate to severe stages has an impact on life expectancy similar to chronic conditions such as diabetes or chronic heart failure, revealed by Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University researchers in a study “Cognitive Impairment: An Independent Predictor of Excess Mortality. A Cohort Study” published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Chronic low back pain treatment can reverse abnormal brain activity

No pain, big gain — Treatment of chronic low back pain can reverse abnormal brain activity and function – It likely comes as no surprise that low back pain is the most common form of chronic pain among adults. Lesser known is the fact that those with chronic pain also experience cognitive impairments and reduced gray matter in parts of the brain associated with pain processing and the emotional components of pain, like depression and anxiety.

Potential Alzheimer’s disease diagnostic test using spinal fluid

Work Underway on Potential Alzheimer’s Diagnostic Test Using Spinal Fluid – Researchers at the University of Kentucky are working on a potential diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease, based on biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid.

Brain size predicts dementia in advance in Alzheimer’s disease

Differences in brain structure indicate risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease — Thinning of key cortical areas predicts dementia up to a decade in advance – Subtle differences in brain anatomy among older individuals with normal cognitive skills may be able to predict both the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in the following decade and how quickly symptoms of dementia would develop.

Imaging can identify biomarker of alzheimer’s disease

Imaging Procedure Can Identify Biomarker Associated With Alzheimer Disease – Preliminary research suggests that use of a type of molecular imaging procedure may have the ability to detect the presence of beta-amyloid in the brains of individuals during life, a biomarker that is identified during autopsy to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease.

Post traumatic stress disorder PTSD may lead to dementia

Pivotal study finds link between PTSD and dementia — More study needed to determine why veterans with PTSD are more at risk than others – Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a greater risk for dementia than Veterans without PTSD, even those who suffered traumatic injuries during combat, revealed by researchers in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.