Alzheimer’s In the News


We post articles and stories related to Alzheimer’s disease on this page. This page is updated frequently with current news items. This is not a comprehensive list of news stories nor is it meant to serve as an endorsement of any particular organization, author, study, etc.

SEC announces eighth annual 'We Back Pat' week

01/18/2019

The Southeastern Conference in cooperation with its 14-member institutions announces the eighth annual "We Back Pat" Week, a week-long initiative focused on bringing awareness and recognition to the Pat Summitt Foundation, a fund of East Tennessee Foundation, and its fight against Alzheimer's disease.

One Social Hour a Week Can Help Someone With Dementia

07/16/2017

"People with dementia who are living in [nursing] homes are among the most vulnerable in our society," said study leader Clive Ballard. He's a professor at the University of Exeter Medical School in England.

The Alzheimer's Laboratory

11/27/2016

An extended family in Colombia with a genetic mutation causing Alzheimer’s may help scientists prevent the disease someday.

Pat Summitt Clinic is designed with patients in mind

11/14/2016

The Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s Clinic will be designed with the patients in mind. The new clinic in Medical Building C at UT Medical Center will be a state-of-the-art facility for the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients.

Pat Summitt Clinic nearing completion

11/14/2016

"Over the long term we want this to be a destination site for Alzheimer's researchers. We want this clinic to have the name that Pat Summitt had, the reputation that she had in women's athletics, to be noted for its outstanding care and research."

Memory Loss Associated With Alzheimer's May Be Preventable And Reversible

09/06/2016

The finding that the loss of memory function caused by damage at the synapse can be reversed is especially encouraging. If Alzheimer’s can be caught early enough, not only might further spread be prevented but the loss of long-term memory function suffered by the Alzheimer’s patient might be restored.

Interfering with brain pathway early could improve memory in Alzheimer's patients

04/25/2016

Scientists with the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at The Rockefeller University used a complex set of imaging technologies and experiments to identify an early trafficking protein pathway (COPI) that affects amyloid precursor protein (APP), which precedes the formation of amyloid plaques.

Why Alzheimer's Patients Stop Recognizing Loved Ones

04/11/2016

One of the most heartbreaking things about Alzheimer’s disease is it not only steals people’s memories but also their ability to recognize the faces of their loved ones and now researchers say they now know why this occurs.

How do you die from Alzheimer's disease?

04/05/2016

“And since the brain affects everything, Alzheimer’s ultimately affects everything,” she said, “including the ability to swallow, cough and breathe.”

Alzheimer’s may be caused by haywire immune system eating brain connections

03/31/2016

More than 99% of clinical trials for Alzheimer’s drugs have failed, leading many to wonder whether pharmaceutical companies have gone after the wrong targets. Now, research in mice points to a potential new target: a developmental process gone awry, which causes some immune cells to feast on the connections between neurons.

The Virus That Could Cure Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and More

03/23/2016

Beka Solomon, a professor at Tel Aviv University, made a serendipitous discovery one day when she was testing a new class of agents against Alzheimer’s disease. If it pans out, it might mark the beginning of the end of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and many other neurodegenerative diseases.

Total Recall

03/19/2016

Missing memories have been restored in mice with Alzheimer’s disease.

We can stop dementia with games: Atari founder

03/14/2016

"The ultimate virtual reality is reality, where you actually go into an environment that is alive and you solve problems, and you put in context the things that you're learning," Bushnell said from technology conference South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

Pill to block Alzheimer's 'ready in a decade'

01/13/2016

A treatment for Alzheimer's disease will be available within a decade and may ultimately be prescribed in a similar way to statins to prevent the onset of the illness, experts have predicted.

New findings in Alzheimers research

11/16/2015

Current Alzheimer's research focuses on the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which is responsible for the formation of destructive plaques in the brain. Researchers from Bochum have now demonstrated that APP, in addition to forming those plaques, might also affect the development of Alzheimer's disease via another mechanism.

Alzheimer's Q&A: What does a 'dementia-friendly community' mean?

10/25/2015

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, a dementia-friendly community is one in which people with dementia are empowered to have aspirations and feel confident, knowing they can contribute and participate in activities that are meaningful to them.

Fungus, the bogeyman

10/24/2015

A curious result hints at the possibility dementia is caused by fungal infection.

Keep brain healthy to cut Alzheimer's risk: mental health expert

10/14/2015

Making our brains healthier may reduce the chance of getting dementia, says an expert who is optimistic about a scientific breakthrough for preventing the disease. Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/keep-brain-healthy-to-cut-alzheimers-risk-mental-health-expert-20151014-gk8osf.html#ixzz3oYyuPy30 Follow us: @brisbanetimes on Twitter | brisbanetimes on Facebook

New Alzheimer's treatments may arise from modeling 'heat shock proteins'

10/13/2015

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the abnormal clumping of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain, resulting in the death of brain cells. The discovery that small heat shock proteins prevent uncontrolled protein clumping has opened the possibility of developing drugs that emulate this effect. Now, a new study takes this a step further by revealing how small heat shock proteins interact with beta-amyloid to prevent clumping.

Should Doctors Withhold an Alzheimer's Diagnosis?

10/12/2015

A survey reported in Time Magazine on March 24, 2015 found that, "As few as 36 percent of doctors said they usually told their patients if they had Alzheimer's." The two major reasons given by doctors for withholding an Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis were "fear of causing emotional distress in their patients," and "lack of time and resources to fully explain the diagnosis."

Weight in midlife may affect onset of Alzheimer's

09/01/2015

The study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, found that in cognitively normal adults who later go on to develop Alzheimer's, being overweight in midlife - defined as age 50 - seems to accelerate the onset of the disease.

Are You at Risk for Alzheimer's?

08/25/2015

No one knows for sure whether they will develop Alzheimer's disease or not, but certain factors may increase your risk. A new study has identified nine potentially modifiable risk factors that may contribute to more than 75 percent of all Alzheimer's cases worldwide.

Modern malady may be behind rise in dementia

08/16/2015

Could pollution be to blame for why dementia is killing more people and being diagnosed earlier than ever? That's the theory being floated by researchers involved in a study of patients in 21 countries from 1989 to 2010.

The Inadequate War on Alzheimer's

07/29/2015

The fight against Alzheimer's disease tallied a small victory last week, when two new drugs were found that possibly slow its relentless attack on brain cells. But the search for a cure isn't moving nearly quickly enough.

Type O Blood Protects Against Alzheimer's: Study

06/04/2015

The study, published in the Brain Research Bulletin, indicates people with an “O” blood type have more grey matter in their brain, which helps to protect against diseases such as Alzheimer's, than those with “A,” “B,” or “AB” blood types, Medical Xpress reports.

Worried about Alzheimer's? Ways to reduce your risk

06/02/2015

Alzheimer's disease is the only one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S. that cannot be prevented, treated or even slowed down. The greatest risk factors -- age, genes and family history -- are beyond our control. But that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do to improve your odds against cognitive decline or dementia.

Is It Ordinary Memory Loss, or Alzheimer’s Disease?

05/18/2015

“Early evaluation and identification of people with dementia may help them receive care earlier,” said Dr. Vikas Kotagal, the senior author of the Michigan study. “It can help families make plans for care, help with day-to-day tasks, including medication administration, and watch for future problems that can occur.”

Your Plate May Hold the Key to Alzheimer’s

05/13/2015

Healthy eating can help you stay at an ideal weight and stave off diabetes and heart disease. Now, there’s more and more evidence that a heart-healthy diet is also a brain-healthy diet -- and it may even prevent or slow dementia, which includes Alzheimer's disease.

A game that explores the effects of Alzheimer's Disease

05/11/2015

Developed by Alexander Tarvet, a student studying Game Design & Production Management at Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland, Forget-Me-Knot is designed to raise awareness for those suffering with dementia.

How Congress Can Cure Alzheimer’s

05/11/2015

Why Republicans and Democrats are finally coming around to the idea that it costs less to cure diseases like Alzheimer’s than to treat them.

Studies Show Coffee Fights Heart Disease, Cancer, Alzheimer's

05/11/2015

Many Baby Boomers grew up thinking coffee was a guilty pleasure, and were warned it would stunt their growth, give them the jitters, and cause cancer and miscarriages. But almost every single study has shown coffee — black coffee — to have surprising health benefits in many different areas of health.

Do we all have Alzheimer's completely wrong? This man says yes

05/03/2015

Throughout his career, Duke University neurology professor Allen Roses has challenged what for decades has been the prevailing orthodoxy in Alzheimer’s research: Namely, the “amyloid hypothesis,” which suggests that a protein called beta-amyloid clogs up the brain, killing neurons and causing the dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Could extra sleep improve memory for people with Alzheimer's?

04/26/2015

Numerous studies have associated sleep with improved memory. But can sleep improve memory enough to help patients with Alzheimer's? This is what researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis set out to investigate.

This one hospital stumbled onto a new treatment for Alzheimer's patients

04/22/2015

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's with no cure or treatment to reverse the progression. So medical professionals are constantly seeking ways to improve quality of life for their patients. One new method is a pilot program at the Hebrew Home in New York where family members record video messages to help jog their loved ones' memories. These videos are played for the patients right when they wake up in the morning.

Alzheimer's: A Women's Health Issue

04/07/2015

Two-thirds of the 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease are female. A woman at age 60 is twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's as with breast cancer. Even after factoring in that women on average live longer than men, scientists don't fully understand why this most common form of dementia strikes women more often than men.

How Exercise May Protect Against Alzheimer’s

04/06/2015

In a recent Reddit AMA, neuroscientist Dena Dubal discussed her fascinating research concerning a hormone dubbed Klotho, named for the fate in Greek mythology who spins the thread of life. People who have high levels of this hormone seem to be protected against the symptoms of Alzheimer's, even when postmortem examinations reveal markers of the disease in their brains.

Alzheimer’s warning signs

04/06/2015

For people of a certain age, it’s not uncommon to seize on any forgetfulness as a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. Lose the car keys, forget a name, read a Top 10 list of dementia’s warning signs and the worry begins.

What It's Like To Be Diagnosed With Alzheimer's At Age 59

03/31/2015

Journalist Greg O'Brien was just 59 when he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, the same disease that killed his maternal grandfather and mother. In his memoir, On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer's, O'Brien chronicles what it feels like to slowly lose his memory.

In Alzheimer's mice, memory restored with cancer drug

03/31/2015

Memory and as well as connections between brain cells were restored in mice with a model of Alzheimer's given an experimental cancer drug, Yale School of Medicine researchers reported in the journal Annals of Neurology.

Caring for Alzheimer’s: How Three Couples Cope

03/30/2015

Some 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, a number that is expected to grow steadily, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Some 15 million relatives and friends help with the patients’ care. Primary caregivers change diapers and feed and bathe their husbands and wives, mothers and fathers. They juggle jobs and other family responsibilities, and deal with often exorbitant expenses and difficult end-of-life decisions.

Parsing Ronald Reagan’s Words for Early Signs of Alzheimer’s

03/30/2015

Even before Ronald Reagan became the oldest elected president, his mental state was a political issue. His adversaries often suggested his penchant for contradictory statements, forgetting names and seeming absent-mindedness could be linked to dementia.

New trial to treat Alzheimer's seen as "game changing"

03/24/2015

A4 is an ambitious, international trial in which 60 hospitals are looking for 1,000. Dr. Sperling says they have to be patients who are not yet exhibiting signs of memory loss, but who also have brain scans suggesting they will get Alzheimer's in the future.

A Simple 3-Part Test May Predict Alzheimer’s

03/18/2015

Dementia is a part of aging, but how do doctors separate normal brain decline from the first signs of Alzheimer’s? A new test that any physician can perform in their office may help.

Experimental Alzheimer's drug shows promise

03/18/2015

A clinical trial is now underway to test a new drug that shows promise for slowing the relentless progression of memory loss and mental decline in Alzheimer's patients. The drug is called T-817MA and it's designed to protect nerve cells in the brain.

A Simple 3-Part Test May Predict Alzheimer’s

03/18/2015

Dementia is a part of aging, but how do doctors separate normal brain decline from the first signs of Alzheimer’s? A new test that any physician can perform in their office may help.

100 million fund seeks to cure Alzheimer's, dementia

03/17/2015

Major drugmakers, the British government and a top Alzheimer's research charity are pooling more than $100 million to create a global fund to accelerate efforts to find a treatment or even a cure for the mind-robbing disease within a decade.

How women can wipe out Alzheimer's

03/13/2015

Maria Shriver is a Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer, a six-time New York Times best-selling author and an NBC News special anchor. She is the founder of A Woman's Nation and has been a leading Alzheimer's advocate for more than a decade. She also was an executive producer of the Academy Award-winning film "Still Alice." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

Promising 'natural' Alzheimer's treatment moves toward clinical trials

03/11/2015

A promising new natural treatment for Alzheimer's disease is moving toward clinical trials. This will be a major step forward as there is nothing on the market that slows the progression of Alzheimer's; natural products chemist has patented a botanical compound, withanamides.

A new understanding of Alzheimer’s

02/25/2015

Using the principles of natural selection, Lloyd Demetrius, a researcher in population genetics at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, and Jane Driver, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, have proposed a new model of Alzheimer’s that suggests mitochondria — cellular power plants — might be at the center of the disease.

Solving the Alzheimer's mystery | Part two: The cure?

02/18/2015

Scientists knew families in Colombia were cursed with early Alzheimer's disease. Pharmaceutical companies had made drugs to treat protein buildup in the brain, but drug tests were failing. Then came a new idea.

Solving the Alzheimer's mystery | Part one: The curse

02/15/2015

In Colombia, where families with a genetic mutation are doomed to face Alzheimer's, a $100 million drug trial is under way. The first question is whether the test can change the families' future. The bigger question is what it will mean for the rest of the world.

Catching Alzheimer’s before Memory Slips

02/12/2015

Whereas cholesterol levels measured in a routine blood test can serve as a red flag for heart disease, there’s no simple screen for impending Alzheimer’s. A new Silicon Valley health start-up hopes to change that.

New research in Boston could change fight against Alzheimer's

02/11/2015

The Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center and Boston Medical Center are taking part in several trials and studies, including one that brings significant hope. The Noble Study will test the effects of a drug known as T-817MA.

Protective brain protein reveals gender implications for autism, Alzheimer's research

02/03/2015

Both autism and Alzheimer's disease can have tragic consequences for sufferers and their families. Now a new study may offer insight into the pathology of both autism and Alzheimer's by revealing that different activities of certain proteins in males and females cause gender-specific tendencies toward these diseases. The research may lead to new drugs for potential future therapeutics to treat both illnesses.

Alzheimer's disease researchers pursue early detection

01/04/2015

A decade-long cascade of important discoveries has brought them to what many researchers call the brink of understanding. Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine are in the hunt, with a drug trial launching and efforts to establish a federally funded research center underway.

Biotech Entrepreneur Tony Coles Takes Aim At Parkinson's And Alzheimer's

12/15/2014

A new startup, Yumanity, will be based in Cambridge, Mass., and is built around technologies developed by Susan Lindquist, the former director of the MIT-affiliated Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. Three researchers who worked in Lindquist’s lab will serve as founding scientists for the company, which currently has five employees. Coles says he hopes to scale up to 25.

Brain network vulnerable to Alzheimer's and schizophrenia identified

11/25/2014

New research has emerged that reveals a specific brain network - that is the last to develop and the first to show signs of neurodegeneration - is more vulnerable to unhealthy aging as well as to disorders that emerge in young people, shedding light on conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

Alzheimer’s caregiving pushes many into debt

11/18/2014

Taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease is both emotional and expensive, and a new report from Caring.com shows exactly how much caregivers are affected by the disease.

Alzheimer’s: the Disease Americans Fear Most

11/03/2014

With medical intervention, you can battle cancer and beat it, you can face diabetes and live with daily treatments, you can change your life and defeat heart disease, you can recover from a stroke or a heart attack. Alzheimer’s disease is another story. There is no cure. Alzheimer’s is 100% fatal.

Alzheimer's, Down syndrome link found

10/26/2014

A team at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla has reported an explanation for why people with Down syndrome often develop Alzheimer’s disease.

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