Alice Melão,  —

Cogstate’s digital cognitive testing system Cognigram is now available in the U.S. after Cogstate was notified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that Cognigram met the requirements of a Class II medical device from the agency’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “After more than fifteen years of…

The advances scientists have made in identifying dementia symptoms include the hallmarks of Lewy body dementia, the third most prevalent kind behind Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. Scientists have also discovered biomarkers for diagnosing the disease, including the presence of the protein aggregates known as Lewy bodies that give the condition…

Epileptic-seizure-like activity in a brain region called the hippocampus may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s, according to a case study involving two patients. And an anti-epileptic medicine may be able to slow the disease’s progression, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers said. An additional finding was that seizure-like activity may be difficult to…

A once-weekly transdermal patch delivers the most commonly prescribed treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in a way that is biologically equivalent to taking the medication orally, according to preliminary pilot study results. Corium International conducted the bioequivalence (BE) pilot study on its lead product, Corplex, which delivers donepezil — the same active…

Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals has received $10 million from two pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer and AbbVie, to advance its treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases toward clinical trials. Together with a previous investment from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Aquinnah’s research and development support totals $15 million. “We…

Results from four recent studies confirmed the beneficial clinical effects of Namenda (memantine), an FDA-approved Alzheimer’s therapy, to treat the disease’s behavioral and functional symptoms in people with moderate to severe disease. The studies, sponsored by Allergan, are being presented in poster format at the 2017 annual meeting of the American…

Two therapies — one approved and the other already in clinical testing — were seen in a study in mice to work to reduce brain shrinkage and prevent brain cell death. The therapies block a cellular pathway known to be responsible for neurodegeneration and brain cell death in mice. One of the…

A nationwide case-control study conducted by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland found an association between mental and behavioral disorders and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, this effect was dependent on the time between the first signs of  psychiatric disorders and the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. The study, “Hospital-treated mental…

Concussions can accelerate brain deterioration and cognitive decline in people genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, leading to earlier onset of the disease, according to a study. The findings could shed light on concussions’ impact on neurodegeneration and on Alzheimer’s incidence and development, researchers said. The study, “Mild traumatic brain injury…