Patricia Inacio, PhD, science writer —

Blood levels of a nerve cell-derived component, known as neurofilament light chain, could be used as a biomarker of disease severity and treatment response in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, a study suggests. The study, ”Association Between Longitudinal Plasma Neurofilament Light and Neurodegeneration in Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease,” was published…

Cognitive training alone — without the use of direct brain stimulation — may significantly benefit adults with mild cognitive impairment, a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, a pilot clinical study reports. The study, “Cognitive Training and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Pilot Trial,”…

While caregiving for people with Alzheimer’s and other disorders has a significant detrimental impact on caregivers’ immune system, the association is weak — less than 1% — and may not carry clinical significance, a new study shows. “We’re not saying that family caregiving can’t be stressful, but there’s a notion…

A Phase 1 trial evaluating Samumed’s investigational compound SM07883 for Alzheimer’s disease has dosed its first participant. The Phase 1 trial (ACTRN12619000327189), taking place in Australia, will assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (the movement of a medicine into, through, and out of the body) of ascending doses…

The investigational therapy azeliragon decreased inflammation and lessened cognitive decline and dementia in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes, compared with a placebo, according to data from a subgroup analysis of the Phase 3 STEADFAST study. The findings were described in the presentation, “Inflammatory Biomarkers, Brain…

United Neuroscience’s vaccine candidate UB-311 was safe and well-tolerated in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease, according to results from a Phase 2a clinical trial. Patients who participated in this trial are now eligible to enroll in a long-term follow-up study that will continue to assess the vaccine’s safety…

Preliminary data from a Phase 2 study suggests that treating early Alzheimer’s disease patients who are positive for herpes simplex virus with an antiviral medicine may help halt their cognitive decline. Hugo Lövheim, MD, PhD, at Umeå University, Sweden, presented the results in a presentation titled “Valz Pilot…

Alzinova‘s ALZ-101 vaccine — designed to target toxic forms of the amyloid beta protein that drive neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease — was well-tolerated in non-human primates and displayed efficacy in a fish model of the disease. A clinical study in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease now is expected to start later…

Neurotrope Bioscience announced that dosing of patients has started in its Phase 2 clinical trial to further evaluate Bryostatin-1, the company’s investigational candidate for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. “Completion of enrollment in our confirmatory Phase 2 trial is an important step toward understanding the transformative…

People with sleep apnea show increased accumulation of tau protein aggregates — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — in brain regions linked to memory and spatial navigation, a study finds. The results will be presented during the 71st Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, May 4–10 in…