News

Johns Hopkins researchers looked at brain scans and discovered that lower levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin underlie the mild loss of cognitive functions that usually precede the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. These findings suggest that preventing the loss of serotonin could halt or even prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and…

In the future, doctors may diagnose Alzheimer’s disease by scanning a patient’s eyes — thanks to new evidence that telltale plaques of amyloid-beta are present not only in the brain, but also in the retina. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has developed a method to noninvasively detect amyloid deposits in…

Odor identification tests may help track Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in persons at risk even before the onset of symptoms, a new study shows. The study, “Odor identification as a biomarker of preclinical AD in older adults at risk,” appeared in the journal Neurology. Gradual memory loss is observed…

Vanderbilt University researchers have developed a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that has shown promising results in brain health. The investigative treatment, a molecule called VU319, is expected to fill a long-needed gap for Alzheimer’s patients by improving memory, attention, and brain functioning. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration…

A lack of energy in brain cells called microglia might explain why people with mutations in the TREM2 gene are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to a mouse study that showed exhausted microglia lacked the capacity to confine amyloid plaques. By restoring the energy levels in these cells,…

Consuming alcoholic beverages on a daily or near-daily basis was linked to a cognitively healthy and longer life in older adults in a study by led researchers at the University of California San Diego. Moderate to heavy (but not excessive) drinking was defined as up to three daily alcoholic beverages for women…

A functional brain imaging study led by scientists at the Amen Clinics in Newport Beach, California, has qualified differences between women’s and men’s brains with relevant findings for Alzheimer’s disease research. The study, “Gender-Based Cerebral Perfusion Differences in 46,034 Functional Neuroimaging Scans,” appeared in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Understanding…

A research team from MIT has found a way to reverse memory loss in mice, which may lead to new treatments for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The findings were reported in a study titled “The Transcription Factor Sp3 Cooperates with HDAC2 to Regulate Synaptic Function and Plasticity in Neurons”…

Loyola Medicine will participate in a landmark $100 million study called “Imaging Dementia – Evidence for Amyloid Scanning (IDEAS)” to evaluate the effectiveness of using positron emission tomography (PET) scans to detect Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The IDEAS (NCT02420756)…

The use of antidepressants in patients with Alzheimer’s disease increased their risk of head injuries, a Finnish study recently found. The risk of head injuries in these patients previously had not been studied. Head injuries are often a consequence of falls in older people.