Alzheimer's Disease

New research has found daily consumption of blueberries in middle-age could reduce a person’s risk of cognitive decline in their later years. The small trial identified several physiological and cognitive improvements after 12 weeks of blueberry supplements.

Research from MIT has shown how natural cellular cleaning systems are ramped up during cell division, with the newly discovered mechanism potentially offering scientists a "toggle" for treating different kinds of diseases.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new test for Alzheimer’s disease. The test is the first in vitro diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s to be approved for use in the United States measuring amyloid protein levels in spinal fluid.

A specific cellular stress response involving heat shock proteins has been found to reverse the build-up of the toxic proteins linked to dementia. Future research will now look for a way to therapeutically trigger this mechanism.

This idea of a vaccine for Alzheimer's is gaining traction as scientists continue to devise new ways of clearing the brain of toxic proteins. A new study found a corn-derived protein induced an immune response and improved memory in mice with the disease.

A prototype smartphone app has been developed to screen for the very earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The app tracks minute changes in a person’s pupil size, which previous research has shown can indicate pre-clinical neurological disease.

A wide-ranging new study involving almost half a million subjects has provided compelling new insights into what constitutes healthy sleeping habits, suggesting seven hours per night is best for brain health during middle and old age.

Compelling research has homed in on a degenerative mechanism that could explain why symptoms such as apathy are the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. It is possible disrupting this process could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s-related dementia.

By tapping into the unique immune system of alpacas and special nanobodies they produce, scientists have developed a promising technique for tempering chronic inflammation associated with conditions such as arthritis.

A new article has proposed a novel hypothesis for the cause of Alzheimer’s, arguing the disease is caused by a damaged blood-brain barrier allowing fatty molecules to invade the brain and trigger a cascade of events resulting in cognitive decline.

Researchers have reported successful preclinical tests for a nasal spray developed to prevent degeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The treatment was effective at reversing the signs of Alzheimer’s in mice, with human tests two years away.

A study has identified 75 genomic regions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The findings add to a growing hypothesis immune dysfunction drives the disease and also raise the possibility of developing a predictive Alzheimer’s genetic risk test