For a century it has been known that the chronic bacterial infections, namely Treponema pallidum (a form of geral paresis in syphilis), is the most frequent cause of dementia. Alois Alzheimer suggested a century ago that microorganisms may be contributors in the generation of Alzheimer’s disease plaques. A special May issue of the Journal of […] Read more

DHEA is a supplement believed by many to help prevent chronic diseases. It is a hormone that occurs naturally in the human body and serves as a precursor to male and female sex steroid hormones. The peak level of DHEA occurs between 20-30 and then begins a slow decline as we age. By age 70, […] Read more

Researchers have been on a quest to find a vaccine for a Alzheimer’s disease and recent studies suggest that they may be close to a solution and possibly just years away from human testing. William Bowers, associate professor of neurology, microbiology, and immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, believes he and his co-workers have demonstrated a […] Read more

Alzheimer’s disease researchers see the search for the gene responsible for the disease akin to the quest for the Holy Grail. Shirley E. Poduslo, PhD, neuroscientist, Medical College of Georgia Schools of Medicine and Graduate Studies, studied the genetic profile of 2 large Georgia families with high rates of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Poduslo was shocked when […] Read more

Alzheimer’s disease and mad cow disease (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) are similar in that both are thought to be caused by abnormally folded prion proteins in the brain. It is the accumulation of amyloid fibers created by the abnormal prion proteins that is seen as the cause for Alzheimer’s disease. James Shorter, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry […] Read more

Recently there have been reports that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have shown a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Principally, the NSAID drugs naproxen and celecoxib have been cited as improving cognitive function in older adults with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Disease Anti-Inflammatory Prevention Trial (ADAPT) Research Group studied 2,117 individuals, 70 […] Read more

The origins of Alzheimer’s disease is thought to be the result of A-beta peptide (Alzheimer’s peptide) when it clumps together in the brain and forms long fibrils. Whether it is the protein clumps or the fibrils that kill brain neurons is still being debated. Nikolaus Grigorieff, biophysicist, Brandeis University, along with researchers at Leibniz Institut, […] Read more

Men and women differ on their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. French researchers studied nearly 7,000 people over 65 years from the general population of 3 French cities. None of the subjects had dementia, but 4 out of 10 had mild cognitive impairment at the onset of the study. At 2 and 4 years the […] Read more

Why diabetic patients are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease has not been understood. Researchers believe they may have identified the diabetes – Alzheimer’s connection. David R. Schubert, PhD, professor Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, reports that blood vessels in the brain of young diabetic mice are damaged by the interaction of elevated […] Read more

Among nursing home residents the 2 most common medical conditions are dementia and urinary incontinence; often they coexist. The problem is that the drugs used to treat each condition are pharmacological opposites, which can reduce the effectiveness of one or both drugs. Kaycee M. Sink, MD, MAS, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and colleagues, […] Read more