• A treatment using insulin may delay Alzheimer’s. A small pilot study has found preliminary evidence that squirting insulin into the nose where it travels to the brain might halt the progression of early Alzheimer’s disease, says a study published Sept 12 in the online edition of the Archives of Neurology. The results are preliminary and must be viewed with caution, but “it is a provocative study,” said Dr. Jason Karlwaish. Read more about the study at: http://www.aarp.org
• Newswise.com offers the following news briefs (with links to the articles) about Alzheimer’s studies (Click on the study title for more information):
It seems that there is no shortage of bad news when it comes to possible treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. A Webinar discussion and a news article in Alzforum now provide a unique perspective from the trenches and, contrary to what’s portrayed in the general media, researchers’ views are cautious but upbeat. —Alzheimer Research Forum Foundation
An in-depth report on Alzforum provides a 360-degree tour of all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease research—from the current state of knowledge about the disease process, to the questions and challenges facing researchers at this point, to prospects for future advances, particularly in the wake of recent treatment failures.
A team of scientists, led by Johns Hopkins researchers, say they may have found a way to predict how quickly patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) will lose cognitive function by looking at ratios of two fatty compounds in their blood. The finding, they say, could provide useful information to families and caregivers, and might also suggest treatment targets for this heartbreaking and incurable neurodegenerative disorder.–Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins Medicine
A marker for Alzheimer’s disease rises and falls in the spinal fluid in a daily pattern that echoes the sleep cycle. The pattern is strongest in healthy young people and reinforces a link between increased Alzheimer’s risk and inadequate sleep that had been discovered in animal models. Archives of Neurology, Online, Washington University in St. Louis
Scientists outline new methods for better understanding links between specific proteins and the risks associated with Alzheimer’s disease in an article co-authored by University of Alabama researchers and published in Science Express
University of Kentucky spinoff company CoPlex Therapeutics has announced a global license with Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals to develop a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. —University of Kentucky
Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School have found that a common cancer protein leads a second, totally different life in normal adult brain cells: It helps regulates memory formation and may be implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.
People who rate their health as poor or fair appear to be significantly more likely to develop dementia later in life, according to a study published in the October 5, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
- New Drug Target for Alzheimer’s, Stroke Is Discovered. A tiny piece of a critical receptor that fuels the brain and without which sentient beings cannot live has been discovered by University at Buffalo scientists as a promising new drug target for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
• The Alzheimer’s Association offers a resource to learn about Current Clinical Trials and Research – CLICK HERE
• Music & Alzheimer’s Disease: The Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute (YMWI) and the MIT Media Laboratory have begun a landmark collaboration to place powerful music-driven interventions in the hands of at-risk elderly. The work aims to create music composition tools that prevent or reduce the progression of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s Disease. Music has long presented an exciting, yet elusive opportunity for Alzheimer’s Disease intervention. Oft-cited anecdotal evidence abounds suggesting that the ability to create and participate in music persists into the latest stages of the disease. “The strategic exploration of creative music expression as a means for preserving cognitive function has widespread potential healthcare ramifications,” noted Barry Bittman, MD. “This exciting collaboration with the YMWI presents a unique opportunity to take research and technology developed at the MIT Media Lab and test it at a significant scale,” says Prof. Tod Machover. “We hope to demonstrate the power and efficacy of these creative music activities, reaching a very wide audience over the coming years.” [Read an interesting article highlighting the role of music in the lives of Alzheimer’s patients at Providence Marianwood: http://www.issaquahpress.com
• New support program in Seattle: The first Alzheimer Café in Seattle made its debut in August. 30 guests filled one of the rooms at Mae’s Phinney Ridge Café after hours and enjoyed an afternoon of conversation, community and of course some delicious desserts. Modeled after a large movement in Europe and only one other established café in the US, the Alzheimer Café is a café for people with memory loss and their care partners providing an outlet for interaction, an opportunity to get out and socialize in a safe environment. No judgment, no expectation…just support, good food and fun! This Alzheimer Café is created and run by the Greenwood Senior Center in Seattle. Call 206-297-0875 for more information.
