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Tag: alzheimer’s disease

  • Julianne Moore: ‘Still Alice’ Star Walks Red Carpet With Family

    Julianne Moore, star of the newly released film Still Alice, walked the red carpet at an event in her honor at the Museum of the Moving Image, flanked by her husband and children. Moore plays a professor in the new film–one who is losing her memory to early Alzheimer’s. Julianne Moore lost nothing during this event, however, instead gaining the gratitude of those privileged to not only meet the actress, but her beautiful family, too.

    Moore was joined on the red carpet on New York City’s Upper East Side on Tuesday by her husband, director Bart Freundlich, as well as son Caleb, who is 17, and daughter Liv, who is 12.

    As anyone in attendance at the event could see, Caleb and Liv’s fair coloring and red tresses are hand-me-downs from Julianne Moore. Both children bear striking resemblances to their mother.

    In addition to posing for pictures on the carpet, Julianne Moore and her family also snuggled together inside—at both the dinner table and around the ballroom, too. One photographer even captured a sweet moment between Liv and her father, where she rested her head on his shoulder.

    Moore was lauded at the event by Ethan Hawke and Sarah Paulson.

    Of course Julianne Moore was asked about her Oscar nomination for Best Actress for Still Alice while at the event. That’s the number one topic on everyone’s mind when they hear her name, after all. Her comments on the topic were humble. Moore also received an Oscar nod for her role in Maps to the Stars.

    “You know what? I think you have to be grateful for everything that comes your way. It’s never a guarantee—you never even know if people are going to see your movie. So the fact that we’ve got this much attention, it’s really incredible,” she said.

    It seems like family life is front and center for Julianne Moore. Many actors claim they can have a career and a family life, too, but don’t always practice what they preach. It was plain to see from the love exuded on behalf of all of Julianne Moore’s family members that it’s the real deal with them.

  • Sharon Osbourne Fears Dying of Alzheimer’s Like Her Dad

    Sharon Osbourne has long had a fear that she is just recently sharing with the media. She is terrified of dying of Alzheimer’s disease, the way her father did. Ozzy Osbourne’s wife lost her father, Don Arden, to the disease back in 2007 at the age of 81.

    “I was terrified because my dad died from Alzheimer’s. It is the most soul-destroying disease. To see someone you love come down with it… it’s wicked, it really is,” Osbourne said during a recent interview. “There is nothing I can do to prevent it, nothing. People say to take cod liver oil and do puzzles and things, but then I look at people diagnosed with dementia.”

    “My father was super active mentally, and take Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan… they were all so active, and that’s what really frightens me,” she added.

    Sharon Osbourne and her husband recently shared with the media that they both underwent genome testing. In doing so they learned that Sharon has two of the four genes that are responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.

    “Ozzy and I had these tests done at a university in England, and the results took three months to come back. They test every single cell, chromosome and gene in your body; it’s like a DNA test but a million times more sophisticated,” a terrified Osbourne shared.

    “The results showed I have two of the four genes that give it to you. They’re not the two major genes, but they’re still there and I have them,” she said.

    Sharon Osbourne is already a cancer warrior. The former X-Factor judge battled colon cancer that spread to her lymph nodes. Two years following her treatment, she founded the Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in L.A. She learned during this recent genome testing that she also has a high risk of developing breast cancer.

    Sharon Osbourne clearly has a lot on her plate–and on her mind–at the moment.

    She takes time to joke, however, about her husband, Ozzy Osbourne. Once known for his life of booze, drugs, and even eating the heads off baby bats–the rocker’s tests came out remarkably clean.

    “So Ozzy had it done and, unbelievably, he came out so clean. He came out allergic to alcohol, coffee and dust. Dust! He is so healthy, it’s ridiculous,” Sharon said.

    At least Sharon Osbourne’s sense of humor is intact. And humor–along with optimism–can be key in surviving any illness. Hopefully Sharon Osbourne never develops Alzheimer’s disease as she fears she will. Between now and them, however, strides could be made toward further slowing down the disease or perhaps one day even curing it.

  • Alzheimer’s Disease Discovery Leads To Nobel Prize

    Alzheimer’s disease studies have had a major breathrough with new information from Monday’s Nobel Prize winners in medicine.

    Their discovery of cells that act as the brain’s gps could have a serious impact on our understanding of how Alzheimer’s disease works, and therefore, how it can best be treated.

    British-American researcher John O’Keefe, co-winner of the 2014 prize with Norwegians May-Britt and Edvard Moser, believes that a better understanding of how these cells degrade is the key to understanding Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia in general.

    “We’re now setting up to do much more high-tech studies where we hope to follow the progression of disease over time,” said O’Keefe.

    He added, “This will give us the first handle as to when and where the disease starts and how we can attack it at a the molecular and cellular level.”

    A major discovery in the foggy science that is Alzheimer’s disease has been long-awaited.

    Millions are affected by Alzheimer’s disease each year, but there has yet to be a solid cure or treatment. Undertanding of the disease is still flailing and development of drugs has seen only one failure after another.

    Could this be the Alzheimer’s disease information that is needed to help complete the puzzle?

    The information garnered from this research won’t have immediate effects, but the basic understanding it provides as to how the disease progresses is seen as vital in the medical community.

    “Understanding how the healthy brain functions, especially areas of the brain crucial to learning and memory, is incredibly important in understanding what changes occur during conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease,” said Doug Brown, director of research and development at Britain’s Alzheimer’s Society.

    Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of Dementia, a condition which affects 44 million people worldwide. That number is expected to jump to 135 million by 2050.

    New information is sorely needed to protect our generation and future generations from Alzheimer’s disease. Hopefully these new discoveries will lead to medical advances soon.

  • New Alzheimer’s Test Promising For Early Detection

    Researchers have found that a simple eye exam could be critical in detecting Alzheimer’s Disease years, if not decades, before memory loss begins.

    Beta amyloids are proteins that look like bright dots and are typically found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients. However, new the new studies have shown that the beta amyloids are also found in the retina of the eye.

    “What makes it unique is that the retina is actually an extension of the brain and so we think that a lot of the pathology that is occurring in the brain may also be occurring in the retina,” said Dr. James Galvin is a neurologist at New York University Langone Medical Center.

    Shaun Frost, an Australian researcher, tested 40 people using a liquid form of curcumin – a natural substance that makes curry yellow. The curcumin sticks to the beta amyloids, making it possible for doctors to see the proteins with a simple eye exam. Frost revealed that he was able to identify 100 percent of the participants who had the disease.

    Because Alzheimer’s currently has no cure, many people have wondered why it is so important to detect it early on. Galvin explained that early detection is vital to treating the disease. “Well, for several reasons. So we have medicines today that treat the symptoms of the disease, so you’d like to be able to pick up the disease as soon as possible, so you can start someone on an available medicine. But more importantly, in order to develop new therapies, we need to be able to identify people at the earliest stages,” Galvin said.

    The full study includes 200 individuals and is expected to be completed later this year. With this test, Frost is confident that they will be able to detect the disease 15-20 years before an official diagnosis.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Blood Test for Alzheimers Getting Closer

    Alzheimer’s disease is one of those ailments that strikes fear throughout society, no matter what your socioeconomic standing. It does this for two simple reasons: There is no defined cause. And there is no known cure.

    Folks suffering from Alzheimer’s disease currently have no way of reversing the disease, no matter how much money they may have to throw at the problem. All that can be done is to help lessen the symptoms. A caregiver will be burdened with the patient at an increasing rate from diagnosis on.

    But now there may be a development on the horizon that can at least help folks plan for how they might handle the disease better. British researchers have developed a blood test that will help predict when at-risk people will develop Alzheimer’s.

    “We want to be able to identify people to enter clinical trials earlier than they currently do and that’s really what we’ve been aiming at,” lead researcher Professor Simon Lovestone said.

    The newly-developed test would help identify proteins in the blood of people with mild cognitive impairment. Presence of these proteins indicates that the patient would develop Alzheimer’s within a year. The test appears to be 87% accurate.

    Back in March, another group in the U.S. embarked on similar work.

    How might knowing that Alzheimer’s is coming one month earlier than usual be a help?

    For starters, that gives the family and patient more time to make decisions and plan for the care of the patient. There are also estate and other decisions that a person might be inclined to make if they catch their disease in an earlier stage.

    There is always the hope that some kind of cure will be found, some breakthrough that will bring sufferers of this disease back to their families. But, in the meantime, early detection is a great aid.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Glen Campbell’s Wife Defends Long-Term Care Decision

    Glen Campbell’s wife of 32 years, Kim Campbell, had to make a really tough decision recently. That was to put her husband, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, into a long term care facility after caring for him since his diagnosis in 2011.

    However, his eldest daughter, Debby, does not approve and wasn’t even informed of the decision. She claims his five older children, who are not Kim’s, found out through news reports that their father had been placed in the facility. Though this resonates closely to the debacle with Casey Kasem, Kim Campbell is actually being very open about the decision she made on her husband’s treatment.

    “It is crushingly sad to see him afflicted with Alzheimer’s but indulging those feelings does not help him,” Campbell wrote in an email defending her decision, adding, “I am his wife and no one wants him home more than me but I must do what is in his best interest.”

    It would be a terribly hard call to make, and Kim Campbell says that she is doing all that she can to make the end of Glen Campbell‘s life as happy as can possibly be for someone living with Alzheimer’s.

    “He has longtime friends here in Nashville who come to play music for him and give him hugs,” Kim Campbell said. “He has activities and therapies to stimulate him and help him experience daily moments of success. His life is filled with love and laughter and he is being cared for round the clock by people who specialize in Alzheimer’s care and happen to adore him.”

    Debby doesn’t agree with his transfer to the long-term facility. Debby lives in Arizona, but insists she comes to visit as much as she can. She also says that she believes that Glen Campbell’s family that lives close to his home in Nashville, Tenn. doesn’t take good care of him.

    Debby is especially close to Glen Campbell, as she made up his band and toured with him on the farewell tour they played after his diagnosis.

    “He does recognize me, and it comes and goes,” Debby Campbell said. “He always knows that I’m a loved one, but whether I’m his daughter or his sister, sometimes he struggles.”

    It’s always sad when someone you love is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the family knows it will be a long, debilitating decline. Hopefully Kim and Debby can reach a truce so that the rest of Glen Campbell’s days can be filled with peace.

    Image Via YouTube

  • Glen Campbell’s Wife, Kim, Defends Her Decision About His Medical Care

    Glen Campbell’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease has become even more debilitating over the past six months.

    According to the Associated Press, the famed “Rhinestone Cowboy” singer, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease back in 2011, now requires full-time professional care for his ailment. Back in April, the Grammy Award-winning country singer’s wife, Kim Campbell, explained that the progression of the disease left her no choice but to place him in a long-term care and treatment facility.

    Her decision has caused quite a stir due to the criticism she has received from his oldest daughter, Debby, who feels her decision is a form of abandonment. Campbell’s daughter recently spoke with Country Weekly about his move to the facility.

    She stated that she heard about his wife’s decision through news reports. She also feels that he is neglected by his family members in Nashville. Needless to say, she was quite displeased with the way things were handled.

    So on Thursday, June 19, Kim released a statement in regards to her decision. She explained that the 78-year-old singer-songwriter’s doctors actually recommended that she discontinue home care. She also stated that she does have his best interest at heart, and the decision was completely selfless.

    “It is crushingly sad to see him afflicted with Alzheimer’s but indulging those feelings does not help him,” Campbell wrote. “I am his wife and no one wants him home more than me but I must do what is in his best interest.”

    Kim explained that she spends quality time with her husband on a daily basis. He also has friends and family who spend a great amount of time with him, as well.

    “He has longtime friends here in Nashville who come to play music for him and give him hugs,” she said. “He has activities and therapies to stimulate him and help him experience daily moments of success. His life is filled with love and laughter and he is being cared for round the clock by people who specialize in Alzheimer’s care and happen to adore him.”

    Image via Glen Campbell, Facebook

  • Glen Campbell Will Never Perform Again

    Glen Campbell Will Never Perform Again

    Kim Woolen, Glen Campbell’s wife, has revealed some shocking news about her husband.

    During a recent interview with PEOPLE, Kim explained that Glen will more than likely never be able to perform again. “He can’t even tune a guitar now. If I tune one and hand it to him he can still play, [but] not like he used to,” Woolen said at the Open Hearts Foundation’s 4th Annual Gala on Saturday.

    The Rhinestone Cowboy singer announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in the summer of 2011. At that point, he was still hopeful that he would be able to continue performing. “I still love making music,” Glen said at the time of his announcement. “And I still love performing for my fans. I’d like to thank them for sticking with me through thick and thin.”

    The couple wanted his fans to be aware of his condition, which is why they chose to reveal his diagnosis. While Glen was hoping to perform, his condition has sadly advanced quickly and has led to him now having to live in a memory-care facility.

    Despite living away from his family, Glen is hardly ever alone. Kim is by his side as much as possible, and tries to help him remember the things he is quickly forgetting. “It’s a very nurturing place … [and] he feels secure there,” Kim said. “I sit with him through his meals … we hug each other and cuddle. I savor every day.”

    The couple has three children together, and they all have tried to remain as optimistic as possible during this trying time. “There’s a lot of sadness,” she admitted, “we just continue to try to make the best of every day and keep a sense of humor.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Glen Campbell: Country Singer Moved To Alzheimer’s Facility

    Glen Campbell, music legend and country singer, was moved to an Alzheimer’s facility last week, according to reports.

    The 77-year-old singer was diagnosed with the disease about three years ago. After the diagnosis, Campbell was still able to release an album entitled Ghost on the Canvas, and he toured the country as a farewell to his fans in 2012. Three of his children joined him for the farewell tour.

    Glen Campbell talks about his Alzheimer’s

    Last spring, tours in New Zealand and Australia were cancelled due to the singer’s deteriorating condition. However, just before the cancellation, Campbell was able to perform in tiptop shape at the Hollywood Bowl. According to Randall Roberts, a music critic, Campbell had “effortless grace” and no one would have known that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s if he didn’t announce it back in 2011.

    According to a family friend, there are no permanent plans for Campbell as of now. “We’ll know more next week,” the friend told the media.

    Aside from being a country singer, Campbell was also a television host and actor. In his years in show business, the Rhinestone Cowboy singer was able to release over 70 albums. He also made history in 1967 by winning a total of four Grammy awards for pop and country categories. Campbell was also nominated for Most Promising Newcomer for his role in the 1969 movie, True Grit. In 2005, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

    Since Campbell’s diagnosis, fans have been showing their concern and support for him and his wife Kim Woolen. They singer decided to go public with his condition, as he did not want his audience to wonder why he would occasionally forget his own song lyrics during his farewell tour.

    Campbell’s farewell tour can be seen in the documentary entitled Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me. The documentary will be debuting at the 2014 Nashville Film Festival on Friday.

    Image via YouTube

  • Alzheimer’s May Be Predicted by Brain Plaques

    According to a new study conducted by Duke Medicine, brain scans using radioactive dye may help to predict an impending development of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as future cognitive decline in otherwise healthy adults.

    In an article published in the online journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers revealed that identification of residue that forms in the brain called silent beta-amyloid plaque could help direct treatment options for patients at risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Lead author P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the neurocognitive disorders program at Duke commented, “Our research found that healthy adults and those with mild memory loss who have a positive scan for these plaques have a much faster rate of decline on memory, language, and reasoning over three years.”

    Information describing how PET scans are conducted:

    Alzheimer’s disease is typically diagnosed based on the patient’s history, history from relatives and an assessment of the patient’s behaviors. The affliction is the most common form of dementia, and is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people worldwide by 2050. There is no cure for the disease, and is progressive, eventually leading to death. While AD is mostly seen in patients over 65 years old, it can manifest in much younger patients. There presently is no cure, and is the most expensive disease in the United States.

    The Duke study comprised 152 adults aged 50 or older, and was intended to discern if positron emission tomography (PET) scans could predict cognitive decline. Radioactive dye called florbetapir (Amyvid) was used during the PET scans, which binds to the beta-amyloid plaques that are indicative of Alzheimer’s. The dye allowed researchers to discern what regions of the brain plaques were forming. The PET scans were then rated as positive or negative.

    Of the participants who had positive scans, 35 percent progressed to full-blown Alzheimer’s, compared to 10 percent who had negative scans. Ninety percent of those with negative scans, who had displayed mild cognitive impairment at the beginning of the study did not progress to Alzheimer’s. The study has revealed the value of PET imaging in identifying patients who aren’t likely to see a progressive cognitive decline.

    Doraiswamy commented, “Having a negative scan could reassure people that they are not likely to be at risk for progression in the near future.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alzheimer’s Disease: Just How Vulnerable Are You?

    Americans are absolutely terrified of Alzheimer’s disease. A survey revealed it to be the illness that when surveyed, most Americans were afraid of developing. This disease is scarier than diabetes, heart disease, or even cancer.

    Why is Alzheimer’s so feared?

    One good reason to be wary of the illness is that there is no cure. Though researchers are working hard to understand the disease and how it attacks the brain, it’s impossible to stop and the damage is irreversible.

    There is also the devastating manner in which it seems to strip a person of their individual identity.

    It causes you to lose precious memories of life experiences and loved ones. In its most advanced stage, Alzheimer’s leaves sufferers without the ability to function on their own.

    The growing concern of many Americans over Alzheimer’s can be blamed on our aging population. It’s projected that as many as 1 in 45 could be diagnosed with the disease at some point in their lives.

    There are certain risk factors that make it more likely that some members of the population will develop Alzheimer’s than others.

    For instance, do you have a parent or sibling that suffers from Alzheimer’s? When one has a close family member that has been diagnosed, it’s possible there is a genetic risk of developing the disease. The mutation behind the increased risk is blamed for about 5% of Alzheimer’s disease cases. A minuscule number, but still a risk factor to consider.

    Past head trauma such as a severe concussion can also raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. This is one reason why so many NFL athletes and their families have filed lawsuits, as they were unaware of the risks that such a sport played in the development of dementia-type illnesses.

    While there are risk factors that make you more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, there are also ways that you can potentially lower your risk of developing it.

    Constant mental stimulation seems to be the most recommended method of protection against the disease.

    This includes reading, regularly solving puzzles like crosswords or Sudoku, taking up learning a musical instrument, or taking the time to get out of the house and regularly socialize.

    The key is to keep yourself mentally stimulated and your brain constantly being tested and challenged.

    There is no known reason why constant mental stimulation helps stave off the risks of Alzheimer’s disease. One theory is that your brain develops cell to cell connections that can protect you from the impact of Alzheimer-related changes.

    Alzheimer’s disease is scary, but it’s still wise to spend time educating yourself about the signs and symptoms. Also take the time to do what you can to become more mentally active and engaged. Such efforts can protect you in the long run.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alzheimer’s Disease: Blood Test Foretells Illness

    Medical researchers have designed an experimental blood test that can predict Alzheimer’s disease before it fully develops.

    The disease was detected through plasma phospholipids, which researchers said was more convenient in comparison to costly methods like spinal taps or PET scans.

    “They decided to start with fats, since it was the easiest and least expensive,” according to a report by CNN. “They drew blood from hundreds of healthy people over age 70 living near Rochester, New York, and Irvine, California. Five years later, 28 of the seniors had developed Alzheimer’s disease or the mild cognitive problems that usually precede it.”

    Researchers discovered that compared to healthy seniors, the group had low levels of 10 lipids. This same scenario also matched 54 other seniors who were known to have the disease.

    The results were astonishing, especially since the blood test was 90 percent accurate. It also revealed that the Alzheimer’s process starts earlier than expected, causing a person to lose lipids as they lose brain cells.

    Neuropsychologists at the University of Rochester Medical Center plan to take the experiment even further and test people younger than 70. Doctors say that this would definitely keep them two-steps ahead of the game, and therefore, could be beneficial in treating the disease ahead of time.

    But, is it beneficial for a person to know that someday they will be completely memory impaired?

    Knowing what the future holds would be a “very personal decision” for the patient says Dr. Howard Federoff, who is the senior author of the report and a neurologist at Georgetown University Medical Center.

    According to NPR, a University of Pennsylvania professor believes that awareness of the disease could have conflicting effects on a person’s life.

    “Knowing their risk of developing cognitive impairment is very relevant to making plans around retirement and where they live,” said Dr. Jason Karlawish, a professor of medicine and health policy at the university.

    However, he was later quoted: “How will other people interact with you if they learn that you have this information? And how will you think about your own brain and your sort of sense of self?”

    Federoff suggested that counseling would be best for someone who decides to take this route, but that the decision should be carefully considered.

    Image via YouTube

  • Alzheimer’s Disease Could be Detected by Blood Test

    Globally, 44 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, with 4.7 million of those living here in the United States. By 2050, that number will increase to nearly 14 million in the US and 115 million worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. As it currently stands, Alzheimer’s may be the third leading cause of death in the United States, trailing only heart disease and cancer.

    All of the before-mentioned statistics are reasons why the most recent news from the medical community concerning Alzheimer’s disease can prove to be a groundbreaking game-changer.

    In a recent report published online on March 9 by Nature Medicine , scientists may have devised a way to detect Alzheimer’s disease through a simple blood test, potentially altering the life-threatening impact of the disease in the somewhat near future.

    The research was conducted on 525 healthy people age 70 and older near Rochester, New York. To determine whether or not these patients would develop Alzheimer’s, doctors drew blood samples and tested the presence of different fats (this being the simplest and cheapest test to complete). The results were astonishing.

    Five years after the initial blood sample was taken, 28 of the seniors developed symptoms of Alzheimer’s. When scientist compared the blood samples from these 28 people to their previous blood samples, one key difference was noted – The affected seniors displayed lower levels of 10 particular lipids commonly found in the bloodstream.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhqTLOnzHYw

    While the study shows much promise, it will not be mass-marketed until it can be tested and verified by many other labs to ensure causation.

    “The preliminary findings of this study underscore the dire need for increased funding for Alzheimer’s disease research. There are breakthroughs, like this, on the horizon, and we need to ensure that those working so hard to develop them have the financial resources they need to bring them to fruition,” stated Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., the executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

    With any new medical breakthrough comes impending ethical issues, however. Dr. Jason Karlawish, a professor of medicine, medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, believes the knowledge which can be derived from such a test will be hard for certain individuals to handle: “How will other people interact with you if they learn that you have this information? And how will you think about your own brain and your sort of sense of self?”

    On the other-hand, Mark Mapstone, co-author of the study, finds that such information could prove critical to future life-planning:

    “In my experience, the majority of people are very interested to know whether they will get Alzheimer’s. They believe that knowledge is power – particularly when it comes to your own health. We may not have any therapy yet but there are things we can do – we can get our financial and legal affairs in order, plan for future care, and inform family members.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ben Affleck and Seth Rogen Visit Washington, D.C.

    Actor Ben Affleck took a trip to Washington, D.C. to discuss the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Affleck spoke before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on behalf of the region. The Argo actor and director was accompanied by Russell Feingold, the U.S. special envoy for the Congo; Roger Meece, former U.S. ambassador to Congo; and Dr. Raymond Gilpin, the National Defense University’s academic dean.

    Senator John Kerry was one of the many who was scheduled to meet Affleck. He was so impressed that he even tweeted at the Oscar-winning actor.

    Affleck founded the Eastern Congo Initiative nearly four years ago.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyPF-9PsCFk

    And it turns out, Afleck wasn’t the only star visiting D.C. today.

    Funny man Seth Rogen testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the economics and current state of research of Alzheimer’s disease treatment and prevention.

    Rogen and wife Lauren Miller founded Hilarity for Charity to help raise awareness about the disease.

    Miller’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 55.

    Image Via YouTube

  • Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Research May Yield Cures

    A new research project valued at roughly $230 million may yield the answers for curing Alzheimer’s, diabetes, lupus, and arthritis.

    Eight of the largest U.S. pharmaceutical companies are collaborating on the project with the National Institute of Health and the U.S. government to conduct extensive research on Alzheimer’s patients.

    Pfizer Inc., Eli Lilly & Co., Merck, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, Abbvie Inc., Biogen Idec Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., GlaxoSmithKline, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. are all participating in the joint effort, dividing the $230 million project costs evenly between themselves and the NIH.

    Upon the estimate that Alzheimer’s victims will triple in numbers by 2015, the U.S. government decided to try and eradicate the crippling illness once and for all. The treatments for – and costs incurred from – the debilitating disease cost the country billions of dollars each year, currently affecting more than 5 million people in the U.S.

    All research for determining an Alzheimer’s cure conducted previously has proven fruitless. Scientists at the top drug companies say that technology and science have not advanced far enough yet for a cure to be feasible. In the last two years, alone, two of the nation’s top companies each lost a substantial amount of funds from unsuccessful ventures into potential treatments for curing the disease.

    Now, the evidence pointing to a possible solution for ending Alzheimer’s has become available, with researchers being able to pinpoint common “biomarkers” in tissue samples taken from Alzheimer’s patients, the keys to finding possible drug targets.

    The NIH says that this first round of research – on Alzheimer’s – is expected to last about three to five years; should it end successfully, there is a very good chance that lupus, diabetes, and arthritis will also be explored.

    However, new advancements in diabetes research has potentially slowed the severe need for studies to be conducted on diabetic patients to attempt to find a cure.

    An associate professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University, Ed Damiano, has joined together with Harvard Medical School assistant professor, Dr. Steven Russell, to develop a bionic pancreas that allows diabetics to live normal lives. The pancreas, which has been tested in groups of both adults and children, has been a success in regulating blood sugar levels without the patient having to inject insulin and keep a constant check on their own levels.

    The “pancreas” has now been developed into something as small as a playing card, according to USA TODAY, checking and regulating blood sugar on its own through a continuous glucose monitor.

    The monitor, which was first controlled by a laptop, is now controlled through an app on the iPhone, which is alerted when blood sugar levels need to be adjusted. The app then signals to the monitor that it needs to calculate how much of the blood sugar-regulating hormones, insulin and glucagon, the patient needs. The pancreas then releases the hormone on it’s own, after being given the necessary amount(s) needed by the monitor.

    Type 1 diabetic Scott Scolnick, who participated in the trials, says that the device has “changed his life,” proving that no matter what or when he eats, his blood sugar will remain at a safe and healthy level.

    Says Scolnick, “It’s been the most freeing experience I ever had in my life.”

    Damiano, whose son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he almost a year old, vowed to his child that by the time his son left for college, his dad would have created a bionic pancreas. Damiano’s son, now a teenager, is about four years away from leaving for college. Damiano says that a promise is a promise, and that his vow to his son is one in which he intends to keep.

    Damiano and Russell hope to have the pancreas approved by the FDA by 2017.

    Main image courtesy @WSJ via Twitter.

  • New Study Focuses on Blood Vessels For Alzheimer’s Treatment

    New Study Focuses on Blood Vessels For Alzheimer’s Treatment

    Researchers this week revealed new research showing that blood vessels in the brain may be associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The new study has shown that specific brain blood vessel cells could prove useful for the diagnoses and/or treatment of the disease.

    The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, looked at the connection between Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Where Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in humans, vascular dementia is the second leading cause of the condition. Alzheimer’s is characterized by a build-up of beta-amyloid plaques but many Alzheimer’s patients also exhibit signs of vascular disease, suggesting that Alzheimer’s may be connected somehow to blood vessel degeneration.

    By studying the brain blood vessels of mice, researchers have come closer to understanding how blood vessel health could contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. The study’s authors cross-bred mice to show that blood vessel cells called pericytes could play a major role in the development of Alzheimer’s. Pericytes act as gatekeepers to the blood-brain barrier and the new research suggests that lower levels of pericytes could bean beta-amyloid plaques are cleared from the brain at a slower rate.

    “Our results suggest that damage to the vascular system may be a critical step in the development of full-blown Alzheimer’s disease pathology,” said Dr. Berislav Zlokovic, a co-author of the study and director of the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at the University of Southern California.

    The study’s authors believe their results show how decreased levels of pericytes caused by blood vessel damage could be instrumental in Alzheimer’s disease. As plaques form in the brain they could further harm blood vessels, causing pericytes to further decrease and hastening along progression of Alzheimer’s. Zlokovic and his colleagues believe this means the blood-brain barrier should be considered as a target for Alzheimer’s treatment.

  • New Study: Our Brains Need Sleep To Clean Themselves

    NPR reports that a new study from University of Rochester researchers may explain not only why we so desperately need sleep, but also the role sleep plays in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.

    A study of mouse brains that were asleep showed that cerebrospinal fluid flows to the brain quite rapidly while mammals are asleep, and the team speculated that the fluid is cleaning out the brain much like washing dirt off a plate. “It’s like a dishwasher,” said Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, one of the study’s authors and a neurosurgery professor at the University of Rochester.

    If the fluid performs the same function in humans that it appears to serve in mice, then human brain cells shrink when we go to sleep, making the fluid easier to circulate. When the mouse woke up, the brain cells enlarged and the fluid’s flow slowed to a crawl. “It’s almost like opening and closing a faucet. It’s that dramatic,” Dr. Nedergaard added.

    The research team had previously discovered the cerebrospinal fluid was carrying away waste that gets built up in the cracks between brain cells. Those waste products are toxic to our brains, and if one fails to get a good night’s sleep, leftover “brain gunk” might explain the morning sluggishness. The researchers also believe the finding explains how lack of sleep can be lethal.

    This “brain cleaning process” doesn’t happen all the time because, like a dishwasher, it probably requires a lot of energy. “It’s probably not possible for the brain to both clean itself and at the same time [be] aware of the surroundings and talk and move and so on,” Dr. Nedergaard said about how the process worked.

    It should be noted that the process has not yet been directly observed in humans; even still, Nedergaard thinks that the buildup of plaque in our brains being cleaned by our spine is far from coincidence. “Isn’t it interesting that Alzheimer’s and all other diseases associated with dementia, they are linked to sleep disorders?” she mused.

    The BBC noted several experts’ comments on the study. Dr. Neil Stanley, an independent sleep expert, said of the study’s implications that “There is good data on memory and learning, the psychological reason for sleep. But this is the actual physical and chemical reason for sleep, something is happening which is important.”

    If you want to check out a YouTube explanation of the findings directly from the study’s authors, this particular video should be interesting:

    [Image via this History Channel documentary about the brain on YouTube]

  • Alzheimer’s: A Discovery of Two New Gene Mutations

    A research team from the Massachusetts General Hospital have discovered two gene mutations that could cause late onset Alzheimer’s disease in humans. The good news, according to the researchers, this can help in the prevention and treatment of the disease.

    The two mutations the researchers found in the ADAM10 gene, showed an increase in producing the beta-amyloid protein. The beta-amyloid protein is founded in people who suffer from Alzheimer’s. The mutations also stop the creation of new nerve related cells in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is critical as it main purpose is to help with the brain’s function to learn and retain memory.

    “This is the first report to document, in animal models, new [disease-causing] gene mutations for Alzheimer’s since the reports of the original four genes in the 1990’s.” , study senior author Rudolph Tanzi, director of the genetics and aging unit the Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, said at the hospital news release.

    “What we found regarding the many effects of these two rare mutations in ADAM10 strongly suggests that diminished activity of this enzyme can cause [Alzheimer’s disease], and these findings support ADAM10 as a promising therapeutic target for both treatment and prevention.” he said.

    Similar findings from animal models does not mean it will be founded in humans, but it is a potential help in the fight against Alzheimer’s. The disease, founded by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906, is a form of dementia found in older adults, usually over the age of 60. The importance of these finding is that there has not been a reasonable cure or prevention of this condition. The hope is that with these new findings, researchers can continue to find new solutions to prevent a disease that affects millions worldwide.

    Image via Wiki

  • Scientists: We’ve Found a Protein that Guards Memory

    A report posted last week via Healthday News on WebMD should sound reassuring to all the baby boomers out there (and everyone else, for that matter): age-related memory loss has been linked to a single protein, and replenishing that protein could reduce moments of forgetfulness.

    A team of researchers from Columbia University found that the protein RbAp48, which is present in the hippocampus, becomes deficient in our brains as we age. The loss of this protein appears to be contributing to memory loss. The study was published in the online journal Science Translational Magazine.

    One of the study’s authors, Dr. Scott Small, said that the findings should relieve people, as they indicate that “senior moments” are bad indicators of one’s tendency for dementia, and that the new study “provides compelling evidence that age-related memory loss is a syndrome in its own right, apart from Alzheimer’s.” Small is also director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Columbia.

    The study involved the analysis of eight deceased brains from people of a variety of ages (33-88), of whom the common denominator was they died absent brain disease. The levels of RbAp48 were found to slowly decrease as all humans aged.

    In order to confirm their findings, the researchers examined the brains of mice, and discovered that mouse brains also see a decrease in RbAp48 levels, and that when younger mice had their levels artificially reduced, they were just as forgetful as old ones. When the RbAp48 levels returned to normal, the young mice’s memory was also restored. The test was also performed on older mice, who performed just as well as the younger mice when their RbAp48 levels were artificially increased.

    Dr. Nupur Ghoshal, who assistant-teaches neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said that “This is really the first evidence of a molecule someone can focus in on. Now we have a pathway we can learn a lot more about, and somewhere within that pathway may be a target for intervention.”

    [Image via a Stanford University Youtube about memory formation]

  • Copper May Play Role in Alzheimer’s Disease

    A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is causing debate among scientists on the connections between copper intake in the diet and Alzheimer’s Disease. The study, conducted on mice, showed that a large amount of copper permitted a dementia-causing protein associated with Alzheimer’s to take hold.

    The research team hails from the University of Rochester in New York, and their findings showed that mice that drank water with a high copper content had a large build-up of copper in the brain, and that the blood-brain barrier’s ability to filter out beta amyloid proteins was all but destroyed.

    The lead researcher, Dr. Rashid Deane, was quoted by the BBC as saying it’s “clear that, over time, copper’s cumulative effect is to impair the systems by which amyloid beta is removed from the brain.” Even stil, extra beta amyloid protein was being produced as a result of the extra copper, and that led to “a double whammy of increased production and decreased clearance of amyloid protein.”

    While Dr. Deane notes copper’s importance as an ion and would recommend not taking supplements, other scientist are less certain. A professor of bioinorganic chemistry at Keele University, Chris Exley, says that copper’s role in Alzheimer’s is by no means certain, and that “no true consensus” has been reached. His own research findings completely dispute the recent Rochester study, and he has said that “In our most recent work we found evidence of lower total brain copper with ageing and Alzheimer’s. We also found that lower brain copper correlated with higher deposition of beta amyloid in brain tissue.”

    Other doctors seem disposed to agree with Exley. Dr. Eric Karran from Alzheimer’s Research UK said that “the results will need replicating in further studies [and] it is too early to know how normal exposure to copper could be influencing the development or progression of Alzheimer’s in people,” while Dr. Doug Brown concurred: “More research is needed to understand the role that copper might play in the brain.”

    The L.A. Times quotes Deane himself as saying that “The key will be striking the right balance between too much and too little copper consumption,” Deane said. “Right now, we cannot say what the right level will be. But diet may one day play an important role in regulating this process.”

  • Breastfeeding Linked to Reduced Alzheimer’s Risk

    Though there are many medical reasons why breastfeeding is widely recommended, researchers at the University of Cambridge have made an unlikely connection through a new study.

    The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that breastfeeding could be linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers interviewed 81 British women between ages 70 and 100, some of whom had Alzheimer’s. They found a “highly significant and consistent correlation” between the women who breast fed and their risk of Alzheimer’s.

    In addition, the study found a longer breastfeeding history was linked to lowered risk for Alzheimer’s. Women who had a high ratio of pregnancy time to breastfeeding time, however, were found to have a higher Alzheimer’s risk. The link between Alzheimer’s risk and breastfeeding was found to be “far less pronounced” for women with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease.

    Though the cause of the link was not determined by the study, it’s authors have floated multiple theories for why it apparently exists. One involves the hormone progesterone, which has been linked to a desensitization of the brain’s estrogen receptors. The hormone is produced in high amounts during pregnancy, but is reduced by breastfeeding. Another theory is that breastfeeding restores insulin sensitivity that is reduced by pregnancy, increasing glucose tolerance.

    “Alzheimer’s is the world’s most common cognitive disorder and it already affects 35.6 million people,” said Molly Fox, lead author of the study and a professor of biological anthropology at Cambridge. “In the future, we expect it to spread most in low and middle-income countries. So it is vital that we develop low-cost, large-scale strategies to protect people against this devastating disease.”