“Identifying those at risk for Alzheimer’s and developing new treatments for nervous system disorders is a social imperative,” said Sam Sisodia, PhD, of the University of Chicago, an expert on the cellular biology of proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. “These studies are evidence that we’re making real progress to overcome this tragic epidemic.”
New Ways to Detect and Treat Alzheimer's Disease
Specific brain changes suggest new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets
New animal research also shows a novel approach to Alzheimer’s vaccine design that may avoid dangerous side effects. These new results were reported at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world’s largest source of emerging news on brain science and health.
About 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. With the aging baby boomer population, Alzheimer’s will continue to affect more people worldwide. Better diagnostic techniques may help identify the disease at earlier, potentially more treatable stages.
Today’s new findings show that:
• People with Alzheimer’s disease show structural changes in the caudate nucleus, a brain structure typically associated with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, suggesting that the disease produces broader damage in the brain than previously thought (Sarah Madsen,).
• People at risk for Alzheimer’s disease exhibit a structural change in portions of the cerebral cortex, which is largely responsible for reasoning, memory and other “higher function” tasks. The findings may help identify those who would most benefit from early intervention (Sarah George).
• A new vaccine, which was tested in mice, could protect against memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease without potentially dangerous side effects. The vaccine targeted a non-human protein that may make it a safer alternative to previous vaccine approaches that caused inflammation in human clinical trials (Charles Glabe).
• Too many small aggregates of a protein called tau in the brain can directly interfere with memory, according to new animal research. The findings are important because they suggest that tau may be a good target for developing therapies against Alzheimer’s and related diseases (Ottavio Arancio).
“Identifying those at risk for Alzheimer’s and developing new treatments for nervous system disorders is a social imperative,” said press conference moderator Sam Sisodia, PhD, of the University of Chicago, an expert on the cellular biology of proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. “These studies are evidence that we’re making real progress to overcome this tragic epidemic.”
This research was supported by national funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, as well as private and philanthropic organizations.
Insight and Advice
- 60 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
- About the Alzheimer's Reading Room
- Alzheimer's Disease and the Five Stages of Grief
- What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia?
- Alzheimer's CareGiving -- Insight and Advice
- Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
- Communicating in Alzheimer's World
- Worried About Alzheimer's Disease -- You Should Be
- What is Alzheimer's? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?
- Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
- Alzheimer's Disease Statistics
- Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
- Ten Symptoms of Early Stage Alzheimer's
- Ten Tips for Communicating with an Alzheimer’s Patient
 The Alzheimer's Action Plan |  300 Tips for Making Life Easier |
Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room
