http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Alzheimers-disease-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 04:07:34 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/alcohol-consumption-tied-to-cognitive-decline-and-dementia-in-elderly-101642-1.htm Studies in the elderly have linked excessive alcohol consumption to the cognitive decline and dementia. A review paper by Kim JW et al published in iPsychiatry Investig/i 2012;9:8-16 on the association between alcohol consumption and cognition in the elderly provides an excellent summary of the potential ways in which alcohol may affect cognitive function and the risk of dementia, both adversely and favorably as alcohol may have both a neuro toxic and neuro protective effect, depending on the dose and drinking pattern....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/alcohol-consumption-tied-to-cognitive-decline-and-dementia-in-elderly-101642-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dementia-patients-more-likely-to-be-in-their-homes-at-the-time-of-death-101398-1.htm Researchers from Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University have said that contrary to widespread belief that patients with dementia often move to nursing homes and die there, majority of the patients are living at their own homes at the time of their death. "Transitions in Care for Older Adults With and Without Dementia" appears online in advance of publication in the May 2012 issue of the iJournal of the American Geriatrics Society/i. Most individuals with dementia, even advanced ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dementia-patients-more-likely-to-be-in-their-homes-at-the-time-of-death-101398-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-identify-neurotransmitters-that-lead-to-memory-loss-101212-1.htm The molecular, cellular, and brain circuit mechanisms underlying the process of forgetfulness is poorly understood. Now, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have pinpointed a mechanism that is essential for forming memories in the first place and, as it turns out, is equally essential for eliminating them after memories have formed. "This study focuses on the molecular biology of active forgetting," said Ron Davis, chair of the Scripps Research Department of Neuroscience who led the project....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-identify-neurotransmitters-that-lead-to-memory-loss-101212-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-depression-and-risk-of-vascular-dementia-101021-1.htm Lifelong depression associated with an increased risk of developing vascular dementia, say University of California at San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente researchers. The study, which appears in the current issue of the IArchives of General Psychiatry, /Iis the first to examine whether midlife or late-life depression is more likely to lead to either Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia in the long term. The researchers explain that vascular dementia, the second most common type ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-depression-and-risk-of-vascular-dementia-101021-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/extra-year-in-school-boosts-memory-in-later-life-100947-1.htm Staying on at school for an extra year can significantly boost adults' mental ability well into old age, a new research has revealed. Staying in education longer makes people smarter and results in better memory later in life, it was claimed. But the research, based on an analysis of adults who left school in the 40s, says that extra tuition fails to make people happier. The disclosure comes amid mounting pressure on young people to stay in school, college or on-the-job training for longer....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/extra-year-in-school-boosts-memory-in-later-life-100947-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/computer-use-and-exercise-combo-may-reduce-memory-loss-100820-1.htm Just as your computer has a lot of memory if you keep using your computer you too may stall memory loss. Combining mentally stimulating activities, such as using a computer, with moderate exercise decreases your odds of having memory loss more than computer use or exercise alone, a Mayo Clinic study shows. Previous studies have shown that exercising your body and your mind will help your memory but the new study, published in the May 2012 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, reports a synergistic ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/computer-use-and-exercise-combo-may-reduce-memory-loss-100820-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/active-cognitive-lifestyle-protects-against-dementia-100578-1.htm Having an active cognitive lifestyle by using your brain for active mental work could provide a protective effect through multiple biological pathways against dementia, a new study reveals. For some time researchers have been aware of a link between what we do with our brains and the long term risk for dementia. In general, those who are more mentally active or maintain an active cognitive lifestyle throughout their lives are at lower risk. "The ideas of a 'brain reserve' or 'cognitive reserve' ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/active-cognitive-lifestyle-protects-against-dementia-100578-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/diagnosis-of-ad-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease-dementia-100290-1.htm Previous research has shown that dementia is a frequent complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it is clinically impossible to distinguish PD dementia (PDD). This is because the latter develops from the progression of the Lewy body pathology that underlies PD, from PD with coexistent Alzheimer's disease (PDAD). Both have similar characteristics. A team of scientists has found that PDAD patients have much denser accumulations of amyloid plaques in the striatal area of the brain than PDD patients....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/diagnosis-of-ad-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease-dementia-100290-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-technique-to-predict-dementia-progression-100004-1.htm A novel magnetic resonance imaging technique (MRI) helps predict the rate of progression and physical path of dementia, say researchers. Developed by scientists at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, the technique also supports mounting evidence that dementias spread through the brain along specific neuronal pathways in the same manner as prion diseases. The scientists employed new computer modelling techniques to realistically predict ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-technique-to-predict-dementia-progression-100004-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dementia-cases-expected-to-double-by-2030-100002-1.htm By 2030, the number of people with dementia is expected to almost double to 65.7 million, reveals WHO report. And by 2050 the number of sufferers could be more than three times the current figure of 35.6 million, the UN body said. The report released by WHO and Alzheimer's Disease International estimates the current cost of treating and caring for those with the condition at (Dollor) 604 billion (461 billion euros) a year. Dementia is caused by a variety of brain illnesses that affect memory, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dementia-cases-expected-to-double-by-2030-100002-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-sheds-light-on-age-related-memory-loss-99681-1.htm The Scripps Research Institute scientists reveal that the loss of memory that comes with aging is not necessarily a permanent thing. In a new study published this week in an advance, online edition of the journal iProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences/i, Ron Davis, chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps Florida, and Ayako Tonoki-Yamaguchi, a research associate in Davis's lab, took a close look at memory and memory traces in the brains of both young and old fruit flies....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-sheds-light-on-age-related-memory-loss-99681-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/blood-biomarkers-and-risk-of-alzheimer-disease-link-observed-study-99511-1.htm A meta-analysis of earlier published studies discovered that the ratio of blood plasma amyloid- (and) #946; (A (and) #946;) peptides A (and) #946;42:A (and) #946;40 was notably related to development of Alzheimer disease and dementia, states a report published Online First by IArchives of Neurology, /Ione of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Plasma levels of amyloid- (and) #946; (A (and) #946;) peptides have been a principal focus of the growing literature on blood-based biomarkers, but studies to date have varied in design, assay ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/blood-biomarkers-and-risk-of-alzheimer-disease-link-observed-study-99511-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/bilingualism-could-protect-against-dementia-99492-1.htm Learning more than one language could protect the brain against aging and may delay the onset of dementia, according to a research. A paper published by Cell Press in the March 29th issue of the journal ITrends in Cognitive Sciences/I examines how being bilingual can offer protection from the symptoms of dementia, and also suggests that the increasing diversity in our world populations may have an unexpected positive impact on the resiliency of the adult brain. "Previous studies have ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/bilingualism-could-protect-against-dementia-99492-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/older-patients-taking-antipsychotic-medications-for-dementia-have-modest-heart-attack-risk-99454-1.htm Older patients treated with cholinesterase inhibitors for dementia had a modest and time-limited increased risk of heart attack, says a new research. These are the results of a study published Online First by IArchives of Internal Medicine,/I one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Antipsychotic medications are commonly prescribed for older patients to manage the symptoms of dementia, which can include physical aggression, agitation and hallucinations. For this indication, previous studies ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/older-patients-taking-antipsychotic-medications-for-dementia-have-modest-heart-attack-risk-99454-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/spread-of-dementia-in-computer-simulation-can-forecast-future-disease-patterns-ahead-of-its-occurrence-99209-1.htm A computer program to track the mode in which various forms of dementia spread within a human brain has been developed by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College.They say their mathematic model can be used to predict where and approximately when an individual patient's brain will suffer from the spread, neuron to neuron, of "prion-like" toxic proteins -- a process they say underlies all forms of dementia. Their findings, published in the March 22 issue of INeuron,/I could help patients ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/spread-of-dementia-in-computer-simulation-can-forecast-future-disease-patterns-ahead-of-its-occurrence-99209-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/more-alzheimers-patients-can-get-help-from-usually-used-dementia-drugs-98580-1.htm Dementia drug donepezil (Aricept), broadly used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, can also aid in moderate to severe patients, states report funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Alzheimer's Society. The study suggests that extending treatment to this group could help treat twice as many sufferers worldwide. Encouragingly, the drug has greater positive benefits for patients more severely affected than for those in the earlier stages of dementia. It is estimated ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/more-alzheimers-patients-can-get-help-from-usually-used-dementia-drugs-98580-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/chemical-cosh-drug-raises-death-risk-in-dementia-sufferers-98025-1.htm Dementia patients who are given a "chemical cosh" drug are twice as likely to die compared with those taking other medications, experts have warned. The antipsychotic drug, called haloperidol and also known as serenace, is designed to treat hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia or other mental illnesses. But in thousands of cases the tranquiliser is given to sedate elderly dementia patients to stop them wandering off or becoming confused and anxious, according to mental health campaigners....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/chemical-cosh-drug-raises-death-risk-in-dementia-sufferers-98025-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/antipsychotic-drugs-increase-death-risk-in-elderly-dementia-patients-97910-1.htm A research has found that certain antipsychotic drugs meant for dementia raises death risk in elderly patients over the age of 65. The Harvard Medical School study, the largest ever undertaken among US nursing home residents, looked at 75,445 older nursing home residents from 45 US states between 2001 and 2005. All nursing home residents studied were 65 and over. Risks of mortality were looked at during a six month period. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned in ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/antipsychotic-drugs-increase-death-risk-in-elderly-dementia-patients-97910-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-non-drug-based-dementia-treatments-97621-1.htm There is a need for more research and consistent application of alternative therapies for dementia patients. These therapies may also help reduce the number of antipsychotic drugs prescribed. Research published today (Wednesday 15 February 2012) by a team at the Universities of Hull and Maastricht highlights a pressing need for more comprehensive research into the Government's recommended method of an alternative treatment, known as functional or behavioural analysis. Entitled "Function ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-non-drug-based-dementia-treatments-97621-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-strength-of-hand-grip-and-dementia-explored-97594-1.htm A new study presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meet has linked dementia with the strength of hand grip and walking speed and said that those who walked slowly were 1.5 times more likely to suffer from the mental condition. The study was conducted by researchers from the Boston Medical Centre in United States who observed more than 2,400 men and women with an average age of 62 years. All of the participants underwent tests for hand grip strength and walking speed along with a number of mental tests....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-strength-of-hand-grip-and-dementia-explored-97594-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/sleep-problems-may-affect-your-memory-later-on-97546-1.htm How long and how well you sleep at night may affect your memory later in life, according to a recent research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012. "Disrupted sleep appears to be associated with the build-up of amyloid plaques, a hallmark marker of Alzheimer''s disease, in the brains of people without memory problems," said study author Yo-El Ju, MD, with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/sleep-problems-may-affect-your-memory-later-on-97546-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/cognitive-stimulation-beneficial-in-dementia-97541-1.htm Cognitive stimulation therapies have beneficial effects on memory and thinking in people with dementia, according to a systematic review by Cochrane researchers. Despite concerns that cognitive improvements may not be matched by improvements in quality of life, the review also found positive effects for well-being. There is a general belief that activities that stimulate the mind help to slow its decline in people with dementia. Cognitive stimulation provides people with dementia with activities ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/cognitive-stimulation-beneficial-in-dementia-97541-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/memory-loss-linked-to-overeating-among-elderly-97452-1.htm Consistently overeating may lead to memory loss among the elderly according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. More than 1,200 elderly people between ages of 70 and 89 years took part in the study. The participants were divided into three groups with the first group being given a low calorie diet of less than 1,526 calories a day; the second group followed a middle diet of 1,526 to 2,142.5 calories a day while the third group had a daily calorie intake of 2,142....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/memory-loss-linked-to-overeating-among-elderly-97452-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/elderly-people-without-dementia-also-have-cognitive-problems-97275-1.htm A nationwide twin study by researchers at the Aging Research Center of Karolinska Institutet, Sweden revealed that both subjective and objective cognitive impairment are highly common among non-demented elderly Swedes. These conditions have an overall prevalence of 39 percent and 25 percent respectively. The study confirms higher education as a major protective factor and stresses the importance of environmental aspects over genes in mild cognitive disorders in old age. In the current study, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/elderly-people-without-dementia-also-have-cognitive-problems-97275-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dementia-research-groups-new-findings-97243-1.htm In low and middle-income countries, mild cognitive impairment (a middle stage between normal signs of cognitive aging, such as becoming increasingly forgetful, and dementia, which may or may not progress) is consistently associated with higher disability and with neuropsychiatric symptoms but not with most socio-demographic factors, a large study found and published the findings in this week's iPLoS Medicine/i. The established 10/66 Dementia Research Group interviewed approximately 15 000 ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dementia-research-groups-new-findings-97243-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/decaffeinated-coffee-could-improve-memory-function-97215-1.htm Drinking decaffeinated bicoffee/i/b could help boost bimemory function/i/b, suggests study. According to the researchers of the study, the drink could improve the memory of those suffering from diseases of the brain or age-related forgetfulness, and may even prevent symptoms from appearing in the first place. They tested their theory by giving a dietary supplement with the same properties of decaffeinated coffee to mice with type 2 diabetic mice. The disease lowers ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/decaffeinated-coffee-could-improve-memory-function-97215-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/revamped-criteria-may-reclassify-lots-with-mild-alzheimer-dementia-97202-1.htm According to the revised criteria several patients currently diagnosed with very mild or mild Alzheimer disease dementia could be reclassified as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) states a report published Online First by iArchives of Neurology/i, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association convened a work group to update criteria for MCI, and the revised criteria allow "considerable latitude" as to what represents functional independence, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/revamped-criteria-may-reclassify-lots-with-mild-alzheimer-dementia-97202-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/rapid-memory-loss-linked-to-fatal-strokes-96933-1.htm A strong link exists between severe, rapid memory loss and fatal strokes, reveals research presented presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012. Researchers found that people who died after stroke had more severe memory loss in the years before stroke compared to people who survived stroke or people who didn't have a stroke. "We're most surprised that people who died after strokes had such sharp memory declines years before stroke onset" said ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/rapid-memory-loss-linked-to-fatal-strokes-96933-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Vitamin-B-and-Folic-Acid-Likely-to-Avoid-Memory-Loss-in-Elderly-96168-1.htm Intake of vitamin B12 and folic acid dosage daily for two years perks up both short and long-term memory in pensioners, finds a new study. "Vitamins may have an important role in promoting healthy ageing and mental wellbeing, as well as sustaining good cognitive functioning for longer on a community-wide scale," the Daily Mail quoted Janine Walker as saying in an email. Walker and her team of researchers from the Australian National University asked more than 700 people aged 60 to 74 years ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Vitamin-B-and-Folic-Acid-Likely-to-Avoid-Memory-Loss-in-Elderly-96168-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Hospital-Admissions-More-for-Persons-With-Dementia-95964-1.htm Patients with dementia required more hospital admissions than individuals without dementia, a study found. Compared to individuals without dementia, persons who developed dementia subsequently had a significantly higher rate of hospital admissions for all causes and admissions for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions for which proactive care may have prevented hospitalizations, according to a study in the January 11 issue of IJAMA/I. "Nonelective hospitalization of older people, particularly ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Hospital-Admissions-More-for-Persons-With-Dementia-95964-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Dementia-Patients-Have-Higher-Rate-of-Hospitalizations-95955-1.htm Hospital admission rates are significantly higher for dementia patients, shows study. This suggests opportunities for improving outpatient care of seniors with dementia, according to research in the January 11 IJournal of the American Medical Association/I. "Nonelective hospitalization of older people, particularly those with dementia, is not a trivial event," wrote first author Elizabeth A. Phelan, MD, MS, an associate professor in gerontology and geriatric medicine at the University ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Dementia-Patients-Have-Higher-Rate-of-Hospitalizations-95955-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Nicotine-Patches-may-Help-Improve-Memory-Loss-95954-1.htm Older adults with mild cognitive impairment may benefit from nicotine patches, reveals study published in Neurology. The research in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, included 74 non-smokers with an average age of 76. Half were given a daily nicotine patch for six months, the other half wore a placebo patch. Those on nicotine therapy showed better results on cognitive tests for attention, memory, as well as how fast and consistently they could process information....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Nicotine-Patches-may-Help-Improve-Memory-Loss-95954-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Proves-PETs-Efficacy-in-Detecting-Dementia-95795-1.htm After a decade of research, scientists have finally confirmed that a method of positron emission tomography (PET) safely and accurately detects dementia, including the Alzheimer's disease. Researchers reviewed numerous PET studies to evaluate a molecular imaging technique that combines PET, which provides functional images of biological processes, with an injected biomarker called 18F-FDG to pinpoint key areas of metabolic decline in the brain indicating dementia. Having physiological evidence ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Proves-PETs-Efficacy-in-Detecting-Dementia-95795-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Onset-of-Dementia-Can-Start-As-Early-As-45-Study-95743-1.htm Memory loss and and other brain function can start decline as early as 45 years of age, much earlier than previously thought, according to a research published by the BMJ. Previous research suggests that cognitive decline does not begin before the age of 60, but this view is not universally accepted. Researchers, led by Archana Singh-Manoux from the Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health in France and University College London in the UK, argue that "understanding cognitive ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Onset-of-Dementia-Can-Start-As-Early-As-45-Study-95743-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Link-Between-Fat-Hormone-and-Dementia-Risk-95610-1.htm In women, fat hormone may contribute to increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, says study. AD is the most common form of dementia. According to the authors, the data suggest an association between insulin resistance and inflammation, hallmarks for type 2 diabetes, and development of dementia. "An additional potential factor that may contribute to the onset of AD and all-cause dementia is adiponectin," the authors said. "Adiponectin is a hormone derived from visceral ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Link-Between-Fat-Hormone-and-Dementia-Risk-95610-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Better-Memory-Associated-With-Larger-Posterior-Brain-Hippocampus-95270-1.htm Scientists have revealed that the sizes of the posterior and anterior segments of the hippocampus could predict individual's ability to remember past events. Hippocampus is an important brain structure associated with recollection memory. They found that a larger posterior hippocampus and a smaller anterior hippocampus were associated with better recollection. Although research has generally linked smaller hippocampi with worse recollection in neuropsychological patients and during aging, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Better-Memory-Associated-With-Larger-Posterior-Brain-Hippocampus-95270-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Hospital-Staff-in-UK-Lack-Skills-to-Deal-With-Dementia-Patients-94869-1.htm NHS funded National Audit for Dementia found that most of the hospital staff do not have the skills to cope with challenging dementia patients, who too often receive impersonal care and suffer from boredom.The survey found that several hospitals failed to undertake dementia friendly steps to lessen the distress and confusion which dementia sufferers often feel on being somewhere so unfamiliar, like making signs large and easy to read, using color schemes to help patients find their way around unfamiliar wards....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Hospital-Staff-in-UK-Lack-Skills-to-Deal-With-Dementia-Patients-94869-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Hope-for-Alzheimers-Patients-as-Researchers-Develop-Drug-to-Halt-Memory-Loss-94662-1.htm Researchers at University of Sydney in Australia revealed that they might have developed a drug that could reduce the progression of memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease and are hoping to start testing the drugs on humans in the near future. The researchers revealed that the drug acts by preventing the deterioration of nerve cells containing tau protein, an enzyme that is present in the central nervous system to stabilize microtubules. However the researchers added that the drug can ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Hope-for-Alzheimers-Patients-as-Researchers-Develop-Drug-to-Halt-Memory-Loss-94662-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Depression-Ups-Dementia-Risk-in-Diabetic-Patients-Study-94416-1.htm Depression raises risk of dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes, say University of Washington and Kaiser Permanent researchers. The study, among the first (and largest to date) to examine all-cause dementia in diabetes patients with and without depression, appears on the current online issue of the IArchives of General Psychiatry/I. Patients with type 2 diabetes who also had depression had a doubling in risk of dementia during years 3 to 5 after initial screening, compared ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Depression-Ups-Dementia-Risk-in-Diabetic-Patients-Study-94416-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Puzzles-and-Crosswords-Can-Halt-Dementia-Progression-94252-1.htm A new study has revealed that simple day-to-day activities solving puzzles, gardening, making snacks and singing can go a long way in halting progression of dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term that explains a serious deterioration in mental functions such as memory, language, orientation and judgment. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause. According to the study, patients who regularly boosted their mind and memory skills were able to perform routine, everyday tasks twice as effectively than when they had been on medication....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Puzzles-and-Crosswords-Can-Halt-Dementia-Progression-94252-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Dementia-Progression-Halted-With-Drug-free-MAKS-Therapy-94164-1.htm Dementia has different causes and although its progression can be fast or slow, it is always degenerative. Research confirms MAKS therapy can control the decline. Symptoms of dementia include confusion, loss of memory, and problems with speech and understanding. It can be upsetting for both the affected person and their relatives and carers. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal IBMC Medicine/I shows that a regime of behavioral and mental exercises was able to halt the progression of dementia....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Dementia-Progression-Halted-With-Drug-free-MAKS-Therapy-94164-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/PET-Scan-Helps-Discern-Between-Two-Types-of-Dementia-94148-1.htm PET scan using a PIB marker helps doctors to make a more accurate diagnosis between two common types of dementia - Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), says research. The study is published in the November 30, 2011, online issue of INeurology/I (Regd) , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "These two types of dementia share similar symptoms, so telling the two apart while a person is living is a real challenge, but important so doctors can ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/PET-Scan-Helps-Discern-Between-Two-Types-of-Dementia-94148-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Nasal-Spray-Aids-Early-Detection-of-Alzheimer-93507-1.htm A simple nose examination could reveal whether a patient is likely to develop Alzheimer's disease years before the onset of symptoms, according to Professor Boris Schmidt from the Universitat Darmstadt in Germany.He has developed a nasal spray that uses a dye to detect harmful tau proteins, which kill the brain cells and cause dementia. Scientists are also thinking about delivering the dye in the nasal cavity via tablets. The nasal spray would enable detection of the condition in its early stages ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Nasal-Spray-Aids-Early-Detection-of-Alzheimer-93507-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Diabetes-can-Cause-Memory-Loss-93218-1.htm In older adults, diabetes could result in cognitive impairment, depression, finds study. A team led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC) neurophysiologist Vera Novak, MD, PhD, has identified a key mechanism behind this course of events after five years of study. They found that in older patients with diabetes, two adhesion molecules - sVCAM and sICAM - cause inflammation in the brain, triggering a series of events that affect blood vessels and, eventually, cause brain tissue to atrophy....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Diabetes-can-Cause-Memory-Loss-93218-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/60-Alzheimer-Cases-Go-Undiagnosed-93068-1.htm Almost 60% of Alzheimer cases and other forms of dementia go undiagnosed as 2/3 adults cannot differentiate between normal signs of aging and the symptoms of dementia. Around 1/3 people feel there is no support for victims of dementia. Due to this about 4,00,000 families fail to get vital help from the NHS. The Department of Health has found that against the 6,34,000 victims hardly 2,50,000 dementia patients are registered by GP's.This information has been revealed as part of the government's advertising ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/60-Alzheimer-Cases-Go-Undiagnosed-93068-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Links-Birth-Control-Shot-to-Memory-Loss-92887-1.htm Birth control shot Depo Provera impairs memory, reveals research from Arizona State University. The ASU study connects medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), the hormone active in Depo Provera and many widely used menopausal hormone therapies, to impaired memory in rodents. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration originally approved Depo Provera for use in October 1992. It requires an injection every 12 weeks. Its 99 percent effectiveness and the infrequency of doses make the shot an ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Links-Birth-Control-Shot-to-Memory-Loss-92887-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/People-With-Dementia-More-Likely-to-Have-Significant-Disability-After-Suffering-from-Stroke-92778-1.htm People with dementia who suffer a stroke are more likely to become disabled and not return home compared to people who do not have dementia at the time of suffering from a stroke, says a new study. The study is published in the November 1, 2011, issue of INeurology/IA (Regd) , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our findings represent a growing challenge for the health care system as baby boomers age and their risk of stroke and dementia increases," said lead study ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/People-With-Dementia-More-Likely-to-Have-Significant-Disability-After-Suffering-from-Stroke-92778-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Dementia-Spending-in-Britain-Tops-34-Billion-a-Year-92639-1.htm A new study conducted by researchers at Oxford University revealed that Britain spends over 34 billion a year on the care for patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia. That figure is higher than any of the 15 countries in the European Union apart from Germany. The report said that the health and social care of each patient amounts to 13,000 per year, which is higher than the European average. The report added that majority of Britons opt for expensive care homes which in turn ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Dementia-Spending-in-Britain-Tops-34-Billion-a-Year-92639-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Explores-Use-of-Hypertension-Drugs-to-Treat-Dementia-92169-1.htm A new study explores if certain types of drugs used to treat high blood pressure, also called hypertension, might have beneficial effects in reducing the increasing number of new cases of Alzheimer's disease each year. Within the next 20 years it is expected the number of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) will double from its current figure of half a million to one million. The team of researchers from the University of Bristol have looked at whether drugs already being used to treat hypertension, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Explores-Use-of-Hypertension-Drugs-to-Treat-Dementia-92169-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/People-With-HIV-Dementia-Harbor-Distinct-AIDS-Viruses-in-Cerebrospinal-Fluid-91647-1.htm Research has shown that when the HIV infects the central nervous system, it can lead to the development of a severe neurological disease called HIV-associated dementia (HAD). The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART, has helped reduce HAD. But some studies show that HAART may not offer complete protection from less severe HIV-associated neurological problems, nor might it always help to reverse it. As people live longer with AIDS, their risk of developing neurological problems may increase....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/People-With-HIV-Dementia-Harbor-Distinct-AIDS-Viruses-in-Cerebrospinal-Fluid-91647-1.htm