A dramatic shift is beginning in the disappointing struggle to find something to slow the damage of the Alzheimer’s disease epidemic: The first U.S. experiments with “brain pacemakers” for Alzheimer’s are getting under way. Scientists are looking beyond drugs to implants in the hunt for much-needed new treatments. The research is in its infancy.
A hormone linked to the human sleep cycle has been identified as a new weapon against Alzheimer’s disease.
A new study has shown that a combination of exercise and a daily intake of melatonin, the natural hormone which causes drowsiness at night, had a positive effect on rodents suffering from the illness.
Amid the generally discouraging news about drugs that can slow or reverse the progress of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study is a faint glimmer of hope: In mice whose brains are clogged with the protein deposits that characterize Alzheimer’s, a drug called bexarotene substantially reversed key signs of dementia and reduced by half the telltale protein deposits of the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) hits hardest among the “younger elderly” ‘people in their 60s and 70s’ who show faster rates of brain tissue loss and cognitive decline as compared to patients 80 years and older, a new study has revealed.The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is advancing age. By age 85, the likelihood of developing the dreaded neurological disorder is roughly 50 per cent.
A once-a-day tablet that harnesses a chemical found in pine cones shows great promise in both preventing and slowing the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.The drug, known as NIC5-15, has been shown in animal studies to be effective in preventing the formation of amyloid plaques. These are believed to coat the brain cells stopping them from working effectively.