BrainBlog

Effects of Delirium Are Found to Linger By PAULA SPAN nytimes.com 29 August 2012 Read the full article

Raising the Ritalin Generation The New York Times By BRONWEN HRUSKA 18 August 2012 Read the full article

Peter Donovick ’61 Uncovers the Mysteries of the Brain By Tiffany Bentley Lafayette (lafayette.edu) 09 August 2012 Read the article

Hippocampal neuron loss is correlated with cognitive deficits in SAMP8 mice. Neurol Sci. 2012 Aug 8; Authors: Li G, Cheng H, Zhang X, Shang X, Xie H, Zhang X, Yu J, Han J Abstract The objective of this study is to examine whether neuron loss occurs in SAMP8 and whether neuron loss is correlated with cognitive deficits of these mice. Neuronal loss is considered as one of the most important pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD). In addition to the early-onset, irreversible, severe deficits of learning and memory, SAMP8 mice show spontaneous age-related neurodegenerative changes and other characteristics seen in AD patients, such as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. However, it is still unknown whether neuron loss occurs in SAMP8 and whether neuron loss is correlated with cognitive deficits of these mice. We employed 8-month-old SAMP8 and SAMR1 mice to investigate the cognitive function and neuron numbers. The behaviors were examined by the grading score of sene...

Trials for Alzheimer’s Drug Halted After Poor Results By KATIE THOMAS The New York Times 06 August 2012 Read full article --- Corporate Press Release: Read the release Commentary from the In The Pipeline blog: In The Pipeline Commentary from Pharmalot : Pharmalot

Critical reading for those interested in Alzheimer's clinical trials: first results from the BAP Phase III program. The link includes additional links to a New York Times article and a company press release. From FierceBiotech : UPDATED: Pfizer, J&J Alzheimer's drug bapineuzumab flunks out in big PhIII July 23, 2012 By John Carroll Read the full article Examine media reports this week for these results and accompanying analysis and commentary. Those who have been following this clinical-trial program should examine the corporate press release for additional details about the other three Phase III trials in this program (which were not part of today's results).

Does pharmacological treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease relieve caregiver burden? Drugs Aging . 2012 Mar 1; 29 (3):167-179 Levy K, Lanctôt KL, Farber SB, Li A, Herrmann N Abstract Caregiving for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with negative outcomes for the caregiver such as depression, anxiety, medical illness, poorer general health and mortality, which further translate into adverse outcomes for the patient. The burden experienced by caregivers of AD patients, both professional and informal, has been found to be positively related to the presence and severity of the patients' neuropsychiatric symptoms, also referred to as the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). As such, management of BPSD may help in alleviating caregiver burden. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature on the effects of pharmacological interventions for BPSD on the burden of AD patient caregivers. A litera...

A report from the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Vancouver: Alzheimer's drug IVIg could halt sufferers' decline Trial involving 16 patients excites scientists by suggesting treatment prevented deterioration of memory and cognitive skills Alexandra Topping and agencies The Guardian Wednesday 18 July 2012 10.21 BST [snip] "A new treatment for Alzheimer's could halt deterioration in people with early symptoms of the disease, a limited human trial has shown. The treatment, called the "most exciting drug in development" by scientists, is currently prescribed to people with immune system problems but could have a significant impact on the quality of life of Alzheimer's sufferers, the trial suggests. "The drug, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), prevented the decline in cognitive skills, memory and the ability to live independently, among patients with mild to moderate symptoms of Alzheimer's. Those who took a...

Lifetime Award goes to memory expert The British Psychological Society 13/07/2012 [snip] "Professor Alan Baddeley FRS CBE from the University of York has received this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the [British Psychoogical] Society’s Research Board." [snip] Read article

Here is a link to the official AAIC Overview document: www.alz.org/aaic/downloads/aaic12_overview.pdf Here is the current schedule of press briefings (Pacific Time) for the conference, as cited on the conference website: Sunday, July 15 7:30 a.m. Gait disturbances and Alzheimer's disease risk/early detection Monday, July 16 7:30 a.m. Irregular sleep patterns affect cognitive function and dementia risk Tuesday, July 17 7:30 a.m. Alzheimer's therapies update Wednesday, July 18 7:30 a.m. AAIC 2012 Developing Topics - including several clinical trials If you are not attending the conference, you might anticipate being able to access media reports on these topics along this schedule, in addition to overall media coverage of the event.

Beginning on the 14th, the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Vancouver. Visit the website for all information: www.alz.org/aaic/ . All eyes and ears will be on clinical trials findings! However, even if you are a student, this is an excellent annual conference to attend and you will find great interactions with others. Enjoy!

In Preventing Alzheimer’s, Mutation May Aid Drug Quest The New York Times By GINA KOLATA 11 July 2012 [snip] Two decades ago, researchers began discovering rare gene mutations that cause Alzheimer’s disease in all who inherit them. Now, they have found the opposite: a mutation that prevents the devastating brain disorder. The protective mutation also is very rare — it is not the reason most people do not develop Alzheimer’s disease. But what intrigues researchers is how it protects the brain. It does the reverse of what the mutations that cause Alzheimer’s do. Those mutations lead to excessive amounts of a normal substance, beta amyloid, in the brain. The protective mutation slows beta amyloid production, so people make much less. [snip] Read the full article

GOOD or BAD responder? Behavioural and neuroanatomical markers of clinical response to donepezil in dementia. Behav Neurol. 2012; 25 (2):61-72 Authors: Bottini G, Berlingeri M, Basilico S, Passoni S, Danelli L, Colombo N, Sberna M, Franceschi M, Sterzi R, Paulesu E Abstract We explored the neuropsychological and neuromorphometrical differences between probable Alzheimer's disease patients showing a good or a bad response to nine months treatment with donepezil. Before treatment, the neuropsychological profile of the two patient groups was perfectly matched. By the ninth month after treatment, the BAD-responders showed a decline of the MMSE score together with a progressive impairment of executive functions. A voxel-based morphometry investigation (VBM), at the time of the second neuropsychological assessment, showed that the BAD-responders had larger grey and white matter atrophies involving the substantia innominata of Meynert bilaterally, the ventral part of caudate nuclei an...

Variability in performance: Identifying early signs of future cognitive impairment. Neuropsychology . 2012 Jul; 26 (4):534-540. Authors: Gamaldo AA, An Y, Allaire JC, Kitner-Triolo MH, Zonderman AB. Abstract Objective: The current study examined whether year-to-year variability in cognitive performance differ between individuals cognitively unimpaired and individuals who subsequently develop dementia. Method: Analyses included a case-control sample of Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA; mean [M] age = 69.90, standard deviation [SD] = 8.92) participants. One hundred and 35 clinically diagnosed demented participants were matched with 135 nondemented participants based on age at initial testing and sex. Cognitive performance was examined using measures of memory, executive function, attention, language, and global mental status performance. Cognitive performance was examined from baseline to 5 years before cognitive impairment (M, assessments = 3.03, SD = 2.80). Results: As...

Here's the International Neuropsychological Society's conference homepage: homepage

Survey shows dim faith in Lilly, Pfizer Alzheimer's drugs Ransdell Pierson | Reuters The Chicago Tribune June 19, 2012 [snip] "Results from the survey of 146 investors were released late on Tuesday by Mark Schoenebaum, a pharmaceutical analyst for the investment research services group. Wall Street is eagerly awaiting results of the trials and expects huge potential sales if either of the medicines proves able to arrest the progression of the memory-robbing disease. "Pfizer and Lilly are expected in the third quarter to disclose the main findings from large studies of their respective medicines, bapineuzumab and solanezumab. Complete data are expected to be presented at medical meetings in the fourth quarter. "The survey responders, on average, gave solanezumab only a 14 percent chance of meeting all the primary goals of its two Phase III studies, compared with an average 21 percent probability for the two big trials of bapineuzumab, Schoenebaum said....

Understanding the relation between subjective complaints and objective performance findings is always a crucial factor in clinical assessment. It is a source of debate by clinicians and researchers and a literature has developed examining the issues that are generated by the relation. Here, an example: Lenehan ME, Klekociuk SZ, Summers MJ. Absence of a relationship between subjective memory complaint and objective memory impairment in mild cognitive impairment (MCI): is it time to abandon subjective memory complaint as an MCI diagnostic criterion? Int Psychogeriatr. 2012 May 1: 1-10. [Epub ahead of print] Abstract Background: Subjective memory complaints are a requirement in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as they are thought to indicate a decline in objective memory performance. However, recent research suggests that the relationship between subjective memory complaint and objective memory impairment is less clear. Thus, it is possible that many people withou...

Boulle F, Kenis G, Cazorla M, Hamon M, Steinbusch HH, Lanfumey L, A van den Hove DL. TrkB inhibition as a therapeutic target for CNS-related disorders. Prog Neurobiol . 2012 Jun 12. [Epub ahead of print] Abstract The interaction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) with its tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B (TrkB) is involved in fundamental cellular processes including neuronal proliferation, differentiation and survival as well as neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. TrkB signaling has been widely associated with beneficial, trophic effects and many commonly used psychotropic drugs aim to increase BDNF levels in the brain. However, it is likely that a prolonged increased TrkB activation is observed in many pathological conditions, which may underlie the development and course of clinical symptoms. Interestingly, genetic and pharmacological studies aiming at decreasing TrkB activation in rodent models mimicking human pathology have demonstrated a promising ...

How Do You Live Knowing You Might Have an Alzheimer’s Gene? By GINA KOLATA The New York Times 07 June 2012 Read the full article

Vaccine which could help delay Alzheimer's by five years passes first test Daily Record (UK) By Mike Swain 09 June 2012 Read the full article Abstract of publication in Lancet Neurology: link here