FRIDAY, Jan. 13, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Social isolation is a substantial risk factor for dementia in older adults, according to a pair of studies that add evidence to past research on this threat. But these new studies offer a potential solution: using technology to encourage older adults to textContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Jan. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Six minutes of high-intensity exercise might prolong the lifespan of a healthy brain, perhaps delaying the start of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, a new, small study suggests. Researchers found that short but intense cycling increased the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophicContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Jan. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a second Alzheimer’s drug, lecanemab, despite reports of rare brain bleeds linked to use of the drug in some patients. However, the FDA pointed to the drug’s benefits, as well. “Alzheimer’s disease immeasurably incapacitatesContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Jan. 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Lecanemab: It’s an experimental medication that’s been shown in trials to slow cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also up for accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with a decision expected by Jan. 6. However, the drug hasContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Dec. 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval process for the controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm was “rife with irregularities,” despite lingering doubts about the power of the pricey medication to slow the disease down, a Congressional report released Thursday claims. Actions the agency tookContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Dec. 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Living in an area with easy access to parks and rivers appears to slow the progression of devastating neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. That’s the conclusion of a new study based on more than a decade and a half tracking diseaseContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Dec. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Researchers are studying whether deep brain stimulation could help people with Alzheimer’s hold on to their memory longer, and now a new finding may help refine the approach. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established treatment for several medical conditions, including epilepsy, Parkinson’sContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Groups of whales, dolphins and porpoises are regularly stranded in shallow waters around the coasts of the United Kingdom. Researchers wanted to understand why, so they studied the brains of 22 toothed whales — or “odontocetes” — that were stranded in Scottish coastalContinue Reading
SATURDAY, Dec. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Those who have dementia can find the holiday season disorienting, but their loved ones can help. “The holiday season can be both joyful and stressful for all of us, especially individuals living with a dementia-related illness,” said Jennifer Reeder, director of educational andContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Dec. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Older adults who harbor more vitamin D in their brains may stay mentally sharper, a new study suggests. Researchers found that when older adults had higher levels of vitamin D in their brain tissue, they tended to perform better on standard tests ofContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Dec. 2, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Dementia patients who suffer from seizures tend to decline faster and die younger, according to a new study that urges caregivers to watch for these sudden brain changes. “Our hope is that controlling seizures by prescribing antiseizure medications to these patients will slowContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The experimental Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab slowed thinking declines among patients suffering the early stages of the disease in a new study, but safety concerns about brain swelling and brain bleeds remain. In the eagerly awaited trial findings, published Tuesday in the New EnglandContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Nov. 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Two people have now died from brain hemorrhages that may be linked to an experimental Alzheimer’s drug, calling into question the medication’s safety. A 65-year-old woman with early-stage Alzheimer’s recently died from a massive brain bleed that some researchers link to lecanemab, anContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Nov. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The genetic abnormality that drives Down syndrome causes the same sort of abnormal brain plaques and protein tangles that are found in Alzheimer’s disease patients, a new study reports. Amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles have long been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, andContinue Reading