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Another study using a different strain of genetically engineered mice has confirmed the finding that the transplant drug rapamycin prevented cognitive impairment.

A few months ago, I reported on an exciting finding that

The American Academy of Neurology has updated its guidelines on when people with dementia should stop driving. The guidelines support caregivers’ instincts, but not use of the patient’s own self-rating.

The American Academy of Neurology has updated its guidelines on when people with dementia should stop driving.

Another gene has been identified that appears to increase risk of Alzheimer’s. The gene is involved in influencing the body's levels of homocysteine (high levels are known to be a strong risk factor), and have also been implicated in coronary artery disease.

Another gene has been identified that appears to increase risk of Alzheimer’s. The gene, MTHFD1L, is located on chromosome six.

The Phase II clinical trial of a treatment using naturally occurring antibodies has been successful in slowing (and in some cases preventing) the progression of the disease in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's. A much larger trial is now being carried out.

The Phase II clinical trial of a treatment using naturally occurring antibodies (IGIV) has achieved significantly lower rates of ventricular enlargement (6.7% vs 12.7% per year) and less whole-brain atrophy (1.6% vs 2.2% per year) than control subjects who initially received placebo.

  • Previous research has found that unexplained weight loss is an early sign of Alzheimer's. Now a new study has revealed that it is not the overall weight or fat levels that are important, but the loss of lean mass (weight of an individual's bones, muscles and organs without body fat).

Previous research has found that unexplained weight loss is an early sign of Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's mice significantly benefited from taking a drug used to treat hypertension.

Two mouse experiments have found that the drug carvedilol, prescribed for the treatment of hypertension, significantly improved synaptic transmission i

A study finds poor learning plus depression or slow processing speed predicts the development of amnestic mild cognitive impairment for seniors.

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment often leads to Alzheimer's disease, but what predicts aMCI?

A pilot study found daily apple juice improved behavioral and psychotic symptoms in those with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s.

A pilot study involving 21 institutionalized individuals with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s found that, although drinking two 4-oz glasses of apple juice daily for a month produced no change in the Dementia Rating Scale or in the Activities of Daily Living measure, there was a significant (27%)

A pilot study found two weeks of daily repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to the prefrontal lobes improved speech comprehension in those with moderate Alzheimer's.

A pilot study involving 10 patients with moderate Alzheimer's disease, of whom half were randomly assigned to the treatment, has found that two weeks of receiving daily (25 minute) periods of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to the prefrontal

The most common type of Alzheimer's drugs (cholinesterase inhibitors) was associated with improved attention and driving skills in those with early stage Alzheimer's.

A study involving outpatients with early stage Alzheimer’s found that their performance on some computerized tests of executive function and visual attention, including a simulated driving task, improved significantly after three months of taking

The damage lead exposure does to brains, especially young ones, is well-established, but new research tells us how it works.

We know that lead damages the brain, and that it does so by somehow affecting the release of neurotransmitters at synapses (the process by which neurons pass messages on). Now a new study explains exactly what lead does.

New technology shows that the structure of the mammalian brain is not as special as we thought it was -- an area of the chicken brain shows the same structure.

For a long time, it has been assumed that mammals have different (better!) brains than other animals — partly because of the highly convoluted neocortex.

A monkey study reveals that, although some neurons are specialized to recognize specific concepts, most are more generalized and these are usually better at categorizing objects.

Previous research has found that individual neurons can become tuned to specific concepts or categories. We can have "cat" neurons, and "car" neurons, and even an “Angelina Jolie” neuron.

Being reminded of multicultural experiences helps you become more creative in solving problems.

Three experiments involving students who had lived abroad and those who hadn't found that those who had experienced a different culture demonstrated greater creativity — but only when they first recalled a multicultural learning experience from their life abroad.

  • A finding that navigational and spatial neurons are already tuned in newborn rats lends weight to the theory that a pre-wired spatial framework may provide a conceptual framework for experience in humans.

A rat study reveals that, for rats at least, an understanding of place and a sense of direction appears within two weeks of being born, seemingly independently of any experience of the world.

Signers reveal that more complex language helps you find a hidden object, providing more support for the theory that language shapes how we think and perceive.

Because Nicaraguan Sign Language is only about 35 years old, and still evolving rapidly, the language used by the younger generation is more complex than that used by the older generation. This enables researchers to compare the effects of language ability on other abilities.

New research reveals that understanding spoken speech relies on sound changes, making "low" vowels most important and "stop" consonants least important.

As I get older, the question of how we perceive speech becomes more interesting (people don’t talk as clearly as they used to!).

Why are women better at recognizing faces? Apparently it has to do with using both sides of your brain, and homosexual men tend to do it too.

Why do women tend to be better than men at recognizing faces?

A study of sight-reading ability in pianists confirms the importance of many hours of practice, but also suggests that working memory capacity makes a difference.

A new study challenges the popular theory that expertise is simply a product of tens of thousands of hours of deliberate practice. Not that anyone is claiming that this practice isn’t necessary — but it may not be sufficient.

An American study suggests that getting a home computer can have a negative effect on reading and math scores in middle-grade students, particularly those from disadvantaged families.

Data from North Carolina's mandated End-of-Grade tests (2000-2005), which includes student reports on how frequently they use a home computer for schoolwork, watch TV or read for pleasure, reveals that students in grades five through eight (c.10-13), particularly those from disadvantaged families

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