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Posted on 18 Nov
Statin use in older age has no effect on memory decline
Australian researchers have found that taking statins doesn’t affect memory and thinking in later life. There is also no effect on brain size between statin users and those who don’t take the drugs. The scientific publication Journal of the American College of Cardiology announced the results today (Monday 18 November). What are statins? Statins are […]
Posted on 15 Nov
Alzheimer’s Research UK welcomes international research funding for UK study
Today the US-based charity Alzheimer’s Association announces a $7 million dollar grant to allow UCL researchers to carry out detailed assessments of individuals from the 1946 birth cohort. This expands the important work of the Insight 46 project, originally funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK. What is Insight 46? The original Insight 46 study, funded by […]
Posted on 13 Nov
Could being unable to read or write increase your risk of dementia?
Neurology: Illiteracy, dementia risk, and cognitive trajectories among older adults with low education Researchers in the US have found that people who report that they cannot read or write are at increased risk of dementia compared to people who are literate. The scientific journal, Neurology, published the findings today (Wednesday 13 November). Who did the […]
Posted on 13 Nov
Experts unite to improve dementia research
Data scientists, artificial intelligence experts and clinicians are among a range of professionals invited to join a new national network to find innovative ways of conducting dementia research and care. The ARUK Deep Dementia Phenotyping (DEMON) Network is led by the University of Exeter and is supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK, the Alan Turing […]
Posted on 11 Nov
Top dementia clinician becomes charity’s first Chief Medical Officer
Today, Alzheimer’s Research UK appointed Prof Jonathan Schott as the charity’s first ever Chief Medical Officer (CMO). In this new part-time position at the UK’s leading dementia research charity, Prof Schott will play a pivotal role supporting and shaping ongoing research, policy, advocacy and strategy work. Prof Schott will work closely with Alzheimer’s Research UK’s […]
Posted on 04 Nov
How a single person who defies dementia can help shed light on the condition
Researchers in the US have identified an individual with a genetic mutation that causes Alzheimer’s disease, who did not develop memory problems until three decades after the expected age of onset. The findings of a scientific case study are reported today (Monday 4 November) in the scientific journal Nature Medicine. Which individual did the researchers […]
Posted on 30 Oct
Childhood cognition predicts memory and thinking ability in later life
Dementia researchers at University College London (UCL) found that eight-year-olds’ scores on memory and thinking tests predict how they will perform on similar cognitive tests at the age of 70. The findings from the Alzheimer’s Research UK-funded Insight 46 study are published today (30 October) in the journal Neurology, the medical journal of the American […]
Posted on 22 Oct
Halted phase III clinical trial for Alzheimer’s shows renewed promise
Today (Tuesday 22 October) the pharmaceutical company Biogen announced they plan to file for US marketing approval of the potential Alzheimer’s drug, aducanumab. Aducanumab is an antibody designed to target amyloid, a protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s at an early stage in the disease process. Biogen originally halted Phase […]
Posted on 21 Oct
Heightened dementia risk for ex-professional Scottish footballers
New England Journal of Medicine: Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality among Former Professional Soccer Players A study of 7,676 ex-professional footballers commissioned by the Football Association (FA) and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has today revealed that despite a number of health benefits, male former professional Scottish football players were three and half times more likely to […]
Posted on 09 Oct
Sex-specific tests improve diagnosis of early memory problems
Researchers in the US have found that using sex-specific memory test scores could improve the diagnosis of early memory and thinking problems, known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). When using sex-specific scoring, researchers diagnosed more women and fewer men with MCI. The study was published 0n 9 October 2019 in the journal Neurology. Mild cognitive […]
