Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia characterized by a loss of memory, cognitive ability and behaviour.  There is no cure for this degenerative brain disease and there is no known cause.  However, research into Alzheimer’s has shown there are factors that increase a person’s risk at being diagnosed with the disease.

Some of the risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s include age, family history and genetics.  Other risk factors associated with lifestyle have also been linked to Alzheimer’s and without a cure it is imperative people take preventative measures to reduce the risk of being diagnosed with the disease.

Recent studies have linked an increase risk of Alzheimer’s with diabetes.  People with high blood sugar have been shown to be twice as likely to develop the disease as those with normal glucose levels.  Those people treated with insulin may develop an insulin resistance that can lead to complications associated with diabetes.  This may harm the brain cells directly or the blood vessels carrying oxygen rich and nutrient rich blood to the brain.

Keeping a close eye on diet to control blood sugar may ultimately reduce the risk associated with Alzheimer’s.

Other research has also shown that lack of physical activity may increase the risk associated with Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

Regular physical activity and exercise not only improves your heart but your brain.  Having an increased flow of blood and oxygen has been shown to benefit brain cells, thus reducing the risks associated with Alzheimer’s.

Researchers inJapanhave also shown a connection between high cholesterol and Alzheimer’s.  People suffering from high cholesterol were more likely to have brain plaques when compared to people with normal or lower cholesterol levels.

Having your cholesterol checked regularly and controlling its level helps maintain the health of your heart and blood vessels reduces blood pressure and minimizes risk associated with Alzheimer’s.

While the exact cause of this brain disease is not fully understood, continued research has shown making changes to lifestyle and taking certain preventative measures associated with healthier living can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s.

Brain shrinkage, memory loss and reduced brain function have long been associated with the progression of Alzheimer’s.  Experts had speculated this was permanent but researchers from Canada have shown this may not be the case.  By using a technique known as deep brain stimulation they were able to show growth in the brain’s memory hub, reversing its decline.

While previously used with both Parkinson’s, Tourette’s Syndrome patients and those suffering from forms of depression, deep brain stimulation involves apply electricity directly to the regions of the brain identified through an MRI.

With a patient’s head stablized in a a fixed position, a small region of the brain is exposed and thin electrodes are placed next to the portion of the brain requiring stimulation.  These electrodes are attached to a small battery implanted next to the collar bone, resulting in electricity flowing through the electrodes into the affected areas of the brain.

Research has shown the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to shrink in Alzheimer’s patients.  This portion of the brain is used for converting short-term memories into longer term memories.  Early stages of Alzheimer’s are shown as this area becomes damaged by the disease, resulting in memory loss and disorientation.

As Alzheimer’s progresses, brain cells throughout the entire brain are affected and are either dead or dying.

The researchers at the University of Toronto applied deep brain stimulation to the fornix of the brain, the part which passes messages to the hippocampus.  Normally patients suffering from Alzheimer’s would show five percent shrinkage of the hippocampus per year.  However, after twelve months of deep brain stimulation, one patient had a five percent growth and another an eight percent increase.

This is the first time deep brain stimulation has shown growth in any area of the brain and in one of the Alzheimer’s patients, it was like his disease had reversed.

Exactly how deep brain stimulation works with Alzheimer’s patients is unknown.  It is also important to note the sample size was relatively small and there has yet to be any follow up done to determine if memory has improved.

Regardless, this is encouraging because it may signal the ability to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease several years.

The study was a retrospective analysis comparing veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to those with no TBI and indicated over a 7-year period, the risk of dementia was more than doubled.

Presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2011, it is hoped this new research will provide insight into ways to treat or rehabilitate patients suffering from brain injury.

The study isn’t without its critics.  Some studies have suggested there is no correlation between risk and brain injury.  Yet researchers showed a clear relation between brain injury and dementia in this study.

While conducted on veterans, study researchers indicated the research had implications on the general population.  It highlights the importance for protecting the skull and brain.

While Alzheimer’s may start at any age, the most common form of the disease starts after a person reaches 65 years old and continues to increase in frequency as people age.

With much effort put into identifying which genes may be relevant to the development of Alzheimer’s up until this point there was only one gene previously identified.

While we all have these genes, some individuals have specific variations that lead to the development of Alzheimer’s.

The researchers have identified through a complex statistical model, the relevance of these genes and which variations are important.  Having these genetic variations does not mean a person will develop the brain disease but they do affect the chances of getting Alzheimer’s.

Certain genes are causing Alzheimer’s disease in a dominant way and can lead to multiple generations being affected.  These new genes increase the susceptibility to developing Alzheimer’s but there is no certainty.  It simply signifies an increased risk for each person.

The discovery of these new genes for Alzheimer’s does not mean there is a way to diagnose the brain disorder.  The number of genetic combinations and factors that may come into play makes using them as a diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease very premature.

It is hoped the discovery of these new Alzheimer’s genes will lead to a better understanding of the cellular pathways that lead to the disease.

Using this understanding, it is hoped potential Alzheimer’s treatments and diagnosis may be developed.

Screening for Alzheimer’s normally focuses upon warning signs such as memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks and confusion with time or place.  Often these symptoms are mistaken as part of normal aging but in fact signal the onset of Alzheimer’s.

As part of regular screening for the brain disease, some Alzheimer’s specialists regularly conduct MRI scans to examine the structure of the brain and monitor changes.  Identifying shrinking in the memory centre or hippocampus and other areas of the brain may provide clues to the progression of Alzheimer’s normally missed.

Establishing a baseline for Alzheimer’s screening and evaluating a patient’s progression may provide some standard tests doctors can use to determine what is impacting a patient’s memory.

Experts and researchers agree, diagnostic tests for screening for Alzheimer’s need to be developed and may be just around the corner as more and more focus is put on assessing risk.

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease that affects a person’s ability to remember, make decisions and judgments, more commonly affecting people over the age of 60.

This breakthrough in stem cell research provides the potential to repair the damage caused by Alzheimer’s and restore cognitive function in people affected with the brain disease.

Stem cells have been the focus of many research efforts across numerous diseases.  Stem cells have shown the ability to take on the function of many different cell types such as skin cells, liver cells and now brain cells.

Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital of Chicago have developed a technique allowing stem cells to transform into the brain cells known as basal forebrain cholinergic neurons.  These brain cells are generally affected by Alzheimer’s and this advancement in stem cell technology may be the beginning of new treatment options.

Alzheimer’s disease typically destroys these brain cells but researchers placed the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons formed from stem cells into the brains of mice.  Once there, these cells formed new connections with the surrounding cells and began producing acetylcholine, just like normal brain cells.

with an easy supply of these brain cells available from stem cells, this research may provide a mechanism to develop new treatment options for Alzheimer’s patients.  It also opens the door to brain cell transplantation as a treatment for Alzheimer’s.

As part of the research, scientists injected mice with a drug named Gleevec which is generally used to treat leukemia and gastrointestinal tumors.  Researchers found lower levels of three genes in the livers of mice correlated with less brain brain substance and an increase in amyloid brain plaques.

Brain plaques have long been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and research have speculated the formation of such plaques may mean an increased risk of the degenerative brain disease.  This discovery of linking brain plaques origin to the liver provides researchers with opportunity to look elsewhere in their fight against Alzheimer’s.

The new blood test uses synthetic molecules to identify disease-specific antibodies.  This can help identify diseases such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, lupus and Alzheimer’s.

According to Dr. Dwight German, detecting Alzheimer’s at its earliest stage before any cognitive impairment starts may allow for new treatment strategies to be developed.

Alzheimer’s patients exhibit an immune system activation and neurodegeneration in several regions of the brain.  Scientists think there may be antibodies that are specific to the brain disease and these may act as a biomarker.

The new blood test uses synthetic molecules that can be modified easily and produced quickly at much lower costs than other tests.  The technology behind the blood test allows antibodies to be picked out and later identified.

With Alzheimer’s disease, the IgG antibody levels captured in research was approximately six times larger when compared to the control group or to patients with Parkinson’s patients.  Another antibody was also identified in addition to the IgG antibody, making at least two candidate biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Throughout the research, this blood test identified Alzheimer’s Disease with a 90 percent accuracy.

This sounds pretty routine and not very news worthy.  However, these two healthcare giants want to determine who is at risk for Alzheimer’s disease before they begin to exhibit any symptoms of the brain disease.

In announcing their collaborative efforts, GE Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson are hoping to shed some light on Alzheimer’s and identify who is at risk for developing Alzheimer’s Disease.  It is hoped this collaboration will identify a biosignature which is essential a collection of biomarkers, that will show which people are at risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Physicians would be able to make more informed decisions, direct patient care and determine a course of treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease well before patients exhibit symptoms.

Both Johnson & Johnson and GE Healthcare are expected to combine efforts in data integration, informatics, genomics and imaging in this collaborative effort to determine who is at risk for Alzheimer’s Disease.

In making such an announcement, these companies are signalling a new emphasis on a disease that is projected to have major impacts as society ages.  Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease could allow for better treatments or perhaps early intervention, as well as providing support for monitoring the progression of Alzheimer’s.

The identification of an Alzheimer’s biosignature would not only determine who is at risk for Alzheimer’s, but will perhaps pave the road for new drugs and treatments for the brain disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease affects millions worldwide and according to Alzheimer’s Disease International, approximately 35.6 million people live with dementia, a major symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease.  This number is expected to double by 2030 and rise to over 115 million by 2050.

Such numbers are staggering when we consider the implications that Alzheimer’s Disease has on social programs, healthcare programs and individuals themselves.

It is expected this collaborative effort to determine who is at risk for Alzheimer’s Disease will spark new efforts in international Alzheimer’s Research for all companies in this area, not only Johnson & Johnson and GE Healthcare.

Recent Alzheimer’s research was dealt several blows after several newly developed drugs for Alzheimer’s were determined ineffective and had adverse affects on Alzheimer’s patients.

EpHB2 is a protein responsible for regulating nerve signals in the brain.  It also helps with establishing and maintaining memory.  Researchers from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease in San Francisco studied how increasing levels of this protein in the brain would impact people suffering with various forms of dementia.

Some Alzheimer’s and forms of dementia exhibited characteristics where EphB2 was found in low quantities.  It was thought that by increasing levels of this protein artificially, the effects of Alzheimer’s could be reversed, thus leading to a potential cure for this brain disease.

In testing their hypothesis, researchers bred mice with conditions similar to Alzheimer’s disease.  When given higher levels of EphB2 proteins, the memory losses in these mice were eliminated.

The researchers have indicated a key to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s may rest in preventing amyloid proteins from binding to EphB2 and by enhancing the levels of EphB2 in the brain.  This may lead to new treatment options for Alzheimer’s Disease and to an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s.

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease.