Treatment for Alzheimer's may be necessary before 50: "If treatment to prevent Alzheimer's disease is going to work, it may have to begin in middle age -- or even younger, new research by Seattle scientists suggests.
The researchers found that in people genetically prone to Alzheimer's, significant amounts of a brain-clogging protein start moving from the spinal fluid to the brain about age 50 or younger.
'It can be going on for decades before we have an inkling of symptoms,' said Dr. Elaine Peskind, associate director of the University of Washington Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle.
Previous research has indicated that Alzheimer's begins years before symptoms appear. But this latest work by Peskind, the lead scientist, and her colleagues is the first to look at early signs across a wide range of ages -- from 21 to 88.
The research is particularly significant because scientists predict a dramatic increase in Alzheimer's in the decades ahead...."

Allon's Compound Shows Effect on Both Classic Hallmarks of Alzheimer's:
"The Neuro Protection Company(TM), announced today that the Company's proprietary compound NAP has been shown in preclinical studies to be effective in reducing both amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, two pathologies most closely correlated with Alzheimer's disease in humans....."

Cause Of Neuronal Death In Down's Syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease Could Be Surprisingly Simple
"Two papers in the July 6, 2006, Neuron, published by Cell Press, report evidence that surprisingly simple genetic abnormalities in the machinery of critical neuronal growth-regulating molecules can kill neurons in Down's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. The researchers said their basic findings could aid progress toward treatment for the cognitive deficits in these disorders....."

Teddies May Improve Quality of Life in Alzheimers:
"Dolls and teddy bears can help Alzheimer's patients interact and communicate with others, finds a new study.

A team of doctors at Newcastle General Hospital studied the benefits of dolls after seeing how a patient bonded with a teddy bear from her son, reported the online edition of BBC News.

They found that Alzheimer's disease patients can lose their intellectual, social and emotional abilities over time. The patients also started interacted better with staff and other residents.

In the small-scale study, they gave 14 patients of a Newcastle nursing home a doll or a teddy bear each. They were then assessed over a 12-week period.

Dolls appear to alleviate agitation or distress, help overcome communication difficulties, and reduce withdrawal, the research presented to a British Psychological Society Conference said.

Using toys to help people with dementia has been looked at before as it is an important, non-drug based approach to behaviour disturbances in dementia residents, the study noted.

'What we have done with this study is to look at their use over a longer time period and to investigate whether patients chose to have a doll or teddy bear, said Ian James, a doctor at the hospital.

'Clearly, using a doll doesn't reverse dementia, but it did seem to improve quality of life,' he added.

'The findings will, we hope, help advise other clinical teams in their use of this technique.' "