When Henrikje van Andel-Schipper turned 115 years old, her mind was sharper than many 60 year olds. Years before, she knew something about her was unique and requested multiple times for her body to be donated to her hometown university in the Netherlands. As a result of her many requests, scientists began testing her cognitive abilities at the age of 112 and discovered she could outperform those who were half her age. They were baffled by this, and post-mortem studies showed that her brain had few signs of Alzeheimer’s disease or any other age-related diseases associated with mental decline. Read more →

The definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease requires microscopic examination of brain tissue, something that cannot be performed safely in a living patient. Instead, physicians use a constellation of symptoms and patterns of progression, combined with exclusion of all other causes of dementia, to diagnosis patients with the disease. But there are many alternative causes of memory loss in the elderly that must be excluded in order to make the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Many of these have signs and symptoms that overlap, making it difficult to determine the correct diagnosis. Read more →

In an attempt to localize the part of the brain responsible for hunger, surgeons in Toronto inadvertently identified and stimulated a portion of the brain involving in memory and learning. This finding may lead researchers to develop new techniques for improving brain function in dementia.

The surgeon was attempting to implant a deep brain stimulator into the hypothalamus of an obese man, in order to curb his appetite by stimulating brain cells that suppress hunger. Read more →

A recent finding of the Nun Study identifies oral disease as a potential risk factor for dementia, with conclusions indicating that a low number of teeth — fewer than ten — may be an accurate predictor of dementia in later life. Furthermore, the study showed that subjects with the fewest number of teeth presented with the most severe incidence of dementia. Read more →

Research in the field of dementia prevention and treatment is widespread, as people are living longer and thus developing dementia at a higher rate. Three recently published studies point to the importance of diet and exercise in the development of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, the two most common types seen in aging individuals. Read more →

According to new research published in Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease can see a rapid acceleration of symptoms as a result of a small silent stroke. The study on 150 patients at the Catholic University of Korea demonstrated that patients showing signs of silent strokes had markedly increased dementia and cognitive impairment than Alzheimer patients who had not suffered any strokes. Just one or two small silent strokes are enough to severely impact the severity of Alzheimer’s symptoms. Read more →