Alzheimer’s disease

November 10, 2016

Alzheimer’s study establishes way to measure resilience

Vanderbilt researchers have established a new measure of resilience to cognitive impairment in people with asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.

By Tom Wilemon
Elderly woman holding hands with young caretaker
July 12, 2016

Vanderbilt study shows people with Alzheimer’s have lower ability to perceive pain

People with Alzheimer’s disease don’t perceive pain as readily as healthy older adults, and this may lead to delays and underreporting of pain. This alteration in pain detection may be one reason that people with Alzheimer’s disease and pain tend to be undermedicated and suffer unnecessarily, a trans-institutional group of Vanderbilt researchers reported recently in BMC Medicine.

By VUMC News and Communications
June 2, 2016

Alzheimer’s risk gene in younger adults

A genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease in later life appears to benefit younger adults as they age.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 29, 2015

Study explores nicotine patch to treat memory loss

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a $9.4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to test the effectiveness of a transdermal nicotine patch in improving memory loss in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.

By Nancy Humphrey
October 15, 2015

VUSN Alzheimer’s study to explore perception of pain

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) has been awarded a four-year $660,633 grant from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Aging to study how psychophysical responses to acute experimental thermal pain differ between older adults with and without Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

By VUMC News and Communications
August 17, 2015

Vanderbilt researchers promise #WeWillNotGiveUp until diseases are cured!

In the latest VUCast: Learn how researchers behind a life-saving social media campaign are promising #WeWillNotGiveUp; find out how your brain “sees” in the dark; and hear about the No. 1 ranking that’s making Vanderbilt students happy. Watch now!

By VUMC News and Communications
March 3, 2015

Study shows poor heart function could be major Alzheimer’s disease risk

A healthier heart could prevent Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
By VUMC News and Communications
February 19, 2015

Study sheds light on a ‘guardian’ protein of brain function

Mitochondria not only are the cell’s main power producers, they are also the chief cooks and bottle washers.
By Bill Snyder
January 8, 2015

Curcumin’s ability to fight Alzheimer’s studied

One of the most promising new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease may already be in your kitchen. Curcumin, a natural product found in the spice turmeric, has been used by many Asian cultures for centuries, and a new study indicates a close chemical analog of curcumin has properties that may make it useful as a treatment for the brain disease.
By VUMC News and Communications
October 20, 2014

New faculty: Dugan explores complexities of Alzheimer’s

Laura Dugan strives to bring breakthroughs in neuroscience research and the aging brain together.
By Nancy Humphrey
August 14, 2014

Team takes 4-D look at brain receptor’s role

Reporting last week in the journal Cell, researchers from Oregon Health and Science University, Harvard Medical School and Vanderbilt University describe the first “four-dimensional” picture of a brain receptor that plays a key role in learning and memory.
By Bill Snyder
April 10, 2014

Study explores genetics behind Alzheimer’s resiliency

Autopsies have revealed that some individuals develop the cellular changes indicative of Alzheimer’s disease without ever showing clinical symptoms in their lifetime.
By VUMC News and Communications
March 13, 2014

‘Missing link’ may spur new brain disorder drugs

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego and Vanderbilt University have discovered a “missing link” in the structure of a transmembrane receptor that could lead to new treatments for autism, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
By Bill Snyder