Current Alzheimer Research - Volume 1, Issue 4, 2004

The amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) plays an early and critical role in the pathogenic cascade leading to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ is typically found in extracellular amyloid plaques that occur in specific brain regions in the AD and Down syndrome brain. Mounting evidence, however, indicates that intraneuronal accumulation of this peptide may also contribute to the cascade of neurodegenerative events that occur in AD and Down Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by two major features: (1) degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and ensuing deficient cholinergic functions in cortex and hippocampus; (2) extracellular protein aggregates containing β-amyloid peptides (Aβ) in these cholinergic target areas. So far, the most effective therapy for AD is to enhance cholinergic transmission. Neuromodulatory functions of the cholinergic sy Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by selective neuronal cell death, which is probably caused by amyloid b-peptide (Aβ) oligomers and fibrils. We have found that acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a senile plaque component, increases amyloid fibril assembly with the formation of highly toxic complexes (Aβ-AChE). The neurotoxic effect induced by Aβ-AChE complexes was higher than that induced by the Aβ peptide alone as sh Read More

Abnormalities in tau modification and tau aggregation are a characteristic histopathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However it is less clear, how tau pathology is linked to other factors, e.g. the formation of amyloid plaques, mutations in the presenilin gene, or the ApoE genotype that all have been shown to contribute to the disease. In this article, data reporting tau's interactions with other factors that may be rele Read More

It has been suggested that a high serum cholesterol level is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), that treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) reduces the frequency of AD development, and that the polymorpholism of genes encoding proteins regulating cholesterol metabolism is associated with the frequency of AD development. However, the mechanism by which high serum cholesterol level leads t Read More

Neurodegenerative processes associated with Alzheimer's disease are complex and involve many CNS tissue types, structures and biochemical processes. Factors believed involved in these processes are generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), associated inflammatory responses, and the bio-molecular and genetic damage they produce. Since oxidative processes are essential to energy production, and to other biologic Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common cause of dementia, resulting from accumulated β-amyloid protein deposits in the brain. As the population ages the incidence of AD is also on the rise. The incidence is very high in the developed countries where life expectancy is high, but it is also rising rapidly in the developing countries. Caring for patients suffering from AD is a major economic burden. The mechanisms underlying the n Read More

The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is mainly performed by excluding other disorders with similar clinical features. In addition, an analysis of symptoms and signs, blood studies and brain imaging are major ingredients of the clinical diagnostic work-up. However, the diagnosis based on these instruments is unsatisfactory, indicating the need of a highly sensitive and realiable approaches, selective for AD and based on bio Read More

In this review, the basic mechanism of the parasympathetic nervous effect on the heart is discussed. This is expanded to clinical situations to clarify what can happen to patients after cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitor is administered and to avoid unnecessary adverse effects. The parasympathetic nervous system can affect heart as well as brain function, and its effect on the heart is more complicated than is generally thought. The Read More

Effective drug development depends on understanding and optimizing results from controlled clinical trials. A recent double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of the treatment of agitation in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) found no difference among the four arms of the study: haloperidol, trazodone, behavioral therapy, placebo. The current analysis was undertaken to further investigate the issues bearing on thi Read More