Current Alzheimer Research - Volume 12, Issue 1, 2015

The etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer´s disease is characterized by beta amyloid Aβ(1-42) toxic fragment aggregation and its association with impaired autophagy. In mitochondria, chronic damage due to transport and enzymatic processes together with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are followed by the subsequent accumulation of Aβ in the form of senile plaques and the accumulation of hyperphosphor Read More

The β-secretase enzyme BACE1, which initiates the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) into the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, is a prime therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, recent investigations using genetic animal models raise concern that therapeutic BACE1 inhibition may encounter the dramatic reduction of efficacy in ameliorating AD-like pathology and memory deficits during disease progr Read More

Background: Previous studies showed that Bryostatin-1, a potent PKC modulator and alphasecretase activator, can improve cognition in models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with chronic (>10 weeks), intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of the drug. We compared learning and spatial memory in the APPswe, PSEN1dE985Dbo (APP/PS1) mouse model of AD and studied the ability of acute intraperitoneal and oral Bryostatin-1 to reve Read More

Amyloid-β proteins (Aβ) of 42 (Aβ42) and 40 aa (Aβ40) accumulate as senile plaques (SP) and cerebrovascular amyloid protein deposits that are defining diagnostic features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A number of rare mutations linked to familial AD (FAD) on the Aβ precursor protein (APP), Presenilin-1 (PS1), Presenilin- 2 (PS2), Adamalysin10, and other genetic risk factors for sporadic AD such as the ε4 allele of Apolipoprotei Read More

It is reported that 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF), a TrkB agonist, has beneficial effects on neuronal excitotoxicity, stroke, and Parkinson disease in animal models by enhancing axon regeneration, muscle reinnervation and neuromuscular transmission. The effect of DHF on AD neuropathology remains not well defined. In this study we examined whether DHF affects APP processing and cognitive functions in vitro and in vivo. We Read More

Background: ACTION, a 24-week, prospective, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind study in patients with severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD), demonstrated significant efficacy of 13.3 mg/24 h versus 4.6 mg/24 h rivastigmine patch on the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) and Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study–Activities of Daily Living scale–Severe Impairment Version (ADCS-ADL-SIV). Overall, 61% of the study populat Read More

Previous studies investigating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have focused primarily on cognitive, memory, attention, and executive function deficits. There has been relatively little research on the perceptual deficits people with MCI may exhibit. This is surprising given that it has been suggested that sensory and cognitive functions share a common cortical framework [1]. In the following study, we presented the sound- Read More

We evaluated the performance of the Disease State Index (DSI) method when predicting progression to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in patients with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), amnestic or non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI, naMCI). The DSI model measures patients’ similarity to diagnosed cases based on available data, such as cognitive tests, the APOE genotype, CSF biomarkers and MRI. We applied Read More

Purpose: To examine hippocampal differences between Alzheimer disease (AD), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and normal aging. Materials and methods: This study was approved by the local ethics review board, and informed consent was obtained from volunteers/guardians. The study comprised 60 subjects: 20 aMCI patients, 20 AD patients and 20 normal controls (NC group). Magnetic resonance imaging and Read More

Background: There is a growing focus on nutritional therapy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and controversy exists regarding the association between AD and homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B12, and folate levels. Objective: The present study evaluated the association between AD and the combined levels of Hcy, vitamin B12, and folate. Methods: This case-control study consisted of 115 patients with AD and 115 matched controls. Ser Read More