Current Alzheimer Research - Volume 6, Issue 3, 2009

Human memory can be split into familiarity and recollection processes which contribute to different aspects of memory function. These separate processes result in different experiential states. In this review, we examine how this dominant theoretical framework can explain the subjective experience of people with Alzheimer's disease, the profile of their memory impairments and their inability to reflect on their performanc Read More

Cancer and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are two common disorders for which the final pathophysiological mechanism is not yet clearly defined. In a prospective longitudinal study we have previously shown an inverse association between AD and cancer, such that the rate of developing cancer in general with time was significantly slower in participants with AD, while participants with a history of cancer had a slower rate of develop Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. With over 26 million patients in 2006, AD is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease worldwide. Different hypotheses have been suggested to explain the pathogenesis of AD, like those involving inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction or oxidative stress. Many of these studies have addressed amyloid plaq Read More

In different clinical studies, an association of type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been described. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. One explanation could be that vascular complications of diabetes result in neurodegeneration. Alternatively, the mechanism might be directly related to insulin and insulin-like growth factor( IGF)-1 signaling, leading to the proposal that AD is a “brain- Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a late-onset progressive neurodegenerative disorder which results in the irreversible loss of cortical neurons, particularly in the associative neocortex and hippocampus. AD is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. Apart from the neuronal loss, the pathological hallmarks are extracellular senile plaques, containing the peptide beta-amyloid (Aβ), and neurofibrillary tangles. The Aβ Read More

The central role of peroxisomes in ROS and lipid metabolism and their importance in brain functioning are well established. The aim of this work was to study the modulation of peroxisomal and peroxisome-related proteins in cortical neurons in vitro challenged with chronic or acute Aβ treatment, in order to investigate whether peroxisomes represent one of the cellular target of Aβ in these cells. The expression of perox Read More

To better model the characteristics of crowded intracellular environments, we examined the effect of several factors known to induce partial folding and accelerated fibrillation of α-synuclein in dilute solutions, on the fibrillation of this protein in a crowded milieu. We found that low pH, certain metals and pesticides, polyanions, polycations and low concentrations of organic solvents cause a significant acceleration of α-synuclein Read More

Since their first description by Ramon y Cajal at the end of the 19th century, dendritic spines have been proposed as important sites of neuronal contacts and it has been suggested that changes in the activity of neurons directly affect spine morphology. In fact, since then it has been shown that about 90% of excitatory synapses end on spines. Recent data indicate that spines are highly dynamic structures and that spine shap Read More

Collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP2) was recently identified as a physiological substrate for GSK3 and Cdk5, two protein kinases suggested to exhibit greater activity in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Indeed, phosphorylation of CRMP2, at the residues targeted by GSK3 and Cdk5, is relatively high in cortex isolated from human AD brain, as well as in the brains of animal models of AD, while phospho-CRMP2 is found in Read More

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of CSF cytochrome c levels and auditory event-related potentials (AERPs) on the progress of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimers disease (AD). Fifty one patients diagnosed with MCI and fourtneen healthy individuals underwent lumbar puncture at baseline and their CSF cytochrome c levels were determined. A follow-up examination of cytochrome c levels took p Read More

Today, the most reliable diagnosis for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the post mortem identification of amyloid plaques, consisting of the Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, (and neurofibrillary tangles) in the brain of the patient. Great efforts are being made to identify reliable biomarkers for AD that are suitable for minimal invasive early diagnosis and prognosis of AD. During the past years, body fluids of AD patients were assayed for thei Read More

Changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers are representative of biochemical changes in the brain. Collection of CSF by lumbar puncture (LP) is essential for biomarker analysis, which is important for research in neurodegenerative disorders. However, LP for research purposes has been controversial due to a reported high incidence of severe LP headache when using standard 18g or 20g Quincke needles with a beveled c Read More

This contribution focuses on the definition of music therapy as a specific applicative context to be seen as distinct from the generic use of music in a variety of pathologies. Music therapy is presented as a discipline grounded both upon relationship and upon the theoretical-methodological principles peculiar to each applicative model. The therapeutic nature proper to music therapy is highlighted with specific reference to th Read More

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is associated with a variety of pathophysiological features, including amyloid plaques, inflammation, immunological changes, cell death and regeneration processes, altered neurotransmission, and agerelated changes. Retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoids are relevant to all of these. Here we review the pathology, pharmacology, and biochemistry of AD in relation to RARs and retinoids, and Read More

The neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. It is characterized by progressive impairment of cognitive functions and behavior. To distinguish clinically AD from other forms of dementia is an ongoing challenge. In addition, although mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is recognized as a risk factor for dementia, it remains a challenge to predict on an individual level who will co Read More

Full text available