Current Alzheimer Research - Volume 7, Issue 5, 2010

Background: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the efficacy and tolerability of the 5-HT6 receptor antagonist, SB-742457, in subjects with mild-to-moderate probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: Participating subjects had a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 12 to 26 after a 4-week, single-blind, placebo run-in phase, and were randomized (2:1:1:2) to receive placebo, SB-7424 Read More

Cholinesterase activity associated with neuritic plaques (NPs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains exhibit altered histochemical properties, such as requiring lower pH (6.8) for optimal cholinesterase staining compared to the pH (8.0) for best visualization of cholinesterases in neurons. Furthermore, visualization of NPs and NFTs can be prevented by agents like the peptidase inhibitor/metalloan Read More

Although it is well established that aluminum (Al) is neurotoxic, the potential role of this element in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not well established. In this study, we evaluated the effects of oral Al exposure on spatial learning, memory and neurogenesis in Tg2576 mice, an animal model of AD in which Abeta plaques start to be deposited at 9 months of age. Aluminum was given as Al lactate (11 mg/g of food Read More

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) is a hematopoietic growth factor that activates microglial cells, involved in phagocytosis of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain. In the present study, we found in 50 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) significantly increased M-CSF plasma levels compared to 22 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 35 age-matched healthy controls. In contrast, MCI patients showed si Read More

Neuroimaging studies of cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) treatment in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have shown the different short and long term actions of ChEIs. fMRI studies of the ChEI donepezil have focused on its short to medium term action without exploring the effects of established treatment. In this exploratory study the effect of 20 weeks donepezil treatment on regional brain activity was measured with fMRI in patients with Read More

One mechanism leading to neurodegeneration during Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is amyloid β peptide (Aβ)- induced neurotoxicity. Among the factors proposed to potentiate Aβ toxicity is its covalent modification through carbohydrate- derived advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). Other experimental evidence, though, indicates that certain polymeric carbohydrates like the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains found in proteo Read More

Processes of demographic change are leading to decreasing human resources in professional as well as lay care; this decrease necessitates new concepts of care, especially for the growing number of people with dementia (p.w.d.). Since the amendment to the German Care Insurance Law (2002), family carers have been entitled to regular weekly relief, provided by volunteers who have been given a thirty-hour-training. As Read More

Background: Several studies have shown that religiosity has beneficial effects on health, mortality and pathological conditions; little is known about religiosity in Alzheimer's disease and the progression of its cognitive, behavioral and functional symptoms. Our aim was to identify any relationship between religiosity and the progression of cognitive impairment and behavioral disorders in mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease, and any Read More

Soluble amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers might trigger early cognitive deficit in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) through the impairment of proper neuronal network function. We have recently shown that the short sequence Aβ25-35 affects the spontaneous activity in hippocampal slices, when was added to the bath, at high nanomolar concentrations. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the effects of the oligomerized full Read More

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum oxidation marker levels in patients with AD. Both untreated patients (n: 15) and patients who received treatment (n: 62) had higher Malondialdehyde (p<0.01 and p<0.001), Oxidized LDL (ox-LDL; p<0.0001 and p<0.0001), F2-isoprostane (p<0.0001 and p<0.001), and Nitric oxide (NOx; p<0.000 Read More

Background: Amyloid β40 (Aβ40) is the most abundant Aβ peptide in the brain. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) level of Aβ40 might therefore be considered to most closely reflect the total Aβ load in the brain. Both in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in normal aging the Aβ load in the brain has a large inter-individual variability. Relating Aβ42 to Aβ40 levels might consequently provide a more valid measure for reflecting the change Read More