Alzheimer's disease

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Learning to ask older adults better questions about their memory

8/8/18

Healthcare providers and researchers rely on screening questions to detect patients who may be at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease and other aging-related problems, but how these questions are worded may be confusing or trigger emotional responses. According to Penn State researchers, this may result in patients who answer the same questions differently, and for different reasons.

A young woman sits on a couch next to an older man. She has her right arm around him and looks at him. He has a neutral expression and looks downward.

The Medical Minute: Rate of Alzheimer’s deaths on the rise

6/14/17

The rate of death from Alzheimer’s disease in the United States increased by more than 50 percent in the past 15 years, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are some possible reasons why — and where things stand with treatment.

brain maze

Brain's power to adapt offers short-term gains, long-term strains

4/24/17

Brains that suffer injuries can adjust in remarkable ways and create connections between injured areas that are better and stronger. However, those new connections may be less efficient and, in the end, more costly to maintain. These "hyperconnections" could increase the likelihood of problems, such as Alzheimer's Disease, developing later in life. Studying hyperconnections underscores the importance of brain protection and could one day lead to treatments for brain impairments.

Words matter when talking about Alzheimer's

11/2/16

Using war metaphors in reference to Alzheimer's disease should be replaced with messages of resilience against a complex, age-associated condition that may not be fully defeatable, according to a team of researchers.

LaunchBox

Berks' Marietta Scanlon making the most of Lehigh Valley LaunchBox grant

4/28/16

Marietta Scanlon, lecturer in engineering at Penn State Berks and formerly Penn State Lehigh Valley, received one of Lehigh Valley’s first LaunchBox grants for her team’s software program Voices Renewed, which enhances the life story collection process for individuals with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

astrocytes

Discovery may lead to improvements in diagnosing, treating Alzheimer's disease

6/13/14

A new drug target to fight Alzheimer's disease has been discovered by a research team led by Gong Chen, a professor of biology and the Verne M. Willaman Chair in Life Sciences at Penn State. The discovery also has potential for development as a novel diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of dementia and one for which no cure has yet been found.

The Medical Minute: The latest news on Alzheimer’s disease

4/3/14

There are 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, two-thirds of which are estimated to be women. The number of Alzheimer's cases is expected to more than triple by the year 2050. In this week's Medical Minute, a neuropsychologist from Penn State Hershey Neuroscience Institute discusses the latest figures and risk factors for Alzheimer's.

A human brain, depicted in a multi-color scan

Protein changes linked to symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

8/14/13

A research discovery that helps point the way to potential therapies for memory-related disorders including Alzheimer's Disease has been made by a team of neuroscientists that includes Douglas Cavener, professor of biology at Penn State. A paper describing the research was published in the Aug. 12 issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Important Perk

8/9/12

Researchers have identified in mice a protein that is necessary for maintaining behavioral flexibility, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Their findings may offer new insights for addressing such human afflictions as autism and schizophrenia, in which this ability is significantly impaired.

Depression and Old Age

1/1/97

Sitting at a lab desk, more like a console than a table, Jane Smith intently grasps the space-age controls. A hint of perspiration crowns her forehead as the faint whine of a drill is replaced by the sound of slick-moving mechanical parts. She focuses on the deft hand movements needed to manipulate a threadlike glass pipette. Slowly it enters the shaved skull of her "anesthetized recording preparation" (in this case, a rat). Carefully she explores its brain cavity. She's hunting for certain cells, and she can hear them coming.