SAN DIEGO — New studies identify brain changes in people with Alzheimer's disease. The results give researchers a greater understanding of the disease and may help at-risk individuals by improving early detection. New animal research also shows a novel approach to Alzheimer's vaccine design that may avoid dangerous side effects. These new results were reported at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health.
About 5.3 million people have Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. With the aging baby boomer population, Alzheimer's will continue to affect more people worldwide. Better diagnostic techniques may help identify the disease at earlier, potentially more treatable stages.
Today's new findings show that:
"Identifying those at risk for Alzheimer's and developing new treatments for nervous system disorders is a social imperative," said press conference moderator Sam Sisodia, PhD, of the University of Chicago, an expert on the cellular biology of proteins implicated in Alzheimer's disease. "These studies are evidence that we're making real progress to overcome this tragic epidemic."
This research was supported by national funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, as well as private and philanthropic organizations.