Staying physically active is critical for brain health, but you don’t necessarily have to break a sweat exercising to protect yourself from developing Alzheimer’s disease.   Among the oldest old, those who were the most physically active, whether through routine activities like housework and gardening or traditional exercise, had 2.3 times less risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who were the least physically active, according to a study just published in the April 24, 2012 issue of Neurology. Dr. A. S. Buchman, lead author, and his colleagues at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, measured level of physical activity among 716…

More than 500 guests stepped back in time to the 1960s at the Time of Your Life fundraiser, held at the Center Club in Costa Mesa on March 10, 2012.  The benefit, in support of Alzheimer’s research at UCI MIND, was led by Jacqueline DuPont, Ph.D., Irvine Cottages, and her husband, Marc Carlson, and fellow co-chair, Linda Young.  The threesome had volunteered for two previous successful UCI MIND fundraisers.  They gathered their team of loyal volunteers to serve on this year’s committee to produce a truly unique event.  You had to be there! With the generous support and underwriting of…

Every 4 seconds another person in the world develops Alzheimer’s disease, a statistic released by the World Health Organization in its 2012 report, Dementia, A Public Health Priority, on April 11 and highlighted by Dr. Frank LaFerla, Director of the UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), that same evening in his presentation, Researching Ways to Make Memories Last A Lifetime, at the 18th UCI Distinguished Lecture Series on Brain, Learning and Memory, co-hosted by the UCI Center for Neurobiology, Learning and Memory and UCI MIND. Speaking to an audience of more than 500, Dr. LaFerla…

Dr. Frank LaFerla , Director of UCI MIND, addressed the 1,000+ prominent political and entertainment industry leaders - in addition to celebrities - who gathered on March 21, 2012, at the Beverly Hilton to recognize advances in the fight against Alzheimer's disease and rally around the growing movement to end the disease.  This annual Alzheimer's Association gala has raised over $19 million since its inception to advance cutting-edge research, increase awareness, and address the needs of Americans living with the disease and their caregivers. In his brief address, Dr. LaFerla reminded the audience that the price is just too high…

Over 500 guests enjoyed A Time of Your Life Saturday, March 10th, and raised much-needed funding to support research at UCI MIND.  Thank you to sponsor San Clemente Villas by the Seas for this video that shares the sights and sounds of the evening.

A study published in the February 28 issue of the journal Neurology provides more evidence that high dietary consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish such as salmon and tuna, may protect the brain against cognitive impairment. The research team, led by Dr. Zaldy S. Tan, found that healthy older adults 58-76 (m = 67) with the lowest  red blood cell (RBC) levels of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) had "older" brains than their peers as well as a vascular pattern of cognitive impairment.  Researchers examined the relationship of RBC fatty acid levels…

Learn about Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and ways to support research at UCI MIND Is dementia the same as Alzheimer's disease?  Dr. Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Director of Education at UCI MIND, answers this common question and describes Mild Cognitive Impairment, the transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. In January 2012, UCI MIND was awarded a $25,000 grant by the S. L. Gimbel Foundation in support of Memory Screening and Education to Advance Alzheimer’s Disease Research.   Funding will enable UCI MIND to educate the community about memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias as well as opportunities to participate in…

   

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have demonstrated that bexarotene, an FDA-approved drug for the  treatment of skin cancer, dramatically and rapidly clears amyloid plaques from the brains of mice bred with Alzheimer's disease.  Led by Gary Landreth, Ph.D.,  the study just published on line in Science Express, found that bexarotene not only enhanced clearance of beta amyloid, an abnormal protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, but also improved some cognitive and behavioral functions.   After discovering that Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), the main cholesterol carrier in the brain, facilitates clearance of beta amyloid, Landreth and his colleagues decided…

Trailer video for the full version of a documentary that looks at what UCI is doing to fight Alzheimer's disease.   UCI Mind Teaser from John Hess on Vimeo.