Contributed by Bryce Mander, PhD The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently required some sleep medications which are commonly used to treat insomnia to add black box warning labels. The reason for this decision is because there have been reported incidents of individuals engaging in activities that commonly occur during wakefulness during sleep while on these medications, including sleep walking, sleep driving, sleep eating, and sleep cooking. On rare occasions, these symptoms have resulted in serious injuries or life-threatening incidents, which has led to the inclusion of the black box label. The FDA has also issued a contraindication for…
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Contributed by Craig Stark, PhD Researchers from the UK have just released a report showing how we can extract valuable cognitive data out of video game performance. Using the mobile game Sea Hero Quest, which relies heavily on spatial memory and navigation, the researchers were able to discriminate healthy aging from those at-risk for Alzheimer's. By using games that are fun and engaging, but are designed to tap into specific brain processes, we can usher in a new era of diagnosis. Research in my lab here at UCI is further looking at whether playing certain kinds of video games can actually…
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Facebook Live Series - ASK THE DOC: Alzheimer's Research Today! This monthly series features short talks and Q&A with experts from the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), 1 of 32 congressionally designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers in the nation. Join UCI MIND on Facebook (@UCIrvineMIND) the first Friday of every month from 9:00-9:30 AM PST to learn about advances in research to improve Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Episode 4: "Are there any promising vaccines for Alzheimer's?" This month, we're joined by Elizabeth Head, PhD. Dr. Head earned a PhD in…
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Tune in this Friday, May 3 @ 9AM for the next episode of our monthly Facebook LIVE series, "Are there any promising vaccines for Alzheimer's?" This month, we're joined by Elizabeth Head, PhD. Dr. Head earned a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Toronto and completed postdoctoral training at UCI. She recently returned to UCI from the University of Kentucky and serves as Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Head has dedicated over 20 years and more than 150 publications to the field of aging and Alzheimer's disease research with a focus on individuals…
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