September 21, 2011, Frontiers of the MIND focusing on Traumatic Brain Injury Featuring Ann McKee, M.D. , Boston University Dr. McKee’s research interests center on the neuropathological alterations of neurodegenerative diseases, with a primary focus on the role of tau protein, axonal injury, trauma, vascular injury, and neurodegeneration. Much of her current work centers on the long-term consequences of repetitive head injury from contact sports and military service. As a board-certified neurologist and neuropathologist, she is particularly interested in the clinical, behavioral and psychological manifestations of pathological disease and the neuroanatomical localization of clinical symptoms. She has written widely on…

Medications and Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease – What to Avoid Gaby T. Thai, M.D. Doctors are often asked whether there are any medications that someone with Alzheimer’s disease should avoid. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease may need medicines to treat symptoms of the disease, as well as for other health problems such as bladder incontinence, mood disturbances, high blood pressure, etc…  However, when a person takesmany medications, there is an increased risk of adverse effects, including confusion, mood swings, sleepiness, andworsening memory problems. Some medications can worsen symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and should be avoided,if at all possible.   Sedatives and…

Aging is an inevitable journey for everyone, and includes many obstacles and different paths to take.  How we live our lives can have enormous impact on whether we grow old gracefully, or succumb along the way. Good physical health, through diet and exercise, will allow people to remain active well into their twilight years, but as lifespan increases it is also important to take care of and maintain brain health as well.  Fortunately, it appears that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain, and thus by keeping active, both physically and mentally, and maintaining a…

Researchers with the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) have discovered how a novel compound can reduce the accumulation of brain plaques seen in Alzheimer's without the side effects produced by current drugs used for the chronic neurodegenerative disease. In a study published online in the Annals of Neurology, neurobiologists Kim Green and Frank LaFerla found that the ST101 compound triggers a process that carves up amyloid precursor proteins into benign molecules. These precursor proteins, when intact, ultimately can form into beta-amyloid plaques, which are the hallmark lesions of Alzheimer's and believed to be the primary cause of dementia.…

Bruce Cook, The Crowd: The mind is tops at wine event One American develops Alzheimer's disease every 70 seconds, statistics report. According to Linda Scheck, who is with UC Irvine's Mind Institute, the Baby Boomer generation is entering the high-risk age group for being diagnosed with the disease with as many as 10,000 turning 65 every day. Medical science is concerned that the possible onslaught of Alzheimer's victims could become a national crisis in decades to come. In Orange County recently, the UCI Mind Institute, which focuses on memory impairment and neurological disorders, held a fundraiser called Saving Memories with…

UCI MIND graduate student Kara Neely, and Professors Green and LaFerla have discovered a key role for presenilin, a protein involved in the production of amyloid-beta, which forms the plaques in Alzheimer's disease.  In a study published in the February 23rd edition of the Journal of Neuroscience, the research team show that presenilin plays an integral role in the way that cells, including neurons, dispose of misfunctioning and broken proteins.  The accumulation of misfunctioning and broken proteins inside cells is thought to contribute to many neurodegenerative diseases, as well as to the aging process itself.  This research highlights an important…

Wine for the MIND - Saving Memories with Style attracted over 300 guests who enjoyed food, wine and fashion, all related to Alzheimer's.  It was a fantastic event, chaired by Jacqueline DuPont and a committee of dedicated volunteers.   Below are a selection of the photos - click on the thumbnails to see the photos and cycle through them.  

This event was a success!  Watch this space for further announcements about supporting research at UCI MIND.