In the News

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.

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, announced today that the Obama administration would increase funding for Alzheimer's disease research by $130 million.   An extra $50 million will be made available immediately, and another $80 million will be added to the fiscal year 2013 federal budget to be released next week.  In total, this funding represents a 25% increase in funding for Alzheimer's disease research over the next two years.  An additional $25 million will be allocated for caregiver support, provider education, public awareness, and improvements in data infrastructure.  "We can't wait to confront the growing threat that Alzheimer's…

Dr. Aimee Pierce, Assistant Clinical Professor in UCI’s Department of Neurology, has been named Medical Director of the UCI MIND Memory Assessment Clinic.  Hailing from Eugene, Oregon, Dr. Pierce earned her B.S. in Biology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA, and her M.D. at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.  After graduating she completed an internship in Internal Medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital, a residency in neurology at UCLA, and a fellowship in geriatric neurology and dementia at the VA San Diego Healthcare System affiliated with UCSD.  Dr. Pierce officially joined the Department of Neurology…

On January 19, UCI MIND launched the MIND Matters Club at the home of Burton and Linda Young, who graciously hosted this inaugural gathering of individuals who have committed to  giving $1,906 or more annually to UCI MIND.  Guests gathered to hear Dr. Margaret Gatz, Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern California and Foreign Adjunct Professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, describe her research into dementia among Swedish twins.  Dr. Gatz and her colleagues followed Swedish twins across the past 25 years in order to identify differences between twin partners who developed dementia and those who did…

The graduate student group ReMIND and the UCI MIND Institute will be hosting the Emerging Scientists Symposium on Neurological Disorders on February 9th at the University Club. It is a unique opportunity for graduate and postdoctoral researchers to present their work. Renowned Alzheimer's disease researcher Dr. Li-Huei Tsai will give the keynote address. All are welcome to attend!  

Please click on the following links to watch each of the presenters at our 2012 Alzheimer's disease annual conference: 19th Annual Southern California Alzheimer's Disease Research Conference When Does It Become Dementia? Transitioning from Healthy Aging to MCI and Dementia September 30, 2011 Welcome McGaugh - Making Lasting Memories Morris - Redefining Alzheimer's Disease: The Danger of Revised Criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment Kawas - Diagnosing Alzheimer's Before Memory Loss Sets In: Proposed Research Criteria Snyder - When the Diagnosis is Early-Stage Alzheimer's: What Happens Next? Tariot - Treating Dementia: A Look at Current and Future Medications Coon - Caregiving…

Read all about it at the OC Register.  Click Here.

With Alzheimer’s a looming public health crisis, UCI MIND’s director discusses promising research.  Click here to read the full story http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zgvm_vvqq3I

When Does It Become Dementia? Transitioning from Healthy Aging to MCI and Dementia September 30, 2011 at the Irvine Hilton, Irvine   The UCI Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) at the University of California, Irvine, the Alzheimer’s Association Orange County Chapter, and Alzheimer’s Family Services Center are pleased to announce the 19th Annual Southern California Alzheimer’s Disease Research Conference, When Does It Become Dementia? Transitioning from Healthy Aging to MCI and Dementia.The conference will be held on Friday, September 30, 2011 at the Irvine Hilton located at 18800 MacArthur Blvd, Irvine. This year we anticipate over 450…

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.

Thank you for your support! Wine for the MIND - Saving Memories with Style was a success for UCI MIND!

Friday saw the 2010 ADRC Conference.  Click here for the details.

Thank you for visiting the webpage of The Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders. Your visit indicates a desire to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and I hope you find this site useful and that it provides the information you are seeking. Right now, over 5.2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, including over 500,000 individuals in California and 30,000 in Orange County. Even more alarmingly, unless a way is found to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, it is estimated that over 11 million people will suffer from this insidious disorder by the year 2050. The Institute is…

The Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) at the University of California, Irvine is internationally recognized for its research accomplishments in disorders of the brain, particularly those that are age-related. The Institute is UCI's center for aging and dementia research, with our faculty seeking to understand the causes leading to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, and Huntington’s disease. We aim to identify the life-style factors that promote wellness and “successful aging.” For those suffering from age-related memory problems, our goal is to diagnose disease, identify means for effectively treating it, and…