How well do we think when we can’t hear?
When you strain to hear a conversation in a noisy restaurant, what’s happening inside your brain, and how does that affect your thinking skills? Those are the questions a University of Maryland study is asking in hopes of better understanding complicated hearing issues and ultimately what can be done to help. Researchers in the Center for Advanced Study of Language are now looking for... READ MORE
Can a high-fat diet improve cognition?
Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center is currently recruiting adults over the age of 60 who have been diagnosed with mild memory impairment (especially those with early Alzheimer’s disease) for a research study of dietary treatments for the condition. Alzheimer’s disease is known to be associated with insulin resistance, or abnormal glucose metabolism. Abnormalities ... READ MORE
Studies aim to prevent Alzheimer’s disease
It may be too late to stop Alzheimer’s in people who already have some mental decline. But what if a treatment could target the very earliest brain changes while memory and thinking skills are still intact, in hope of preventing the disease? Two big studies are going all out to try. Clinics throughout the United States and some other countries are signing up participants — the only... READ MORE
Study seeks those regularly using opioids
According to the Centers for Disease Control, between 21 and 29 percent of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them, and 8 to 12 percent become addicted. Even worse, each day more than 115 people in the U.S. die after overdosing on opioids. Faced with these daunting statistics, the National Institutes of Health is trying to better understand just how opioids... READ MORE
Study on healthy aging seeks volunteers
Two years ago, the National Institute on Aging launched the GESTALT study, which stands for the Genetic and Epigenetic Signatures of Translational Aging Laboratory Testing study. The study takes one of the first large-scale, long-term looks at why aging progresses as it does — and how to help more people take advantage of ways to improve quality of life as they age. The GESTALT... READ MORE
Caregivers needed for coaching study
Over 85 percent of care for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders is provided by more than 15 million family caregivers. These caregivers typically have no training or support, and may wind up themselves experiencing multiple health risks, including depression. The National Alzheimer’s Plan Act has identified providing caregiver-supported programs as a national... READ MORE
Drug study will try to reverse Alzheimer’s
With 5.7 million Americans already living with Alzheimer’s disease, a number that is expected to more than double in 30 years, researchers are racing to find the culprits that lead to the memory loss and confusion Alzheimer’s disease can cause. One suspect is a type of protein in the brain called beta-amyloid. Researchers believe fragments of this protein can accumulate and stick... READ MORE
Helping COPD patients take their medicine
Over 24 million people in the U.S. have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It is the third-leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability. COPD is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. It can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and other symptoms. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Most people who have COPD ... READ MORE
Vaccine study focuses on C. diff bacteria
The bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. diff for short) exists throughout the environment, and can often be found inside people’s intestines. While it frequently causes no or few symptoms, it can cause a range of intestinal woes, including frequent diarrhea, inflammation of the colon, fever, nausea and abdominal pain. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening. Those most at risk of ... READ MORE
Studying if fasting protects your brain
The equation to lose weight is simple: Burn more calories than you take in each day. But a popular recent diet trend goes beyond this, promoting fasting two days a week to not just lose weight but gain other benefits, like less inflammation and insulin resistance. Doctors with the National Institute of Aging in Baltimore are conducting a study to see if this intermittent fasting may... READ MORE
