Round up of the International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease

The 2008 Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2008) July 26–31, 2008

At ICAD 2008, more than 5,000 researchers from 60 countries will share groundbreaking information and resources on the cause, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's and related disorders. As a part of Alzheimer's Association's research program, ICAD serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.

Press releases from ICAD

Diverse approaches to Alzheimer’s therapies continue to show progress at ICAD

• 18-Month Data from an Extension of a Pivotal Trial of Dimebon in Alzheimer's
• First U.S. Double-Blind Phase II Clinical Trial of IVIg (Immunotherapy) in Alzheimer's
• Phase II Immunotherapy Trial with LY2062430 in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's
• Antidementia Drugs Contribute to Longer Life in People with Alzheimer's

Lifestyle factors contribute to lowering and raising risk of Alzheimer's disease

• Unmarried Life: Paving the Way for Dementia?
• Tendency for Rumination in Midlife May Decrease Risk for Dementia Decades Later
• Metabolic Syndrome May Lead to Cognitive Decline
• Risk Factors for Progression to Dementia in General Population

Markers in blood and spinal fluid, and a new imaging agent, show promise for early detection of Alzheimer's

• Blood Test on White Blood Cells May Be Useful for Early Detection of Alzheimer's
• Spinal Fluid Marker Tracks Brain Amyloid, May Identify Alzheimer's Before Symptoms
• Brain Enzyme May Improve Alzheimer's Risk Assessment and Early Detection
• Improved Amyloid Imaging Agents for PET in Development

Four Alzheimer’s clinical trials address a variety of treatment targets – amyloid, tau, synapse formation

• 18-Month Phase III Trial Results for Tarenflurbil (Flurizan)
• Phase IIa Trial of PBT2, a Metal-Protein Attenuating Compound, in Mild Alzheimer's
• A Phase IIb Trial of a Tau Aggregation Inhibitor Therapy
• Proof of Concept Clinical Trial of SouvenaidT: A Medical Nutrition Approach to Mild Alzheimer's

Two new Alzheimer's disease studies show advances against different treatment targets

• Rates of Cognitive Impairment Higher Than Anticipated
• AL-108 Trial (Phase IIa) Shows Promise of Tau-Targeted Therapies in MCI
• Insulin and Diabetes Drugs May Reduce Alzheimer's Brain Lesions

Controversy about lack of placebo group decline in Alzheimer clinical trials

• Analysis of Multiple Studies Reveals Process to Ensure Placebo Group Decline
• Scientific Review of Donepezil Trials Shows Slowing Rates of Placebo Group Decline

Respectful adult communication improves quality of care in Alzheimer's

• "Elderspeak" and Resistance to Care Among People with Alzheimer's
• Family Communication Patterns Altered When Person with Alzheimer's Is Present

Alzheimer's plaques seen with conventional MRI in animal model for the first time

• MRI Scans Show Images of Amyloid Plaques in Rabbit Model
• Computer Analysis of MRI Scans Gives Alzheimer's Disease Severity "Score"
• MRI Used to Measure Alzheimer-like Patterns of Brain Atrophy in Normal Elderly

New research shows that people with better physical fitness have less brain atrophy in Alzheimer's

• Physical Fitness Preserves Brain Volume in Alzheimer’s
• Caregiver-Directed Home Exercise Program Reduces Falls and Improves Quality of Life for People with Dementia
• Fall Reduction
• Improved Quality of Life

Additional coverage of conference from MedPage Today