Connections Newsletter -- Spring 2013

Feature Stories

• National Effort Against Alzheimer’s Ramps Up [1] [2]
• New Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry recruiting 250,000 volunteers [3]
• "Connecting to Combat Alzheimer's" project wins HHSinnovates awards [4]

NIA News & Research Highlights

• Analysis finds gene variants associated with Alzheimer’s amyloid deposition [5]
• Minority Recruitment: Translating General Principles Into Specific Strategies [6] (from LINKS: Minority Research & Training, Winter 2013 [7])

Upcoming events:

• Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias: Research Challenges and Opportunities workshop [8], May 1-2
• Join NIA to honor Dr. Robert Butler with May 8 memorial lecture [9]:Neuroimaging and Biomarkers: How Early Can We Diagnose Alzheimer's?

Also of Note

• The ADEAR Center is tweeting! Follow us on Twitter@Alzheimers_NIH [10]!
• Looking for funding opportunities? Current NIA funding opportunities and announcements [11]
• New online tip sheets [12] for Alzheimer’s caregivers:
  • Going to the Hospital [13] (PDF, 502K)
  • Home Safety [14] (PDF, 356K)
  • Traveling Overnight [15] (PDF, 425K)
• More free resources [16] from the ADEAR Center

Clinical Trials Now Recruiting

Major Studies:

• Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative [17]—seeking Vietnam War veterans for a new study of brain aging, as well as older adults with a significant memory concern but no signs of cognitive impairment for a study to define biological markers and structural brain changes of Alzheimer’s (multiple sites)
• Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN) [18]—seeking adult children age 18 and older with a biological parent who has a known genetic mutation for Alzheimer’s (multiple sites)
• Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial: Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (SPRINT-MIND) [19]—recruiting volunteers age 50 or older with high blood pressure—systolic (upper) number of at least 130—who have a history of heart disease or chronic kidney disease or are at risk for heart disease, but with no history of diabetes or stroke (multiple sites)

Drug Trials:

• PF-05212377 for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms [20]
• BAN2401 for Early Alzheimer’s Disease [21]
• Bisnorcymserine in Healthy Adult Volunteers [22]
• Effects of EVP-0962 on Amyloid Levels in Cerebrospinal Fluid [23]
• ELND005 for Agitation and Aggression in Alzheimer’s Disease [24]
• Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Trial: An Opportunity to Prevent Dementia (DIAN TU) [25]

Brain Imaging and Biomarker Studies:

• Florbetapir (18F) PET Imaging Effectiveness in Management of Patients with Cognitive Decline [26]
• Arterial Spin Labeling MRI for Cognitive Decline [27]
• Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias [28]
• Effects of Simvastatin on Biomarkers [29]

Non-Alzheimer's Dementias:

• Living with Frontotemporal Dementia [30]

Other Trials:

• Aerobic Exercise in Early Alzheimer’s Disease [31]
• Effects of Fruitflow-II and Resveratrol on Memory, Fitness, and Cerebral Blood Flow [32]
• Memory Consolidation in Obstructive Sleep Apnea [33]
• PhytoSERMs for Menopause Symptoms and Age-Associated Memory Decline [34]

Connections Newsletter -- Winter 2013

New Research Resources

• Latest NIH Alzheimer’s Research Progress Report Available [2]
• The NIH "Toolbox" Is Open [35]
• New Database Aims to Capture International Alzheimer’s Disease Research Efforts [36]

NIA News & Research Highlights

• NIH-supported Alzheimer’s studies to focus on innovative treatments [37] (January 14, 2013)
• NIA researchers find protein PGC-1alpha may play important role in brain health [38] (December 12, 2012)
• NIH-supported international teams identify rare Alzheimer’s disease risk gene variant [39] (November 15, 2012)
• Dr. Neil Buckholtz named head of Division of Neuroscience [40] (October 2, 2012)
• Risk gene for Alzheimer’s disease associated with lower brain amyloid [41] (October 1, 2012)
• Investigators create “brain map” of key epigenetic processes [42] (August 14, 2012)

Also of Note

• Request for Information: Increasing Enrollment in Alzheimers Disease and Related Clinical Trials and Studies [43]
• Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease: What Do We Know? [44]
  New booklet looks at current research on risk factors and prevention strategies
• Read about NIA’s minority research and training activities in NIA’s LINKS e-newsletter [45]
• New online tip sheets [12] for Alzheimer’s caregivers:
  • Bathing [46] (PDF, 619K)
  • Disaster Preparedness [47] (PDF, 613K)
  • End-of-Life Care [48] (PDF, 156K)
  • Going Out [49] (PDF, 401K)
  • Grooming and Dressing [50] (PDF, 168K)
  • Incontinence [51] (PDF, 501K)
  • Managing Medicines [52] (PDF, 625K)
  • Managing Personality and Behavior Changes [53] (PDF, 748K)
  • Money Problems [54] (PDF, 156K)

Clinical Trials Now Recruiting

Major Studies:

• Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 2 (ADNI2) [55]
• Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN) [18]
• Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial, Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (SPRINT-MIND) [19]

Drug Trials:

• Gantenerumab for Prodromal Alzheimer's Disease [56]
• Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IGIV), 10%, in Alzheimer's Disease [57]
• RG1662 in Individuals with Down Syndrome [58]
• RO4602522 in Patients with Moderate Alzheimer Disease on Donepezil or Rivastigmine Therapy [59]

Other Trials:

• ADvance Deep Brain Stimulation in Patients with Mild Probable Alzheimer's Disease [60]
• Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer’s Disease (REVEAL) IV [61]
• Metabolic Cerebral Imaging in Incipient Dementia [62]

Exercise Trials:

• Cognitive Benefits of Aerobic Exercise Across the Age Span [63]
• Dose Response Study of Aerobic Exercise in Older Adults [64]
• Fit & Active Seniors Trial (FAST) [65]

Connections Newsletter -- Summer 2012

Features

• Researchers, Advocates Gather to Accelerate Alzheimer's Research [66]
• Exendin-4: From Lizard to Laboratory...and Beyond [67]

Research Highlights

• Experimental Alzheimer’s drug shows promise in small, early-phase clinical studies [68] (July 12, 2012)
• Cancer drug bexarotene reverses Alzheimer’s deficits in mice [69] (June 1, 2012)
• Protein involved in brain-wave maintenance linked to Alzheimer’s-related cognitive dysfunction [70] (June 1, 2012)
• NIH-funded research provides new clues on how ApoE4 affects Alzheimer's risk [71](May 16, 2012)
• Obama administration presents national plan to fight Alzheimer’s disease [72] (May 15, 2012)
• Genes involved in age-related declines in brain volume may play role in Alzheimer’s disease [73] (April 16, 2012)
• New study identifies role of large protein fragment in blocking amyloid build-up [74] (April 13, 2012)
• Smoking in middle age is associated with increased rate of cognitive decline in men [75] (March 22, 2012)
• Brain imaging shows lifetime cognitive activity may influence Alzheimer’s disease risk [76] (February 1, 2012)
• Pilot clinical trial shows nicotine patch may improve cognition in older people with memory loss [77]
  (January 10, 2012)

Clinical Trials Now Recruiting

• New, improved Alzheimer's clinical trials finder launched [78]
• Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 2 (ADNI2) [79]
• Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) [80]
• Exendin-4 for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease [81]
• Resveratrol for Alzheimer’s Disease [82]
• Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial—Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (SPRINT-MIND) [83]

Also of Note

• Register now for "Unveiling the NIH Toolbox" meeting, Sept. 10-11 [84]
• New online tip sheets for Alzheimer’s caregivers [85]
• NIH steps up efforts on clinical research awareness [86]
• Organ donation–You’re never too old to make a difference [87]
• NIH partners with new public TV project [88]
• Sign up for NIA and ADEAR email alerts [89]