Arizona - August 2014 Archives

PHOENIX — A new Mayo Clinic study examines the question “what would you do if you knew you are predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease?” The study, which will be published in the October edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, was conducted to measure attitudes concerning Alzheimer’s genetic and biomarker tests. Other studies have shown that many people would want to have tests to know if they carry the gene that causes Alzheimer’s disease. The new study showed that many people may not understand what the results mean.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuUfKkWkc9Y&feature=youtu.be   “About a third of the people who say they want the testing really don’t know what the implications of the tests are,” says Richard Caselli, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist and lead author of the study. “More education is needed before we can advocate widespread predictive testing for a disease which, at this time, we have no effective treatment.”

PHOENIX — Researchers from Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Banner Sun Health Research Institute have determined that many people with an early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease are not correctly diagnosed according to a study just published in the journal Neurology. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while tremor may be the best-known sign of Parkinson's, the disorder also commonly causes stiffness and slowing of movement. Additionally there are many non-movement problems including constipation, loss of the sense of smell, sleep problems, lightheadedness, urinary difficulties, depression and anxiety. Although Parkinson's disease can't be cured, medications may markedly improve symptoms. Currently, there is no accurate diagnostic test for the disease; diagnosis is made based on medical history, a review of signs and symptoms, a neurological and physical examination and by ruling out other conditions. Confirmation of the disease can only be made by performing an autopsy.

PHOENIX, Arizona – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) renewed funding for the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) and Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, longitudinal study of the earliest changes associated with the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease at older ages.  The award, an estimated $8.3 million over the next five years, continues NIH’s long-term support of the investigation. The study, which began two decades ago, has been examining the subtle brain imaging, memory and thinking changes that occur in healthy late-middle-aged and older adults who have inherited from their parents either one, two or no copies of the apolipoprotein E (APOE4) gene, the major genetic risk factor for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s.  Each additional copy of the gene significantly increases a person’s chance of developing the disease. “We are extremely grateful to the NIH and our wonderful research volunteers for their support,” said Dr. Eric M. Reiman, BAI Executive Director and one of the study’s principal investigators. “From the beginning, this study has been driven by our interest in finding treatments to prevent or end Alzheimer’s as quickly as possible, and to provide the information and tools needed to do just that.”