NYU Langone Medical Center's tip sheet to the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease 2008

NEW YORK, July 26, 2008 – NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have long been making important contributions to the understanding of Alzheimer's disease. They were among the first to characterize amyloid, the plaque-forming protein implicated in Alzheimer's, and the first to describe a genetic mutation in a familial form of the disease. They also developed the first successful intervention program to reduce the need for placing patients in nursing homes and alleviate caregivers' depression.

At the 2008 ICAD meeting, NYU Langone Medical Center researchers are presenting a wide range of findings from both clinical studies using state-of-the-art methods to discern the earliest sign of Alzheimer's and from animal studies aimed at understanding how amyloid causes neuronal dysfunction in the brain. All of this research helps advance the understanding of Alzheimer's, which now afflicts more than 5 million Americans. A better understanding, it is hoped, will lead to more effective therapies that will slow the progression of the disease and ultimately to ways to prevent its onset.

The following news tips are based on poster and oral presentations at the Alzheimer's Association 2008 International Conference to be held in Chicago from July 26 to July 31. Each presentation is embargoed for a specific date and time.

Brain Atrophy and Biomarkers May Help Identify People at Risk for Alzheimer's
Susan de Santi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL TUESDAY, July 29, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. CT

By combining MRI brain scans and measurements of certain compounds in the cerebrospinal fluid, NYU researchers were able to distinguish individuals who would develop Alzheimer's disease over a two-year period. In a study of 23 people, they found atrophy in areas of the brain involved in learning and memory, and significantly higher CSF levels of phosphorylated tau and other compounds among individuals who would develop Alzheimer's compared to those individuals who didn't progress from mild cognitive impairment over the two-year period. This preliminary study suggests that combining these tests could help predict which individuals with mild cognitive impairment are at the highest risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.
Presentation # P3-067

Big Immune Response to Common Mouth Bacteria Linked to Alzheimer's.
Angela R Kamer, D.M.D., M.S., PhD., Assistant Professor, College of Dentistry, New York University
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL SUNDAY, July 27, 2008, at 12:30 p.m. CT

In a study investigating the link between Alzheimer's disease and a heightened inflammatory-immune response, NYU researchers found that twice as many subjects with probable Alzheimer's disease tested positive for antibodies in their plasma against a type of bacteria that is commonly found in the mouth. The pioneering study supports a growing body of evidence that associates notable immune changes with a means of predicting and classifying Alzheimer's disease. Together with other immune markers associated with Alzheimer's disease, antibodies to these periodontal bacteria could serve to better understand the causes and mechanisms of the disease, the researchers say.
Presentation # P1-348