Archive for: December 2006

A team of researchers, led by scientists at Dartmouth, have identified and tested a gene that dramatically alters both muscle metabolism and performance.

A study published in the journal Nature found that mice completely lacking a critical gene for repairing damaged DNA grow old rapidly and have physical, genetic and hormonal profiles very similar to mice that grow old naturally. Furthermore, the premature aging symptoms of the mice led to the discovery of a new type of human progeria, a rare inherited disease in which affected individuals age rapidly and die prematurely.

UCLA researchers used innovative brain scan technology with a new imaging molecule, invented at UCLA, to show that abnormal brain protein deposits that define Alzheimer's disease can be detected in people with mild cognitive impairment, a condition affecting 15-20 million Americans that increases risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. The new imaging technique helped researchers track disease progression over a two-year period and may be helpful in detecting pre-Alzheimer's conditions.

A new study suggests that a program focusing on increasing step length and speed is more effective at improving mobility and balance than tai chi. While tai chi -- a Chinese martial art form consisting of slow, rotational movements and weight-shifting -- offers many benefits, the researchers say, they're not as great as those produced by a balance-training program.

The surge of baby boomers now entering their 60s means more drivers on the road who may be impaired by dementia or other cognitive impairments linked to aging. Researchers at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere have developed a three-hour workshop that trains health care providers to identify potentially unsafe drivers with dementia and to encourage appropriate retirement from driving.

Running and jumping during childhood is more than child's play, it provides lifelong benefits for future bone health and appears to reduce the risk of fractures later in life according to a Journal of Bone and Mineral Research study by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) researchers.