The Future of Alzheimer's?

[17 November 2008 - NPR] Researchers think they've discovered precisely what damages brain cells and causes memory loss in people who have Alzheimer's disease. Brain scientists present the latest evidence at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience this week in Washington, D.C. ... There is growing evidence that small clusters of a protein called amyloid beta are what cause brain damage in Alzheimer's disease. Scientists at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, D.C., say clusters of just two or three amyloid beta protein molecules can damage synapses, the connections between brain cells. New research also shows that plaques of amyloid beta — much larger groupings made up of millions of cells — are not nearly as harmful as the small clusters. Until the past couple of years, amyloid beta plaques were considered the most likely cause of Alzheimer's brain damage. But Dennis Selkoe, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, said the new findings suggest that hypothesis is wrong. More

Active Ageing and Independent Living Services: The Role of Information and Communication Technology

[2008 - Europe] This report aims to support the research and policy development activities of DG Information Society and Media towards the European Research Area. It suggests complementary ways of approaching ageing: addressing the demographic phenomena as a serious challenge for social support systems and considering the opportunities offered by ageing societies, such as new markets for innovative applications. It then highlights the main policy areas related to ageing, where ICT-based applications could play a role, and suggests a number of research and policy challenges that need to be resolved in order to maximise the opportunities offered by ICT. More

How to Be Happy and Well

[2002 Archive - Harvard University Gazette] The world's longest continuous study of physical and mental health has come up with predictors that individuals can use to determine how well they will age. Since 1937, the study has followed 237 students at Harvard University and 332 socially disadvantaged youths from inner-city Boston through health, disease, and death. More