Clinical Trials News

Computerized brain fitness programs are known to help seniors improve their memory and focus. Now, a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found preliminary evidence that such programs may help frail seniors walk faster, potentially preventing disability and improving quality of life. Results appear in the July 19 online edition of the Journal of Gerontology.

Antidepressants commonly prescribed to people with autistic spectrum disorders cannot be recommended based on current evidence, a new study by Cochrane Researchers concludes. Despite some evidence of benefits in adults diagnosed with autism, they say there is no evidence for any benefits associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in children, who may suffer serious adverse effects as a result of taking the drugs.

The use of Omega-3 supplements is effective among patients with major depression who do not have anxiety disorders, according to a study directed by Dr. François Lespérance of the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier at the Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), head of CHUM's Department of Psychiatry and a professor at the Université de Montréal. The study was published June 15 in the online Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

In a world first, Dr. Andres M. Lozano and his team at Toronto Western Hospital have shown using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) on patients with early signs of Alzheimer's disease is safe and may help improve memory.

The premise that hunger makes food look more appealing is a widely held belief. Just ask anyone who cruises grocery store aisles on an empty stomach, only to go home with a full basket and an empty wallet.

It's not drug or placebo--it's drug and placebo.

Although there were promising results in a phase 2 trial, patients with mild Alzheimer's disease who received the drug candidate tarenflurbil as part of a phase 3 trial did not have better outcomes on measures of cognitive decline or loss of activities of daily living compared to patients who received placebo.

Type 2 diabetes and obesity are linked to an increased risk of certain cancers.

As therapies for breast cancer continue to emerge, the issues of how to best monitor success and gauge prognosis remain important questions.

Anti-estrogen therapy for breast cancer may also reduce the risk of death from lung cancer, according to study results presented at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center-American Association for Cancer Research San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.