Investigators from Montefiore and Einstein to present data at 2014 Alzheimer's Association International Conference

Presentations focus on impact of stress and personality traits on dementia and mild cognitive impairment

2014-07-09

(Press-News.org) NEW YORK (July 8, 2014) – Researchers from Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University will present new findings at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) being held July 12 – July 17 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Data from the four abstracts will focus on triggers that could prompt transition from cognitive normality to mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The research is part of the Einstein Aging Study, established in 1980 to examine healthy brain aging as well as the special challenges of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Every 67 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's disease.

"The exponential growth of the world's elderly population is leading to a rapid increase in the number of individuals with dementia," said Richard B. Lipton, M.D., director, Division of Cognitive Aging and Dementia, Montefiore and director, Einstein Aging Study, professor and vice chair of neurology and the Edwin S. Lowe Chair in Neurology, Einstein. "Our research should help doctors gauge vulnerability for dementia and reveal potential strategies that may preserve cognitive function later in life. We look forward to discussing these findings with our colleagues from around the world at this important meeting."

Montefiore and Einstein researchers have been leaders in the field of neurology for more than 30 years and will share new insights on dementia-risk factors at AAIC, including the impact of perceived stress on dementia onset.

"At this year's meeting, we will focus on our research into the effect of stress on cognitive impairment, particularly in people with certain personality traits, such as neuroticism," said Mindy Joy Katz, M.P.H., senior associate in the department of Neurology at Einstein. "Stress is manageable – in contrast to our lack of effective treatments for cognitive impairment – so this presents a way we may be able to delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease."

Following are the titles of the Montefiore and Einstein studies to be presented at the meeting, all of which are embargoed until the time of presentation. Investigators are available for interviews specific to the data or to comment on topics of interest coming out of AAIC 2014.

1. Perceived Stress and Risk of Dementia in Older Adults with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment. Presented by Dr. Richard Lipton and Julie Jiang, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Einstein. Poster # P2-314, Public Health and Psychosocial: Epidemiology. Monday, July 14 at 11:45 AM. Central European Summer Time (CEST).

2. Perceived Stress, Personality and Risk of amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI): Results from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS). Presented by Dr. Mindy Katz. Poster # P3-167, Diagnosis and Prognosis: Clinical (neuropsychiatry & behavioral neurology). Tuesday, July 15 at 11:45 AM CEST.

3. Poor Renal Function is Associated with aMCI at Cross-Section: Results from the Einstein Aging Study. Presented by Andrea Zammit, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Einstein. Poster # P3-156, Diagnosis and Prognosis: Clinical (neuropsychiatry & behavioral neurology). Tuesday, July 15 at 11:45 AM CEST.

4. Pain Intensity and Pain Interference are Associated with Transitions from Cognitive Normality, amnestic MCI and Dementia: Results from the Einstein Aging Study. Poster #P3-152, Diagnosis and Prognosis: Clinical (neuropsychiatry & behavioral neurology). Presented by Dr. Richard Lipton. Tuesday, July 15 at 11:45 AM CEST.

INFORMATION: About Montefiore Medical Center As the University Hospital and academic medical center for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore is renowned for its clinical excellence, scientific discovery and commitment to its community. Recognized among the top hospitals nationally and regionally by U.S. News & World Report, Montefiore provides compassionate, patient- and family-centered care and educates the healthcare professionals of tomorrow. The Children's Hospital at Montefiore is consistently named in U.S. News' "America's Best Children's Hospitals." With four hospitals, 1,512 beds and more than 84,000 annual admissions, Montefiore is an integrated health system seamlessly linked by advanced technology. State-of-the-art primary and specialty care is provided through a network of more than 150 locations across the region, including the largest school health program in the nation and a home health program. Montefiore's partnership with Einstein advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. The medical center derives its inspiration for excellence from its patients and community, and continues to be on the frontlines of developing innovative approaches to care. For more information please visit http://www.montefiore.org and http://www.cham.org. Follow us on Twitter); like us on Facebook; view us on YouTube.

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is one of the nation's premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Einstein is home to 734 M.D. students, 236 Ph.D. students, 106 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 353 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 2,000 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2013, Einstein received more than $155 million in awards from the NIH. This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in diabetes, cancer, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Through its extensive affiliation network involving Montefiore, Jacobi Medical Center -Einstein's founding hospital, and five other hospital systems in the Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island and Brooklyn, Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube. END

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