• A May 13, 2013 UT San Diego article reported that researchers at the Salk Institute may have discovered a treatment to reverse symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, "The drug candidate, called J147, reversed memory loss in Alzheimer’s model mice, according to a study published online Monday in the journal Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy. The study builds on earlier research finding that the drug preserves brain function when given to Alzheimer’s model mice. That study was published on December 2011 in the journal PLoS One…After six years of preclinical studies, J147 is ready for human clinical trials, said Dave Schubert, head of Salk’s cellular neurobiology laboratory. The compound, derived from the curry spice component curcumin, has low toxicity and actually reverses damage in neurons associated with Alzheimer’s, said Schubert, the study’s senior author. The lead author is Marguerite Prior, a research associate in Schubert’s laboratory."

• A May 13, 2013 Wall Street Journal article reported on the impact of "brain training" games likeDouble Decisions on improving brain health. According to the article, "A government-funded study published this month found that playing Double Decision can slow and even reverse declines in brain function associated with aging, while playing crossword puzzles cannot. The study builds on an earlier large trial which found that older people who played various cognitive games had better health-related outcomes, driving records and performed better at everyday tasks such as preparing a meal."

Notable deaths