Stem cells offer promise in treating neurodegenerative diseases but not in the expected way, according to researchers at the annual symposium on dementia and Alzheimer's disease, sponsored by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York.

Longevity genes might protect against Alzheimer's disease and combining drugs and non-pharmacological interventions might slow the disease. Researchers recommended a quick office test to identify patients with early dementia.

Cases of dementia cases in the United States are expected to double in the next 40 years, said Gary Kennedy, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Einstein and director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore. Currently, Alzheimer's disease alone affects 8% to 15% of American citizens aged at least 65, he said. He …