Alzheimer’s Disease – Page 9

Calcium-control gene offers new avenue for Alzheimer’s disease therapy

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Bronwyn Thompson

Researchers have found the gene Surf4 plays a role in neural degeneration

Nearly six million Americans currently live with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with the figure set to climb to 13.8 million by 2050. And with promising trials failing close to the finish line, researchers are desperate for any breakthroughs that will lead to halting the devastating neurodegenerative disease.

Category: Medical, Science

Tags: Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, gene therapy, Brain

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Sugar-coated antibodies cross blood-brain barrier to fight Alzheimer’s

Posted on March 9, 2023 by Michael Franco

The blood-brain barrier is a network of tightly packed tissues and blood vessels meant to keep harmful substances out, but it can interfere with helpful treatments as well

In the quest to combat Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have been hopeful about the use of antibodies to destroy peptides in the brain that cause damaging tangles and plaque buildups. So far though, such treatments have been unsuccessful. Postulating that the issue had to do with the antibodies getting blocked by the blood-brain barrier, scientists have found a way to sneak them into the brains of mice afflicted with the disease, and have seen encouraging results.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Alzheimer’s Disease, Blood-brain barrier, antibodies, Brain, Neuroscience

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New drug target shows promise in mice as potential Alzheimer’s treatment

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Michael Irving

Scientists have identified a promising new drug target for Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have developed a new technique that could eventually lead to new potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The team investigated a compound that breaks down a protein associated with the disease, with tests in mice improving symptoms.

Category: Medical, Science

Tags: Alzheimer’s Disease, Disease, Neuroscience, Neurological, Protein, Drugs, South Korea

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Further evidence of link between vitamin D and dementia prevention

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Bronwyn Thompson

There's growing evidence that vitamin D supplements can protect your brain from dementia

A new large-scale study has shown that warding off dementia early may be as simple for some as taking a vitamin D supplement.

Category: Medical, Science

Tags: Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Seniors, Brain

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Biomarker identified that helps diagnose cause of cognitive decline

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Paul McClure

A study has found a biomarker that may assist in determining the underlying cause of cognitive impairment in elderly people

It can be difficult to determine whether cognitive decline in older adults is caused by vascular problems or dementia. New research has now identified a biomarker associated with the vascular causes of cognitive impairment that may assist with differentiating the two.

Category: Medical, Science

Tags: Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Biomarkers, UCLA

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New neurological disease discovered in three children

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Michael Franco

Illustration of a child with the brain visible

A neurological disorder that causes issues with speech and motor coordination has been identified in three children by scientists from the National Institutes of Health’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and Undiagnosed Diseases Program. The researchers believe the condition is caused by a genetic mutation that affects the ability of neurons in the brain to properly carry out a cellular recycling function called autophagy. In addition to helping those afflicted with the condition, the scientists hope the discovery could help evaluate other diseases in which autophagy is implicated, such as Alzheimer’s.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Brain, Neuroscience, Alzheimer’s Disease, U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Genetics, Genome, Children

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Big study uncovers 22 links between viral infections and brain disease

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Rich Haridy

A new study cannot determine a causal relationship between viral infections and neurodegenerative disease, but there is a correlation

New research looking at health records from nearly half a million people has identified 22 different associations between viral infections and neurodegenerative diseases. Influenza, encephalitis and other viral infections all were linked to increased rates of brain diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and MS.

Category: Science

Tags: Virus, Infections, Dementia, Brain, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Neuroscience

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Hormone replacement therapy may reduce dementia risk in women

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Rich Haridy

HRT was associated with larger entorhinal and amygdala volumes and better responses to memory tests

New research has found hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be linked with better brain health and cognition among women with a high genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The findings are observational, and cannot determine causality, but they do build on a body of study trying to understand why women are generally more likely to develop Alzheimer’s compared to men.

Category: Health & Wellbeing, Lifestyle

Tags: Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, Hormone, Aging, University of East Anglia

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More evidence of role gut bacteria may play in Alzheimer’s decline

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Rich Haridy

Research has found animals with no gut bacteria showed lower rates of neurodegeneration than animals with normal microbiomes

A fascinating new study has shed more light on how the trillions of microbes in our gut could be affecting our brain health. The animal research found mice engineered to develop Alzheimer’s developed significantly fewer signs of neurodegeneration when raised with no gut bacteria, suggesting the microbiome may play a crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative disease.

Category: Science

Tags: Microbiome, Gut Bacteria, Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Washington University in St. Louis

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Implantable lens could warn of Alzheimer’s disease

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Ben Coxworth

The lens could be implanted behind the cornea of people known to be at risk of Alzheimer's

As is the case with so many other things, the sooner that Alzheimer’s disease is detected, the more that can be done to slow its progress. An experimental implantable lens could help, by changing in appearance at the early stages of the illness.

Category: Medical, Science

Tags: Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, Eye, Diagnostic devices, Lens, Hydrogels

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