Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Research highlights potential of blood epigenetics for dementia risk assessment

New research suggests that epigenetic markers in the blood could be useful for understanding dementia risk.

28 Aug 2024

Novel biochip diagnoses deadly brain cancer in under an hour

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have developed a novel, automated device capable of diagnosing glioblastoma, a fast-growing and incurable brain cancer, in less than an hour. The average glioblastoma patient survives 12-18 months after diagnosis.

28 Aug 2024

PET imaging and proteomics reveal distinct protein signatures in Alzheimer's disease progression

Researchers used PET imaging and proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid to study amyloid β and tau tangle loads in Alzheimer's patients, identifying 127 proteins linked to disease progression. The findings highlight distinct molecular pathways and potential therapeutic targets.

28 Aug 2024

Deep learning reveals disparities in brain aging across Latin America and the Caribbean

Study reveals that socioeconomic inequality, pollution, and health disparities significantly contribute to brain-age gaps, with Latin American and Caribbean populations, especially women and those with cognitive impairments, being most affected.

28 Aug 2024

Dementia Australia welcomes UK approval of lecanemab to tackle Alzheimer’s

Dementia Australia welcomes the decision by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to approve Lecanemab for use in the UK.

27 Aug 2024

Acute kidney injury linked to increased risk of dementia

Acute kidney injury is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and others.

26 Aug 2024

Exploring early detection of Alzheimer's disease through non-cognitive symptoms

The article presents a thorough examination of Alzheimer's disease (AD), emphasizing early detection as critical due to the disease's progression through stages from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and eventually dementia.

26 Aug 2024

How diet shapes gut microbiota and affects brain function

Researchers discuss the diet-microbiota-gut-brain axis, which describes the role of both diet and gut microbiota composition on cognitive and emotional health.

26 Aug 2024

Multiple sclerosis patients less likely to have molecular hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are far less likely than those without the condition to have the molecular hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

23 Aug 2024

Cholinesterase inhibitors may slow cognitive decline in dementia with Lewy bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies is a type of dementia that is similar to both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease but studies on long-term treatments are lacking.

23 Aug 2024

FDA-approved drug could revolutionize organ transplantation

Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University report that they were able to successfully put tadpoles of Xenopus laevis frogs into a hibernation-like torpor state using donepezil (DNP), a drug approved by the FDA to treat Alzheimer's. The team had previously used another drug, SNC80, to achieve similar results in tadpoles and enhance the survival of whole mammalian hearts for transplants, but SNC80 is not approved for clinical use in humans because it can cause seizures. By contrast, DNP is already being used in the clinic, meaning it potentially could be rapidly repurposed for use in emergency situations to prevent irreversible organ injury while a person is being transported to a hospital.

23 Aug 2024

Redlined communities face higher mental health risks from air pollution

Air pollution is bad for mental health. That much is clear. Now, new research shows the impact may be even worse in neighborhoods that were historically redlined.

23 Aug 2024

$1.35 million grant to enhance safety and wellbeing in long-term care facilities

Researchers from the University of Colorado College of Nursing and CU School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus were awarded a $1.35 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to design and implement technologies that improve resident safety and employee wellbeing at long-term care facilities.

22 Aug 2024

Kynurenine pathway blockade shows promise for restoring brain metabolism in Alzheimer's

Among the many ways neuroscientists think Alzheimer's disease may strip away brain function is by disrupting the glucose metabolism needed to fuel the healthy brain.

22 Aug 2024

Cancer drug holds promise as a new treatment for neurodegenerative diseases

A type of drug developed for treating cancer holds promise as a new treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, according to a recent study by researchers at Penn State, Stanford University and an international team of collaborators.

22 Aug 2024

Study shows frequent mitochondrial DNA insertion in the brain cells

As direct descendants of ancient bacteria, mitochondria have always been a little alien.

22 Aug 2024

The role of soy in improving metabolic health

Pennington Biomedical Research Center's Dr. Candida Rebello wants to know more about the intersection of blood sugar levels and a diet rich in soy. This intersection is the primary focus of her new study, "Lifestyle Intervention for Improving Metabolic and Motivational Outcomes," or MOTIVATE, which explores how specific diets can impact blood sugar, and potentially improve mood and energy levels.

22 Aug 2024

The critical role of PGK1 in Parkinson's disease

An enzyme called PGK1 has an unexpectedly critical role in the production of chemical energy in brain cells, according to a preclinical study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The investigators found that boosting its activity may help the brain resist the energy deficits that can lead to Parkinson's disease.

21 Aug 2024

New discovery reveals how DNA regulates inheritance of disease mutations

University of Queensland researchers have discovered a mechanism in DNA that regulates how disease-causing mutations are inherited.

21 Aug 2024

UC Irvine researchers discover the neurons responsible for "item memory"

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have discovered the neurons responsible for "item memory," deepening our understanding of how the brain stores and retrieves the details of "what" happened and offering a new target for treating Alzheimer's disease.

21 Aug 2024