Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Super-resolution microscopy helps unravel elusive causes of dementia

University of Queensland researchers have used super-resolution microscopy to observe key molecules at work inside living brain cells, further unraveling the puzzle of memory formation and the elusive causes of dementia.

2 Aug 2019

Prion disease in mice treated successfully with antisense oligonucleotides

Prion proteins are known to cause scrapie – a neurodegenerative condition. It is capable of debilitating damage to the nervous system. Researchers have successfully devised a treatment for this condition which prolonged the lives of the lab mice infected with the prions.

1 Aug 2019

The talk seniors need to have with doctors before surgery

The decision seemed straightforward. Bob McHenry's heart was failing, and doctors recommended two high-risk surgeries to restore blood flow. Without the procedures, McHenry, 82, would die.

1 Aug 2019

Low or high levels of hemoglobin may increase risk of dementia

Having either low or high levels of hemoglobin in your blood may be linked to an increased risk of developing dementia years later, according to a study published in the July 31, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

1 Aug 2019

Mice brain study reveals secrets about Alzheimer’s

Researchers from University of California, Irvine have found the key responses of brain cells to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and say that this could help them understand the chronic debilitating and progressive neurodegenerative disease better in future.

1 Aug 2019

Liver function may be important in Alzheimer’s disease risk

A new study shows a strong link between altered liver function and the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This correlates with recent data on the role played by diseases affecting the systemic metabolism, such as diabetes and high blood cholesterol, in disruptions of brain function as in AD.

31 Jul 2019

Important steps to slow down Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's Disease is the most common type of dementia. It slowly kills brain cells and is the fifth-leading cause of death for Americans age 65 and over.

31 Jul 2019

Research uncovers novel connections between liver dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease

New research from the Alzheimer's Disease Metabolomics Consortium and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative has uncovered novel connections between liver dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease, paving a new path toward a systems level view of Alzheimer's relevant for early detection and ultimately for prevention.

31 Jul 2019

NHS 'health checks' linked to decreased risk factors for cardiovascular disease

Attending a health check as part of the England National Health Services “Health Check” programme is associated with increased risk management interventions and decreased risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the six years following the check, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine by Samah Alageel of King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, and colleagues from King’s College London, UK.

From PLOS ONE 31 Jul 2019

Traditional measures overlook socioeconomic costs associated with dementia

A new research review highlighting the hidden costs of dementia suggests that traditional measures only show the 'tip of the iceberg' of the cost impact on society.

31 Jul 2019

UM researchers receive $14 million from NIH for cutting-edge HIV research

The National Institutes of Health has awarded University of Miami researchers $14 million for an ambitious seven-year project that will keep the Miller School of Medicine at the forefront of cutting-edge HIV research.

30 Jul 2019

UC Berkeley awarded $47 million grant to study how healthy lifestyle changes the aging brain

The University of California, Berkeley announced today that it has received a five-year grant expected to total $47 million from the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) to incorporate advanced brain imaging into the Alzheimer's Association's groundbreaking clinical trial, the U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER), to determine whether lifestyle changes can protect memory in people at risk of developing dementia.

29 Jul 2019

Discovery could open door to new therapies for Parkinson's, other brain diseases

A small protein previously associated with cell dysfunction and death in fact serves a critical function in repairing breaks in DNA, according to new research led by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University.

29 Jul 2019

Creator of brain exam that Trump aced demands new training for testers

Last year, Dr. Ronny Jackson, then the White House physician, gave Donald Trump a standard test to detect early signs of dementia — and said the president had scored a perfect 30.

29 Jul 2019

New CRISPR tool enhances RNA editing

CRISPR-based tools helped revolutionize the ability to target genetic mutations linked to disease development. Such tools focus on using the enzymes Cas9 and Cas12 to target DNA, and Cas13 to target RNA. Now, scientists used a new CRISPR platform that expands the capabilities of RNA editing.

29 Jul 2019

Short height, low education are traits of diabetic Nigerian women showing signs of dementia

A joint survey by researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Benue State University finds that short height and low education levels are characteristic traits of Nigerian women with type 2 diabetes showing early symptoms of dementia.

26 Jul 2019

Study reveals mechanism that may contribute to HIV-associated metabolic conditions

HIV-infected cells release vesicles that contain a viral protein called Nef, impairing cholesterol metabolism and triggering inflammation in uninfected bystander cells, according to a study published July 25 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Dmitri Sviridov of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 26 Jul 2019

Researchers develop new predictive risk model for hypoglycemia

A new study identifies the risk factors that could help healthcare providers recognize patients being treated for diabetes who are most likely to have low blood sugar.

26 Jul 2019

Researchers decode factors that contribute to risk of developing motor neuron disease

Trinity College Dublin researchers have found that one in 347 men and one in 436 women can be expected to develop motor neuron disease during their lifetime.

25 Jul 2019

Bigger waists and higher BMI in 60s may be linked to greater brain aging years later

Having a bigger waistline and a high body mass index in your 60s may be linked with greater signs of brain aging years later, according to a study published in the July 24, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Jul 2019