Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

New study links brain cell structures to memory loss in aging and dementia

Researchers assessed whether dendritic spine head diameter in the temporal cortex is a better predictor of episodic memory performance in older adults than synapse quantity, accounting for β amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and sex.

12 Aug 2024

Enzyme blockade improves memory updating in older mice

Everyone has moments of forgetfulness from time to time, especially as we get older. But older adults don't just have difficulty remembering new information.

9 Aug 2024

Violent dementia patients leave nursing home staffers and residents ‘scared to death’

Dan Shively had been a bank president who built floats for July Fourth parades in Cody, Wyoming, and adored fly-fishing with his sons.

9 Aug 2024

NIH awards $3.5M grant to study link between traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is caused by a contusion to the head that may result in injury to the brain.

8 Aug 2024

Alcohol use disorders in parents linked to accelerated aging in children

Researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have discovered that parents who struggle with alcohol use disorders can pass along symptoms of early aging to their children, affecting them well into adulthood.

8 Aug 2024

New technique reveals abnormalities in motor neurone disease

Pathological abnormalities associated with motor neurone disease have been identified using a new technique developed at the University of Birmingham.

8 Aug 2024

Amyloid immunotherapy for early Alzheimer's: Promising but fraught with challenges

Researchers highlighted the complexities of using amyloid immunotherapy for early Alzheimer's disease, discussing its clinical benefits, challenges, and broader health implications. Despite some positive results, concerns over adverse effects, trial biases, and cost hinder widespread adoption.

7 Aug 2024

Recombinant shingles vaccine linked to lower dementia risk, especially in women

Study published in Nature Medicine found that the recombinant shingles vaccine is linked to a reduced risk of dementia. This protective effect was particularly notable in females, suggesting a potential advantage of the recombinant vaccine over the live vaccine.

7 Aug 2024

Research finds synaptic strength key to maintaining memory in old age

Over the course of life, memory fades with varying degrees, robbing older people of the ability to recollect personal experiences.

7 Aug 2024

Study suggests lower dementia risk for people with Parkinson's

There's some good news for people with Parkinson's disease: The risk of developing dementia may be lower than previously thought, or dementia may occur later in the course of the disease than previously reported, according to a study published in the August 7, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Aug 2024

Study uncovers roles of certain brain cells in Alzheimer's plaque formation

A study in Nature Neuroscience found that both neurons and oligodendrocytes contribute to amyloid-β plaque burden in Alzheimer's disease, highlighting new therapeutic targets.

7 Aug 2024

FDA approves vorasidenib for Grade 2 gliomas with IDH mutations

Vorasidenib has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patients with Grade 2 gliomas with IDH1 or IDH2 mutations.

6 Aug 2024

Loneliness linked to increased nightmare frequency and intensity

People who are lonely are more apt to have bad dreams, according to a collaboration that included an Oregon State University scientist.

6 Aug 2024

Omega-3 fatty acids show potential in protecting brain health in older adults

Researchers assess the role of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in reducing white matter lesion accumulation and neuronal integrity degeneration.

6 Aug 2024

Cambridge experts question efficacy and practicality of new amyloid immunotherapy drugs

Cambridge researchers have cast doubt on whether new amyloid immunotherapy drugs will have the desired effect of significantly reducing the impact of Alzheimer's disease.

6 Aug 2024

Menopause myths: Separating fact from fiction

Many women approach menopause with anxiety about the future. You've probably heard your grandmother, mother, or aunts lament about menopause, aka "the change," as a stressful time full of hot flashes, weight gain, and plummeting sex drive.

6 Aug 2024

Breakthrough MS drug uses green mamba venom discovery to promote myelin repair

Ten years of work, and a little help from the green mamba snake, has resulted in a promising new drug that is already being tested in clinical trials.

5 Aug 2024

Dr. Carrie Elks receives $1.4 million NIDDK grant to explore fat cell communication and insulin resistance

The National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, or NIDDK, awarded Pennington Biomedical researcher Dr. Carrie Elks a grant of $1.4 million to explore insulin resistance and inflammation in fat cells.

5 Aug 2024

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging unveils new program to boost brain health for dementia patients, caregivers

The University of Kentucky's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging has introduced a groundbreaking initiative, Brain Health Activities, aimed at supporting individuals with dementia and their caregivers.

5 Aug 2024

Diabetes accelerates the onset of severe long-term conditions by 15-20 years, cutting life expectancy

A study in Nature Medicine reveals that diabetes accelerates the onset of multiple long-term conditions by 15-20 years, significantly reducing life expectancy in English adults.

4 Aug 2024