Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

Targeting multiple proteins may be key to treat neurodegenerative disorders

Nearly all major neurodegenerative diseases - from Alzheimer's to Parkinson's - are defined and diagnosed by the presence of one of four proteins that have gone rogue: tau, amyloid-beta, alpha-synuclein, or TDP-43.

6 Jul 2018

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Whither work requirements?

A federal District Court judge in Washington, D.C., has — for now — blocked Kentucky's proposal to add a work requirement for much of its adult Medicaid population.

6 Jul 2018

Scientists discover brain cell critical to learning and memory

A new study published today reports the identification of a type of brain cell that plays a crucial role in memory and learning processes.

5 Jul 2018

Stabilizing dysfunctional endothelial cells reverses cellular dysfunction in rat model of SVD

Researchers have discovered that stabilizing dysfunctional endothelial cells with approved drugs reverses cellular dysfunction in a rat model of cerebral small vessel disease, hinting towards a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of vascular dementia.

5 Jul 2018

New study links obstructive sleep apnea with changes to brain structure typical of dementia

Obstructive sleep apnoea is associated with changes to the structure of the brain that are also seen in the early stages of dementia, according to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal.

5 Jul 2018

Scientists discover potential approach to treat common cause of dementia and stroke

Scientists have uncovered a potential approach to treat one of the commonest causes of dementia and stroke in older people.

4 Jul 2018

Increase in marker of inflammation from mid to late life linked with dementia

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have added to evidence that rising and chronic inflammation as measured by a biomarker in the blood in middle and late age are linked to visible structural changes in the brains of people with poor cognition and dementia.

2 Jul 2018

Low-dose aspirin may reduce amyloid plaques in the brain, study shows

A regimen of low-dose aspirin potentially may reduce plaques in the brain, which will reduce Alzheimer's disease pathology and protect memory, according to neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center, who published the results of their study today in the July issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

2 Jul 2018

Obesity together with aging may contribute to development of Alzheimer's disease

A new study suggests that when a high-fat, high-sugar diet that leads to obesity is paired with normal aging, it may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease.

29 Jun 2018

Digital Care Home shows potential to minimize emergency hospital admissions

Care home workers are playing a vital role in an exciting new partnership between care homes and the NHS aiming to improve the quality of life of residents and reduce emergency hospital admissions in Sheffield.

29 Jun 2018

Scientists pinpoint new mechanism to explain progression of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have pinpointed minute exosomes as the main vehicle that allow the spread of toxic proteins that trigger the onset of Alzheimer's Disease across a person's brain network.

29 Jun 2018

Tiny snippets of genetic material may help with early detection of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Indiana University have found early evidence that tiny snippets of genetic material called microRNA may help with early detection of conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

29 Jun 2018

Blood pressure medications linked to increased mortality, memory problems in old and frail patients

Old and frail patients have an increased mortality risk and increased memory problems when their blood pressure is lowered too much through medication.

28 Jun 2018

Achieving the WHO’s Global Action Plan for Dementia

One year on from the WHO's Global Action Plan for Dementia, Dr. Matthew Norton from Alzheimer's Research UK discusses the steps that have been taken so far, and whether we are likely to meet the 2025 target.

28 Jun 2018

Geriatric assessments could fine-tune cancer care for older adults

In a move to improve cancer care for older adults, the American Society of Clinical Oncology is recommending that all patients age 65 and older receive a geriatric assessment when considering or undergoing chemotherapy.

28 Jun 2018

Pennington Biomedical awarded $4.5 million funding to evaluate treatments for childhood obesity

A research team at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center has been approved for a five-year, $4.5 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, or PCORI, to evaluate two treatments for children who have obesity.

27 Jun 2018

Poor sleep quality may be important risk factor for atrial fibrillation

Poor sleep quality appears to be an important risk factor for atrial fibrillation, report scientists in the first study of its kind to demonstrate a relationship between poor sleep quality independent of sleep apnea and a higher risk of atrial fibrillation (AF).

26 Jun 2018

Researchers identify novel mutation in amyloid diseases

Researchers have identified a one-of-a kind mutation in the DNA of a patient who died of transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis, a progressive condition characterized by the buildup of abnormal deposits of a misfolded protein called amyloid in the body's organs and tissues.

26 Jun 2018

Unlocked and loaded: Families confront dementia and guns

With a bullet in her gut, her voice choked with pain, Dee Hill pleaded with the 911 dispatcher for help.

25 Jun 2018

Eye could be a surrogate for brain degeneration like AD

Researchers from Queen's University Belfast have shown for the first time that the eye could be a surrogate for brain degeneration like Alzheimer's disease (AD).

25 Jun 2018