Dementia News and Research

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Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. People with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with normal activities and relationships. They also lose their ability to solve problems and maintain emotional control, and they may experience personality changes and behavioral problems, such as agitation, delusions, and hallucinations.

New study could help develop novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers have introduced a novel gene therapy program that could set the stage for new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

2 Aug 2021

Study finds a link between progression of Alzheimer’s disease and corpuscles in cell nuclei

Studies conducted on patients’ tissue as well as mini-brains created from stem cells have provided a better insight into Alzheimer’s disease.

15 Jun 2021

Brain study provides new insights on dementia

The largest study to date has provided a better understanding of how genes are controlled in dementia, including the identification of 84 novel genes associated with the condition.

From University of Exeter 11 Jun 2021

Naked mole rats' unique DNA repair mechanism helps prevent cancers, dementia

Scientists say naked mole rats - a rodent native to West Africa - may hold the key to new treatments for degenerative diseases such as cancer and dementia.

11 Jun 2021

Developing computational tools to illuminate how genetic factors impact the brain

Liang Zhan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, received a $500,000 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to develop computational tools that improve our understanding of the human brain.

From University of Pittsburgh 8 Jun 2021

Single biomarker in the blood can accurately indicate underlying neurodegeneration

Levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood can identify those who might have neurodegenerative diseases such as Down's syndrome dementia, motor neuron disease (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, when clinical symptoms are not definitive.

8 Jun 2021

Study shows why “the brain's memory center” is vulnerable to damage, degeneration

In a world first, scientists from the University of Sussex have recorded blood oxygen levels in the hippocampus and provided experimental proof for why the area, commonly referred to as 'the brain's memory center', is vulnerable to damage and degeneration, a precursor to Alzheimer's disease.

31 May 2021

Gene expression signatures underlying microglia linked with amyloid plaque phagocytosis

Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent form of dementia distinguished by the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain.

24 May 2021

Study defines genetic positions associated with the progression of Parkinson’s disease

The progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an important factor in patients’ well-being and clinical trials.

7 May 2021

Study shows how tau aggregates promote Alzheimer’s disease

If looked deep into the brain of a patient with Alzheimer’s disease or those suffering from the most types of dementia or the concussion-associated syndrome, called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), there would be hairball-like tangles of a protein known as tau—a common suspected culprit.

20 Apr 2021

Study shows that neural stem cells age quickly

A research team has revealed that neural stem cells (NSCs)—that is, the stem cells of the nervous system—age quickly.

14 Apr 2021

Study finds an amyloid link between melanoma and Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder and melanoma is a type of skin cancer but on the surface, these disorders do not seem to have much in common.

8 Apr 2021

Study sheds new light on age-related neurodegenerative disorders

Neurons cannot simulate their DNA and hence they work continuously to repair any damage caused to their genome.

2 Apr 2021

Retinoic acid induces synaptic plasticity in the human brain

Neuroscientists agree that a person's brain is constantly changing, rewiring itself and adapting to environmental stimuli. This is how humans learn new things and create memories. This adaptability and malleability is called plasticity.

1 Apr 2021

New genetic evidence points to novel therapies for “silent” stroke

According to a study, researchers have discovered new genetic clues in individuals who had experienced small but often apparently “silent” strokes.

26 Mar 2021

Nutritional supplement may reduce the risk of strokes caused by a rare genetic disorder

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have discovered that a widely used nutritional supplement may significantly reduce the risk of fatal strokes caused by a rare genetic disorder.

24 Mar 2021

Processed meat consumption associated with increased risk of dementia

Scientists from the University of Leeds's Nutritional Epidemiology Group used data from 500,000 people, discovering that consuming a 25g serving of processed meat a day, the equivalent to one rasher of bacon, is associated with a 44% increased risk of developing the disease.

23 Mar 2021

Comprehensive mutation map helps better understand the biological processes underlying Alzheimer's

A study published in the journal eLife made all the possible mutations in the amyloid beta peptide and tested how they influence its aggregation into plaques, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

10 Mar 2021

Two new Alzheimer’s genes discovered

AZoLifeSciences speaks to researchers from Tianjin Medical University about their latest research that led to the discovery of two new genes that are linked to Alzheimer's disease.

From Tianjin Medical University 1 Mar 2021

New signaling pathway prevents the overproduction of RNA-protein complexes

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as various forms of senile dementia or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), have one thing in common: large amounts of certain RNA-protein complexes (snRNPs) are produced and deposited in the nerve cells of those affected - and this hinders the function of the cells.

26 Feb 2021