All articles tagged: Alzheimer's disease & dementia

Can training your brain to remember things help you ward off the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease? A new Canadian study suggests that yes, it can—even five years after you received the training.

A study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, offers new insights into the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The research reveals critical differences in the progression of memory loss based on the presence of specific proteins in the brain.

Prior research has found that there may be a connection between hearing loss in aging people and the onset of dementia. In a new study, a team of health care researchers and geriatric specialists affiliated with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Michigan and the Duke University School of Medicine surveyed patient health care records and reported that approximately

People living with dementia should have more power and creative freedom in collaborative design projects, new research from Heriot-Watt University suggests.

Among progressive neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's is one of the most common and most heartbreaking. It robs individuals of their memories and self-sufficiency and can even alter their personalities.

A Korean study published recently suggests that people with type 2 diabetes who are prescribed a particular class of drug might be at a significantly lower risk of dementia.

A simple blood test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, which afflicts nearly 7 million Americans, could soon replace more invasive and expensive diagnostic methods such as spinal taps and brain scans.

Laura Burke, MD, MPH, an emergency physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), is at the forefront of research that intersects emergency medicine and public health. Burke's project focuses on advancing emergency care.

People can create many special moments if they include a loved one with dementia in their end-of-summer Labor Day getaway.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors used to treat type 2 diabetes might prevent dementia, providing greater benefits with longer treatment, suggests a large study from Korea published by The BMJ.

GPs could soon be able to screen their patients for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using a simple handheld device developed by Monash engineers.

Western Sydney University's "Brain Bootcamp" is Australia's first self-guided intervention demonstrating the potential of short lifestyle modifications, even later in life, in dementia prevention.

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.

Trinity researchers have examined the effectiveness of a new blood test which could change the way Alzheimer's disease is identified. The blood test (plasma p-tau217) detects the presence of amyloid plaques that build up in the brain of people with Alzheimer's disease. In the Alzheimer's brain, abnormal levels of this naturally occurring protein clump together to form plaques that disrupt normal c

Scientists on the team of Dr. Lenka Maletínská have developed a promising new compound derived from one of the peptides naturally occurring in the brain. Its application may address two major health challenges: obesity and Alzheimer's disease.

Just as your primary care physician offers routine blood tests to gauge cholesterol or glucose levels, they might soon offer a blood test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease.

A study conducted at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, shows that tests of functional mobility and muscle strength can be adapted so that they can be performed at home under remote supervision by health professionals, especially for older people with dementia. The telehealth protocol also involves training for caregivers.

A study offering insights into understanding and managing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias led by a team of UTHealth Houston researchers has been published in Alzheimer's & Dementia.

Older age, female sex, irregular heart rhythms, and daily activity levels can help to predict how much Alzheimer's disease patients' cognitive function will decline, and how much they will depend on their caregivers over the next two years.

With more than 24 million people globally living with dementia without a cure in sight, there is a lot of focus on ways to prevent and delay cognitive impairment. A new study suggests that severe menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and depression can negatively affect cognitive function in postmenopausal women.

Feeling that your life lacks purpose and that there are few opportunities for personal growth in older age may precede the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a frequent precursor of dementia, suggests research published online in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

People with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and other adverse cognitive health issues. A new study conducted by Umeå University, Sweden, shows that the reason for the correlation may be that people with type 2 diabetes have more difficulty getting rid of a protein that potentially increases the likelihood of contracting the disease.

Increased glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) stability within patient-specific target ranges is associated with a lower risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), according to a study published online Aug. 2 in JAMA Network Open.

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.

An England-wide study has found the health of people's mouths and teeth is often overlooked by home care services.

Millions of cases of dementia could be prevented or delayed by reducing a range of risk factors such as smoking or air pollution, according to a major new study, though outside experts warn that such measures can only go so far.

Addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, starting in childhood and continuing throughout life, could prevent or delay nearly half of dementia cases, even as people around the world live longer and the number of people with dementia is set to rise dramatically in all countries, according to the third Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care, which is being presented at the Alz

Neurotransmitter levels in the brain can indicate brain health and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. However, the protective blood-brain barrier (BBB) makes delivering fluorescent sensors that can detect these small molecules to the brain difficult. Now, researchers writing in ACS Central Science demonstrate a way of packaging these sensors for easy passage across the BBB in mice, allow

Mayo Clinic scientists are using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to analyze electroencephalogram (EEG) tests more quickly and precisely, enabling neurologists to find early signs of dementia among data that typically go unexamined.

Early detection of Alzheimer's disease-related changes in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies could be made possible by monitoring the amyloid-β (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) proteins. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have also discovered that the blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein are elevated at an early stage of Parkinson's disease (PD) and deme

Neurologists diagnose cognitive impairment with a clinical exam of memory and thinking skills. To determine whether Alzheimer's disease is the cause of the cognitive impairment, evidence of the specific brain changes that characterize Alzheimer's must be obtained, typically via a brain scan or spinal tap. Identifying people whose cognitive symptoms are due to Alzheimer's disease is critical now th

New blood tests could help doctors diagnose Alzheimer's disease faster and more accurately, researchers reported Sunday—but some appear to work far better than others.

Tasmanian scientists are a step closer to developing a computer test that can detect dementia, decades before any memory symptoms emerge, recent research has found.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is marked by severe neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, presenting significant challenges for its prevention and treatment. Traditional hypotheses have focused on amyloid-beta plaques and Tau pathology, but recent findings point to a significant role for microglial dysfunction and mitochondrial impairment. Given these challenges, there is a pressing need for deeper re

A study of more than 200,000 people by researchers at the University of Oxford found at least a 17% reduction in dementia diagnoses in the six years after the new recombinant shingles vaccination, equating to 164 or more additional days lived without dementia.

A new major study by the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Oulu and Neurocenter Finland explored early-onset dementia in the working-age population in Finland. The study cohort was one of the largest in the world to date, and the findings were published on 24 July 2024 in Neurology.

Researchers have identified a unique type of neutrophil significantly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and mapped the transcriptome of neutrophils in the peripheral blood of AD mice. The study was published in Immunity & Ageing.. The team includes Lv Xinyou from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), in collaboration with Associate Researcher Li Jin from the Sc

From studying the human genome to analyzing the way proteins are encoded, or monitoring RNA expression, researchers are rapidly gaining a far richer understanding of the complex genetic and cellular mechanisms that underpin dementia. But there's a catch: While new technologies are revealing myriad avenues for Alzheimer's research, it's impossible to know in advance which research pathways will lea

People with high levels of body fat stored in their belly or arms may be more likely to develop diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's than people with low levels of fat in these areas, according to a study published in the July 24, 2024, online issue of Neurology.

Oligodendrocytes are an important source of amyloid beta (Aβ) and play a key role in promoting neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study published July 23, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Rikesh Rajani and Marc Aurel Busche from the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, and colleagues.

People can reduce their risk of age-related dementia by exercising their brains properly instead of Googling, according to a leading Canadian academic.

Amyloid PET scans provide in-vivo evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. However, due to their high cost and limited insurance coverage, they are not widely used in clinical settings outside of the VA Healthcare System. A special form of electroencephalograms (a test that measures electrical activity in the brain) referred to as event-related potentials (ERPs), measures electrical activit

The Food and Drug Administration approved a new Eli Lilly drug this month that treats Alzheimer's disease. Kisunla is an IV infusion therapy given once a month to people in the early stages of Alzheimer's, according to the Alzheimer's Association. The treatment destroys amyloid plaques in the brain to slow the progression of the disease.

Distressing dreams in middle-aged and older adults may indicate a higher risk for future cognitive decline and all-cause dementia, according to a study presented at EAN 2024, the 10th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology, held from June 29 to July 2 in Helsinki.

Cambridge scientists have developed an artificially-intelligent tool capable of predicting in four cases out of five whether people with early signs of dementia will remain stable or develop Alzheimer's disease.

Racial disparities in dementia are due to social determinants of health, with genetic ancestry playing no role, according to a new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

About 13% of individuals diagnosed with dementia may suffer instead from reversible cognitive decline caused by advanced liver disease, according to researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Medicine and the Richmond VA Medical Center.

Investigators analyzing the potential cognitive effects of antidiabetic medications in records of more than 1.5 million patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) found risks of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) were significantly lower in patients treated with metformin and sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) compared to other antidiabetic drugs. Their results appear in th

Cognitive decline is inevitable as we age, but a research team led by Professor Yow Wei Quin from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is finding ways to slow the decline through language.

A new self-reporting tool developed by Murdoch University is set to transform the early detection and management of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

An international panel of experts led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), under the umbrella of the Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, has produced a consensus statement on sex and gender disparities in resilience to Alzheimer's disease and issued a call for incorporating these differences in future research.

An international team of medical researchers associated with the nonprofit Alzheimer's Association has published a paper describing the group's final version of their new diagnostic criteria for the disease. Published in Nature Medicine, the paper includes use of plasma biomarkers in diagnosing symptomatic Alzheimer's patients.

Lead author Neta Rosenzweig, Ph.D., of the Brigham and Women's Hospital Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases, and senior author Oleg Butovsky, Ph.D., of the Ann Romney Center and Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, share key messages from their paper titled "Sex-Dependent APOE4 Neutrophil-Microglia Interactions Drive Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease" published in N

A class of proteins that regulates cell repair and enhances cell growth-signaling systems could be a promising new target for the treatment of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. They found that disrupting necessary sugar modifications of these proteins promotes cell repair and reverses cellular abnormalities that occur in ne

Researchers at Kent's School of Computing have co-designed with therapists a conversational AI tool to enhance the lives of people with early-stage dementia. The AI tool called MindTalker, integrates the advanced capabilities of GPT-4 (created by OpenAI) and is designed to offer personalized interactions.

The genetic risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is more strongly influenced by the mother's side than the father's side, a recent study has discovered.

The Alzheimer's Association has published revised criteria for the diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer's disease that are based on the biology of the disease and reflect recent advancements in research, diagnostics and treatment.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder that causes brain cells to waste away and die. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily function.

Measures to prevent dementia in at-risk groups can not only improve quality of life, but also make a lot of economic sense. This is the key finding of a recently published analysis by IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the University of Continuing Education Krems. It shows that early prevention for particularly vulnerable groups of people is relatively inexpensive and c

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have found a potential link between putative retinal gliosis and Alzheimer's disease. The study, published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, demonstrates that putative retinal gliosis could be a sign of Alzheimer's disease-related neuroinflammation, an inflammatory response within the brain or spinal cord.

Trying to figure out whether someone has Alzheimer's disease usually involves a battery of assessments—interviews, brain imaging, blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests. But, by then, it's probably already too late: memories have started slipping away, long established personality traits have begun subtly shifting.

Research in nonhuman primates is opening the possibility of testing treatments for the early stages of Alzheimer's and similar diseases, before extensive brain cell death and dementia set in. A study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia shows up to a six-month window in which disease progress could be tracked and treatments tested in rhesus macaques.

As the world's population ages, so does the proportion of older drivers on the road. Safe driving requires adequate memory, perceptual and motor skills, and executive function abilities. Although individuals with severe Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are no longer able to drive safely, changes in driving performance may start at the preclinical stage of AD.

Women who have their ovaries removed before menopause, particularly before the age of 40, have reduced white matter integrity in multiple regions of the brain later in life. White matter refers to the nerve fibers that connect neurons in different areas of the brain.

Primary care providers often are the first to identify and evaluate patients with neurocognitive disorders such as mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's and dementia.

A new study suggests that certain drugs commonly used to treat enlarged prostate may also decrease the risk for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). This observational finding may seem surprising, but it mirrors previous work by the University of Iowa Health Care team that links the drugs to a protective effect in another neurodegenerative condition—Parkinson's disease. The new findings were published

A statistical tool designed to analyze 11 characteristics of postmortem brains reliably diagnosed a common neurodegenerative disease known as essential tremor (ET), a study led by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Columbia University shows.

It's welcome news for Alzheimer's patients and their families: A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously recommended approval for Eli Lilly & Co.'s treatment donanemab. If given the agency's green light later this year, it would be the second drug to target amyloid plaques in the brain, which have been associated with the memory-destroying disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), which have no known cures and elusive causes, result in irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system. Research into these diseases typically focuses on the brain, but mouse studies from the last few years suggest that the microbiome plays a role in the onset and progression of some NDDs, as well.

Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood through the brain vessels, causing them to expand slightly and then relax, much like the rise and fall of the blood pulsing through your veins when you feel your pulse in your wrist. This pulsation in the brain helps distribute blood evenly across different areas of the brain, ensuring that all parts receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to function p

Existing research indicates that cognitive impairment in late life is the result of a sequence of life-long events, with vascular risk factors playing a crucial role in this process. It is important to develop biomarkers that can detect the early effect of vascular risk factors on the brain.

The felt age of spousal caregivers is connected to the felt age of their loved ones living with dementia, according to a study from the University of Surrey. This perceived age in people with dementia and their caregivers is related to their own well-being, satisfaction with life, and self-confidence. The study has been published by The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences

A new review paper was published in Aging titled "Peripheral vascular dysfunction and the aging brain."

Eye movements can not only reflect impaired visual attention, but also influence cognitive processing and a wide range of daily activities. Hence, a better understanding of how patients with dementia visually perceive the real world is critically important to mitigate the widespread impact of impaired visual attention on their quality of life.

A study led by linguists from the Department of English, Linguistics and Theater Studies (ELTS) at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) has found that early linguistic signs of dementia can be detected through the study of the natural speech of senior Singaporeans.

Depressive symptoms are linked to subsequent memory decline in older people, while poorer memory is also linked to an increase in depressive symptoms later on, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL and Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

Bright lights, loud sounds and trip hazards can make a person with Alzheimer's uncomfortable in the home and even pose real dangers.

Two people diagnosed with Alzheimer's claim to have conquered the disease through simple lifestyle changes.

Frontotemporal dementia is a currently incurable brain disease causing memory loss, speech disorders, and changes in personality. In 5–12% of cases, a decline in progranulin triggers the disease. The loss of this protein leads to deficiencies in protein breakdown, resulting in the deposition of insoluble toxic proteins. This leads to inflammation of the brain, neuronal death, and associated massiv

People with high blood pressure have a higher risk of cognitive impairment, including dementia, but a new study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests that engaging in vigorous physical activity more than once a week can lower that risk.

Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London have developed a new method for predicting dementia with over 80% accuracy and up to nine years before a diagnosis. The new method provides a more accurate way to predict dementia than memory tests or measurements of brain shrinkage, two commonly used methods for diagnosing dementia.

A searchable database is now ready to help study Alzheimer's disease.

The underdiagnosis of dementia, especially among Black and Hispanic patients, is a long-standing challenge in medicine. A new study, published in Nature Medicine, finds that an easy five-minute assessment, paired with recommendations built into the electronic medical record system, led to a three-fold improvement in diagnosis and treatment for patients in a primary care setting compared to a contr

Individuals with preeclampsia have an increased risk for young-onset dementia, according to a research letter published online May 30 in JAMA Network Open.

Some 13% of older adults are diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a study by UC San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Health Care System. These injuries are typically caused by falls from ground level.

Using national registry data, Carmen Solares Canal identified individuals over 50 and collected data on their criminal convictions and health. The doctoral thesis involves just over 3.5 million people, of whom 800,000 have a criminal background.

The decision to undergo surgery can be complicated for people living with dementia, not only due to limited decision-making capabilities, but also because participation in rehabilitation afterward is imperative to surgery success.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80% of those living with dementia receive informal care from family members or friends. This equates to 16 million family caregivers in the U.S. However, caring for family members with dementia is often associated with increased caregiver burden (which includes emotional, physical, and financial strain), stress, and worse physical h

The sport of orienteering, which simultaneously combines exercise with challenging navigation, may be better for the brain than exercise alone, according to new research from kinesiologists at McMaster University.

Experts are expecting this Memorial Day weekend to be the busiest yet, with nearly 44 million Americans projected to travel between Thursday and Monday.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 5.8 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for Alzheimer's, in part because scientists do not yet have a full understanding of what causes the disease. But a new study from Scripps Research is shedding light on the molecular drivers that cou

The clumping of proteins is at the root of a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders that affect the brain, such as Alzheimer's and dementia. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a new tool that can help find and study these tiny protein clumps. The research has been published in Nature Communications.

The phrase 'you are what you eat' was coined almost a century before Alois Alzheimer made his breakthrough in identifying brain disease, but the evidence is now clear that diet as well as age influences the brain.

Upward social mobility may ward off dementia, according to a new study. Dementia, a collective term for conditions marked by memory loss and diminished cognitive functioning, strains health care systems and devastates quality of life for patients and their families.

A study by Duke and Columbia Universities finds older, non-white adults are more likely to live in areas with higher air pollution and near toxic disposal sites, among or environmental injustices, potentially underlying their cognitive health.

It has long been known that a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and most other neurodegenerative diseases, is the clumping together of insoluble protein aggregates in the brain. During normal disease-free aging, there is also an accumulation of insoluble proteins.

Dementia often leads to the appointment of a legal guardian for the individual affected, as their legal capacity diminishes as the disease progresses. Cognitive symptoms of dementia include, e.g., memory impairment and language deficits, while neuropsychiatric symptoms include, e.g., impulsivity and sensitivity to stimuli.

Researchers have found that 54% of older Native Americans have cognitive impairment, including 10% with dementia, highlighting a significant disparity with the rates of cognitive impairment and dementia in the general American population. The study also identified vascular injury, which can result from untreated hypertension and diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease as equally responsible contributors

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have devised a method to gauge Alzheimer's disease severity by analyzing the patterns of tau pathology in brain scans. The findings could lead to a way to determine how far the disease has progressed in individuals, which could help guide treatment decisions.

Solving a quiz as a group while moving around the room at the same time—this combination is the basis of a new tool designed to prevent dementia. Researchers developed and evaluated it in the "go4cognition" project with industry partners and brought it to market maturity.

A study has identified a new biomarker for Alzheimer's disease in asymptomatic stages of the disease. The molecule is miR-519a-3p, a microRNA directly linked to the expression of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), which is deregulated in people suffering from some neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Using an innovative new method, a University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher is building tiny pseudo-organs from stem cells to help diagnose and treat Alzheimer's.

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have discovered that some brain cells age more rapidly than others, and they are disproportionately abundant in individuals afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, researchers observed sex-specific differences in the aging process of certain brain cells, with the female cortex exhibiting a higher ratio of "old" oligodendrocytes to "old"

A research paper published in the journal Cell Metabolism by the team of Prof. Liu Qiang at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) reveals the critical role of glutamate tRNA fragments in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease.

A new study has investigated how measures of thinking, memory, and Alzheimer's disease risk group together in Veterans aged 65 and older without dementia. Results of the study showed multiple patterns of cognitive strengths and weaknesses and Alzheimer's disease risk and may imply that older Veterans with certain cognitive difficulties could mistakenly receive a diagnosis of possible Alzheimer's d

Young people with diabetes may have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life, according to a new study by researchers in the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a series of brain changes characterized by unique clinical features and immune cell behaviors using a new corticolimbic index tool for Alzheimer's disease, a leading cause of dementia.

Dementia is often described as "the long goodbye." Although the person is still alive, dementia slowly and irreversibly chips away at their memories and the qualities that make someone "them."

For hospitalized patients with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) and dysphagia, those receiving thick liquids are less likely to be intubated but have no difference in hospital mortality compared with those receiving thin liquids, according to a study published online May 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Alzheimer's Disease can be detected years in advance of a clinical diagnosis by monitoring how people manage their finances, according to new research.

Many dementia charities advise people to maintain a healthy weight to reduce their risk of dementia. But some studies have suggested that obesity might actually protect against dementia. What does the science say?

"Childhood" and "dementia" are two words we wish we didn't have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 Australian children and young people live with currently untreatable childhood dementia.

Researchers in Sweden say they have improved on a technique for converting regular skin cells into neural stem cells—an advance that they say helps close the gap for accessible personalized cell-based therapies for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Essential tremor, a nervous system disorder that causes rhythmic shaking, is one of the most common movement disorders. A new study published in the Annals of Neurology reveals details on the increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia that individuals with essential tremor may face.

Cleveland Clinic researchers are using artificial intelligence to uncover the link between the gut microbiome and Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists from St Petersburg University and the University of Montpellier have developed the first software enabling the prediction of pairs of proteins in amyloid fibrils capable of co-aggregation, i.e. a process by which proteins become attached to one another. Their studies have shown an accuracy of more than 94%. The work is published in the Journal of Molecular Biology.

Obesity has become a pressing worldwide health issue, with rates steadily rising over recent decades. Beyond its well-documented associations with physical health issues, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, obesity has also been linked to cognitive decline, including conditions like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Understanding the complex mechanisms underlying this cognitive

A new study from Van Andel Institute scientists offers a first look into the complex molecular changes that occur in brain cells with Lewy bodies, which are key pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease and some dementias.

A new mathematical model offers hope for better prediction and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Most mathematical models of Alzheimer's are theoretical, focusing on short term molecular and cellular-level changes that cannot be measured in patients.

No one associated with nursing homes—as residents or their families, friends, staff, or administrators—is unaware of the massive impact of the pandemic on these facilities, which provide essential services to a growing number of older adults, many living with cognitive impairment.

We all lose our car keys or our glasses from time to time. Most people would be correct to laugh it off as a normal part of aging. But for others, cognitive decline may start as a worrying but clinically unnoticeable step toward cognitive impairment, be it relatively mild or as severe as Alzheimer's disease.

Weill Cornell Medicine scientists have developed an innovative human neuron model that robustly simulates the spread of tau protein aggregates in the brain—a process that drives cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. This new model has led to the identification of novel therapeutic targets that could potentially block tau spread.

Alzheimer's disease starts with a sticky protein called amyloid beta that builds up into plaques in the brain, setting off a chain of events that results in brain atrophy and cognitive decline. The new generation of Alzheimer's drugs—the first proven to change the course of the disease—work by tagging amyloid for clearance by the brain's immune cells.

Jimmy Carter, who chose to forgo aggressive medical care for complications of cancer and frailty in February 2023, recently reached his one-year anniversary since enrolling in hospice care. During this time, he celebrated his 99th birthday, received tributes far and wide and stood by the side of his beloved wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023.

A smartphone app could enable greater participation in clinical trials for people with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a devastating neurological disorder that often manifests in midlife.

Accumulation of pathologic tau protein plays a pivotal role in the neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and many other tauopathies. Thus, amelioration of pathological tau aggregates in the brain is an important direction for the development of drugs. However, since tau per se plays multifaceted physiological roles in maintaining cell structure and functions, the traditional strategies tar

Scientists at The Florey have developed an mRNA technology approach to target the toxic protein tau, which builds up in patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

University of Queensland researchers have found older patients who experience delirium are three times more likely to develop dementia. Professor Ruth Hubbard from UQ's Center for Health Services Research (CHSR) said the study also found that every episode of delirium increased the chance of developing dementia by 20%.

Dementia in unhoused people was 1.9 times greater than the general population, with a higher prevalence for age groups younger than 85 years, according to new research from Lawson Health Research Institute and ICES.

If you or a loved one have noticed changes in your memory or thinking as you've grown older, this could reflect typical changes that occur with aging. In some cases though, it might suggest something more, such as the onset of dementia.

As Tony Bennett releases what may well be his last album, his family has disclosed that the 1950s crooner who became popular with younger audiences decades later has Alzheimer's disease.

By 2050, the global population of adults 60 and older will approximately double, leading to upward of 153 million dementia cases. That's why University College Cork neuroscience professor Yvonne Nolan and Ph.D. student Sebastian Dohm-Hansen Allard are investigating the relationship between dementia risks and what's in your blood.

In cases of Alzheimer's disease, it's common for a spouse to take on the role of caregiver. Research led by the University of California, Davis, suggests that patients can also support their caretakers, and that reciprocated care has mutual benefits.

Nearly 12% of Texas seniors in 2020 were living with Alzheimer's disease.

Getting dementia diagnosed can be a long and difficult process for anyone, but some may face additional challenges based on race or ethnicity and where they live, according to a study led by Washington State University researchers.

A study that examined the mediation effect of the number of teeth on the association between income and dementia was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, i

A novel approach in the field of Alzheimer's research is emerging that could potentially transform how we tackle this debilitating disease. Recent studies have revealed a paradigm shift in understanding Alzheimer's pathology, emphasizing the importance of targeting the early-stage aggregation of the pathogenic amyloid beta (A-beta) protein, specifically focusing on its soluble oligomeric form.

People with dementia and those who care for them should be screened for loneliness, so providers can find ways to keep them socially connected, according to experts at UC San Francisco and Harvard, who made the recommendations after finding that both groups experienced declines in social well-being as the disease progressed.

Two progressively degenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD, recently in the news with the diagnoses of actor Bruce Willis and talk show host Wendy Williams), are linked by more than the fact that they both damage nerve cells critical to normal functioning—the former affecting nerves in the brain and spinal c

A healthier diet is associated with a reduced dementia risk and a slower pace of aging, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The Robert Butler Columbia Aging Center. The findings show that multi-system processes of aging at least partially facilitated a diet-dementia association.

Living in a poorer neighborhood is linked to accelerated brain aging and increased dementia risk early in life, regardless of income level or education, a Duke University-led study finds.

A study might open the door to earlier diagnosis and a potential pathway toward slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers have discovered a special receptor on immune cells that can effectively bind and neutralize harmful "beta proteins," which are strongly associated with the disease.

Monitoring daily activity patterns using a wrist-worn device may detect early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Eli Lilly's highly anticipated Alzheimer's drug has been held back for further review by regulators, the US pharmaceutical giant said Friday, in a blow for patients with the devastating brain disorder.

A few years ago, researchers made the unnerving discovery that in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, disordered clumps of abnormal proteins had been growing for 15 or even 20 years before their diagnosis. That means these pathological-looking deposits are silently accumulating in the brains of millions of seemingly healthy individuals in their 50s and 60s.

New research suggests there is a link between abnormal blood levels of amyloid—a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease—and subtle changes in brain microstructures on a type of MRI, findings that could lead to a new way to detect Alzheimer's earlier in people with no clinical signs.

A recent Mayo Clinic study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia investigated lucid episodes in people living with later stages of dementia, providing insights into how these occurrences reveal themselves.

People who fast intermittently and observe Ramada, the Muslim month of fasting, may lower the risk of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson's, according to a study published in the journal Medicina.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and other biomarkers differ for individuals with Alzheimer disease and cognitively normal controls, with the estimated times of divergence varying from 18 to six years before diagnosis, according to a study published in the Feb. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dementia is a progressive loss of cognitive abilities, such as memory, that is significant enough to have an impact on a person's daily activities.

Of the 38 million Americans who have diabetes, at least 90% have type 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Type 2 diabetes occurs over time and is characterized by a loss of the cells in the pancreas that make the hormone insulin, which helps the body manage sugar.

An estimated 4 to 8 million older adults with mild cognitive impairment are currently driving in the United States, and one-third of them will develop dementia within five years. Individuals with progressive dementia are eventually unable to drive safely, yet many remain unaware of their cognitive decline.

People at risk of Alzheimer's disease have impaired spatial navigation prior to problems with other cognitive functions, including memory, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

Studies at MIT and elsewhere are producing mounting evidence that light flickering and sound clicking at the gamma brain rhythm frequency of 40 Hz can reduce Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression and treat symptoms in human volunteers as well as lab mice.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and others have harnessed the power of machine learning to identify key predictors of mortality in dementia patients.

The impact of abdominal fat on brain health and cognition is generally more pronounced in middle-aged men at high risk of Alzheimer's disease than in women, according to researchers at Rutgers Health.

A new UCLA Health study found Kundalini yoga provided several benefits to cognition and memory for older women at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, including restoring neural pathways, preventing brain matter decline, and reversing aging and inflammation-associated biomarkers—improvements not seen in a group who received standard memory training exercises.

A simple blood test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease soon may replace more invasive and expensive screening methods such as spinal taps and brain scans.

Alzheimer's quietly ravages the brain long before symptoms appear and now scientists have new clues about the dominolike sequence of those changes—a potential window to one day intervene.

UC San Francisco scientists have found a way to predict Alzheimer's disease up to seven years before symptoms appear by analyzing patient records with machine learning.

Researchers at West Virginia University have identified a set of diagnostic metabolic biomarkers that can help them develop artificial intelligence tools to detect Alzheimer's disease in its early stages, as well as determine risk factors and treatment interventions.

An HKUST-led international research collaboration has achieved a significant milestone in Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis and management. The team has developed a cutting-edge blood test for the early detection of AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), surpassing remarkable accuracy rates of over 96% and 87% respectively.

In a darkened Amsterdam conference hall this summer, a panel of industry and academic scientists took the stage to announce a plan to radically expand the definition of Alzheimer's disease to include millions of people with no memory complaints.

For many people with dementia and the caregivers helping them live at home, mealtime is no picnic.

When a loved one has dementia, Valentine's Day can be bittersweet.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and affects memory and thinking in the elderly. With a projected global increase in the number of affected individuals, reaching an estimated 152.8 million by 2050, health care systems are grappling with a substantial burden. There is an urgency to improve the understanding of its origin and find effective solutions for this growing publ

A new study that provides details on out-of-pocket expenses for people with dementia finds that costs for long-term care create a financial burden that can easily consume nearly all their income.

There's a great deal of interest from scientists and the public alike in how we can keep our minds sharp and our brains healthy as we get older.

India is often perceived as a country with a young population, while European and North American populations are regarded as aging. Although this is true, the country's demographics are rapidly shifting, according to a UN study. And people aged 60 and over are expected to constitute 20% of the population by 2050.

Asian Americans are less likely than their white peers to participate in health research involving MRIs and addressing this hesitancy could improve research, according to a Rutgers Health-led study.

Immigrants living with dementia were more likely to present with agitation and aggression compared with their non-immigrant counterparts, a new study by Edith Cowan University (ECU) in collaboration with The Dementia Center, HammondCare, found.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI), utilizing deep learning to generate a patient's brain network from multimodal images, has a valuable application in brain network analysis. However, existing data-driven models face challenges, such as relying heavily on extensive high-quality images, potentially resulting in suboptimal models and a failure to accurately assess evolving characteristics in b

An article published this week in the journal Nature Medicine documents what is believed to be the first evidence that Alzheimer's disease can be transmitted from person to person.

Forgetting names and misplacing items happen to us all, more so as we age.

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) is disproportionately high among rural, racially/ethnically diverse older residents. In fact, they face up to an 80% greater risk of cognitive impairment in older age, and 2.5 times potentially preventable ADRD-related hospitalizations compared to urban dwellers. It is estimated that early and accurate diagnosis in the mild cogniti

There is substantial geographic variation across the U.S. health care system to diagnose and treat early-stage Alzheimer's disease with disease-modifying therapies, and engaging primary care providers in the effort may be a key to accelerating delivery of emerging new treatments, according to a new RAND report.

Approximately four of five primary care clinicians consider themselves on the front lines of brain health. In the U.S., clinicians are the first point of contact for patients worried about memory loss and are most likely the first to detect and evaluate patients experiencing mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease or related dementias.

Nerve cells in the brain demand an enormous amount of energy to survive and maintain their connections for communicating with other nerve cells. In Alzheimer's disease, the ability to make energy is compromised, and the connections between nerve cells (called synapses) eventually come apart and wither, causing new memories to fade and fail.

Five cases of Alzheimer's disease are believed to have arisen as a result of medical treatments decades earlier, reports a team of UCL and UCLH researchers.

About 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization. The most common form is Alzheimer's disease, an incurable condition that causes brain function to deteriorate.

Adult day services centers (ADSCs) that provide specialized dementia care have a higher proportion of patients with dementia compared with ADSCs that do not provide specialized care, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in National Health Statistics Reports, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A new study from UC Davis Health and Oregon Health & Science University reveals significant disparities in dementia care. The researchers found that people living with dementia from minoritized racial and ethnic populations are less likely to receive an accurate and timely dementia diagnosis compared to non-Hispanic whites. They were also less likely to be prescribed anti-dementia medication or us

Findings from a study led by researchers in Sweden have suggested that a commercial blood test could detect Alzheimer's disease as accurately as standard lumbar punctures. The blood test detects "p-tau217," a form of the protein tau, which is a hallmark protein of Alzheimer's disease.

Specialist dementia researchers from the University of Liverpool have seen positive initial findings when analyzing the outcomes of a board game that shines a light on dementia inequalities. Their paper, "Co-producing a boardgame to learn and engage about dementia inequalities: First impacts on knowledge in the general population," was published in Health Expectations.

Researchers have revealed new links between Alzheimer's disease and the blood-brain barrier, finding connections between variants of a gene called EphA1 and the disease.

Approximately 23% of people diagnosed in their 60s and later with Alzheimer's disease or another related dementia have cases that can be explained by controllable risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, physical inactivity, and too little or too much sleep, and that percentage varies depending on race and ethnicity, according to a new study published in Neurology.

Cedars-Sinai investigators are using electronic health records to identify hospitalized patients likely to have dementia. The method they developed, detailed in a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, is designed to help medical staff tailor care to best serve these patients.

A research team has confirmed that brain amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease, is an essential predictor for post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) development and cognitive decline after small-sized cerebral infarction.

A screening tool often used in primary care clinics to detect cognitive impairment has shortcomings when applied to ethnically and linguistically diverse older adults, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Mice reach the twilight of their lives at around age two, the rough equivalent of 80 in human years. And when researchers introduce specific mutations into mice and then age them up, the mice can grow forgetful and irritable—eventually exhibiting signs of Alzheimer's disease not unlike that of many elderly humans.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder. β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition in the brain is a crucial contributor to the pathogenesis of AD, mitigating excessive cerebral Aβ burden has been considered as a possible therapeutic strategy for AD.

Dutch scientists have discovered five biological variants of Alzheimer's disease, which may require different treatments. As a result, previously tested drugs may incorrectly appear to be ineffective or only minimally effective. This is the conclusion of researcher Betty Tijms and colleagues from Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC and Maastricht University. Their study is published in Natur

Additional staffing alone will not be sufficient to bridge the quality-of-care and health outcome disparities among nursing home facilities with varying percentages of residents with dementia, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by the University of California, Irvine. Specialized training, an easy-to-navigate environment and staff stability are also critical to meeting the unique challenge

A large team of medical researchers affiliated with several institutions in Denmark analyzed data from a national health information database and found evidence that hearing aids could reduce the risk of developing dementia in older people with hearing difficulties. Their study is published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery.

Scientists have found a way to help Alzheimer's drugs seep inside the brain faster—by temporarily breaching its protective shield.

A new cellular therapy improved learning and memory in mice with Alzheimer's disease, researchers report.

A new study indicates that severity of amyloid deposition in the brain—not just age—may be key to determining who will benefit from new anti-amyloid therapies to delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Quality of life for people with dementia living in residential and nursing home care substantially improved after staff took part in a digital training program that was specially adapted to COVID-19 restrictions. The training also led to a significant drop in the prescription of potentially harmful sedative medications to residents.

Alzheimer's disease researchers at the University of Virginia have discovered how harmful tau proteins damage the essential operating instructions for our brain cells, a finding that could lead to new treatments.

Despite affecting millions worldwide, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has long lacked effective treatments due to a fundamental inadequacy of our understanding of its etiology and pathogenesis. The absence of an integrative theory connecting the molecular origins of AD with disturbances at the organelle and cell levels, changes in relevant biomarkers, and population-level prevalence has hindered progress

Infection with the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori could increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease: In people over the age of 50, the risk following a symptomatic infection can be an average of 11 percent higher, and even more about ten years after the infection, at 24 percent greater risk.

People who have very irregular sleep patterns may have a higher risk of dementia than those who have more regular sleep patterns, according to new research published in the online issue of Neurology. The study does not prove that sleep irregularity causes dementia. It only shows an association.

An Alzheimer's diagnosis in a sibling raises the risk of a shortened lifespan in other family members—even those without dementia, according to new USC research based on data from the Swedish Twin Registry.

A research team led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has developed a novel drug delivery system for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The researchers have engineered exosomes, extracellular vesicles released by cells, to effectively carry the bioactive compound Corynoxine-B extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Gouteng to the brain of mice with AD.

Twice daily non-invasive electrical stimulation of the brain may boost mental processes (cognitive function) in people with Alzheimer's disease, suggest the results of a small clinical trial published online in the open access journal General Psychiatry.

In a report launched at a lunch debate hosted by Deirdre Clune MEP (Ireland), Alzheimer Europe highlighted the continuing inequalities in access to dementia care and treatment across Europe.

Alzheimer's and related forms of dementia are commonplace with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that 5.8 million people in the United States live with these diseases. This number is expected to rise to 14 million by 2060.

A new paper in Innovation in Aging shows that a great deal of media coverage of the actor Bruce Willis' condition, frontotemporal degeneration, was inaccurate, revealing the public's limited knowledge of the disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative condition that damages a person's ability to think, remember, and perform basic functions. According to the National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer's affects more than 6 million Americans, mostly ages 65 and older. Though the neurological damage from the disease is irreversible, its progression can be slowed by early interventions such as exercise and nu

Since it was first produced at the start of the 20th century, synthetic plastic—and especially plastic packaging—has been an ever-present fixture in everyday life. Yet all the convenience plastic has given us comes at a price.

Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's disease, a devastating form of dementia that affects 6.2 million Americans.