Posted Yesterday Up to two decades before people develop the characteristic memory loss and confusion of Alzheimer’s disease, damaging clumps of protein start to build up in their brains. Now, a blood test to detect such early brain changes has moved one step closer to clinical use. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that they...
Category: <span>Alzheimer’s</span>
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High-energy lasers could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease in the future
Far-infrared free-electron laser is useful in breaking down protein aggregates and has attractive applications in medicine and bio material engineering TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE Amyloid fibrils are a type of self-assembled proteins/peptides that take on a stacked sheet-like formation. Amyloid fibril aggregates are known to be a cause of several diseases–including Alzheimer’s–and therefore, it is...
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The brain’s amyloid buildup is not a powerful indicator of Alzheimer’s disease
Posted Today While the presence of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain may be a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, giving patients an amyloid PET scan is not an effective method for measuring their cognitive function, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine and Thomas Jefferson University. The researchers concluded that...
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The Medical Minute: Take steps to slow Alzheimer’s disease
by Pennsylvania State University 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 older. But contrary to popular belief, steps can be taken to slow it down. “People think Alzheimer’s is an entirely genetic disorder, but most often, it’s not,” said Dr. Charles Duffy, a neurologist at...
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Moments of clarity in dementia patients at end of life: Glimmers of hope?
by University of Michigan It happens unexpectedly: a person long thought lost to the ravages of dementia, unable to recall the events of their lives or even recognize those closest to them, will suddenly wake up and exhibit surprisingly normal behavior, only to pass away shortly thereafter. This phenomenon, which experts refer to as terminal or...
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Scientists map elusive toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer’s, providing new molecular clues for prevention
A team of researchers from McMaster University has mapped at atomic resolution a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, allowing them to better understand what is happening deep within the brain during the earliest stages of the disease. The findings, published on the front cover of the current edition of the Royal Society of Chemistry flagship journal Chemical Science, provide new insights...
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A precise look at Alzheimer’s proteins
by Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory A substance known as amyloid beta protein gets a lot of attention from scientists. Beta amyloid, as it’s also called, is a normal brain protein found in everyone, but for an unknown reason it gunks up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, forming deposits that are the classic hallmark...
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Memory-preserving particles could form part of an Alzheimer’s vaccine puzzle
Alzheimer’s is a disease with a number of potential causes and therefore a number of potential targets for prevention. One of those centers on a protein call tau, which can gather in long tangles that kill off neurons in the brain. Scientists have developed what they describe as a vaccine to keep the brain clear of these dangerous...
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Opioid analgesics increase the risk of pneumonia among persons with Alzheimer’s disease
by University of Eastern Finland Opioid analgesics were associated with a 30 percent increase in the risk of pneumonia in persons with Alzheimer’s disease, a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. The risk was most pronounced in the first two months of use. This is the first study to investigate the association between opioids and pneumonia in this population. The results were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The risk of pneumonia was highest among those...
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Virtual reality can spot navigation problems in early Alzheimer’s disease
by University of Cambridge Virtual reality (VR) can identify early Alzheimer’s disease more accurately than ‘gold standard’ cognitive tests currently in use, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge. The study highlights the potential of new technologies to help diagnose and monitor conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, which affects more than 525,000 people in the UK. In 2014, Professor John O’Keefe of UCL was jointly...