"Disruption of the sleep-wake cycle is a well-recognized symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, but recent research suggests that a disorganized biological clock may also be a key driver of neurodegenerative disease. An exploration of the circadian rhythm’s role in development of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is among a flurry of findings to be presented this week at Neuroscience 2018, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience underway at the San Diego Convention Center."
Posts published in “Research”
"Alzheimer's patients taking diabetes drugs may have fewer signs of dementia in their brains than similar patients not taking the drugs, new research finds. Specifically, the post-mortem study found that people who'd taken diabetes meds had fewer abnormalities in tiny blood vessels in their brains, and less abnormal gene activity."
"Does a drug that could treat Alzheimer’s already exist? A new study suggests that people with Alzheimer’s given a diabetes drug had fewer signs of the disease in the brain than those who were not on the drug. Alzheimer’s has no cure or treatment that has been shown to reverse or stop its progression. But many doctors have equated Alzheimer’s to diabetes, suggesting that Alzheimer’s is actually caused by a problem processing glucose, even going so far as to call it Type 3 diabetes. The brain runs on glucose, using it as its main energy source. But too much of it can cause memory problems and speed up cell aging. "
"Getting diagnosed with Alzheimer's your 40s or 50s can be scary. A Mesa couple didn't run from it; instead, they embraced it. And early detection has made all the difference in empowering them with more options for treatment."
"Diane Flagg twists during a line dance class at the Edmonds Senior Center. Flagg, 71, who lost her husband two years ago, dances five times a week. Loneliness can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. You must sign in or register to continue reading content. The problem is considered so serious — and widespread — that it has its own Twitter hashtag #lonelinessepidemic."
"Immunoelectron microscopy image of accumulated tau protein on cell membrane. Credit: Henri Huttunen Researchers at the University of Helsinki have discovered a mechanism by which harmful tau protein aggregates are transmitted between neurons. Alongside amyloid plaques, tau aggregates in the brain are a significant factor in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is associated with two neuropathologies: amyloid plaques and tau aggregates, or tau protein accumulated in neurofibrillary tangles in neurons. Brain amyloid plaques are the better-known pathology, but the significance of tau to disease progression is equally important."
"A new research has found that an HIV enzyme plays a crucial role in driving Alzheimer’s- related brain pathology by altering the APP gene. The findings warrant “immediate clinical evaluation of HIV antiretroviral therapies in people with Alzheimer’s disease,” according to the authors of the study. The new study published in the journal ‘Nature’, offers unprecedented revelations into the APP gene, which provides instructions for making a protein called amyloid precursor protein."
"The brain is a complicated organ. Let’s start there. It’s complicated at every level that you care to examine, and if you get down to the genomic sequences of individual neurons, it’s worse than ever. The sheer variety of neurons and other cell types is quite extreme, and a lot of work over the years has gone into trying to figure out how this huge range of morphology and function is generated. "
"Researchers studying Alzheimer’s disease have created an approach to classify patients with Alzheimer’s disease, a finding that may open the door for personalized treatments. 'Alzheimer’s, like breast cancer, is not one disease,' said lead author Shubhabrata Mukherjee, research assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. 'I think a good drug might fail in a clinical trial because not all the subjects have the same kind of Alzheimer’s.'"
"Extracts from three South African plants can help prevent the formation of toxic amyloid protein aggregates known to contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, a research study revealed. This finding may help identify new active compounds to be explored as potential therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s."