Scientists have uncovered a surprising overlap between cancer genetics and Alzheimer’s disease, involving mutations in the brain’s immune cells.
As we age, our cells quietly collect genetic mutations—most of them harmless, some potentially dangerous. But what if the same kinds of mutations that fuel cancer are also shaping diseases of the brain?
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A new study conducted by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers has found that primary care screenings for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in older adults did not cause psychological distress for the patient’s family members, nor did it better prepare those loved ones for caregiving.
The randomized clinical trial, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, is the first study to examine the longer-term benefits, risks and harms of ADRD screening in primary care for family members most likely to assume caregiving responsibilities. It examined 1,808 patient-family member pairs across 29 Indiana clinics. Each patient was at least 65 years old.
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New research suggests that the balance and walking issues associated with Alzheimer’s disease may not be “top-down” problems caused by brain decay, but rather “bottom-up” failures in the peripheral nervous system.
The study utilized “human-on-a-chip” technology to prove that genetic mutations for familial Alzheimer’s can damage the connection between nerves and muscles directly, independent of the brain or spinal cord.
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Can you remember what you dreamt last night? Research has found that people who don’t remember their dreams may experience cognitive decline twice as fast as those who do.
A study published by Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, studied people aged over 60 and found those who have poor dream recall are more likely to be carrying the APOE ε4 gene — the biggest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
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Scientists at Oregon State University have captured something researchers have long struggled to see: the real-time chemical interactions that help drive Alzheimer’s disease. By watching how metal ions—especially copper—trigger harmful protein clumping in the brain, the team uncovered a clearer picture of how the disease develops at a molecular level.
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Doctors are only just getting to grips with LATE – a newly recognised form of cognitive decline behind up to one in five dementia cases
When a parent or grandparent begins forgetting names, misplacing objects or repeating the same stories, the diagnosis most people expect is Alzheimer’s disease. For decades, Alzheimer’s has dominated public understanding of dementia, becoming almost shorthand for memory loss itself.
But that assumption is increasingly being challenged. Neurologists now know that a significant number of people with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms actually have a different condition altogether – one that most families, and even many doctors, have only recently heard of.
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