Category Archives: Detection
Alzheimer’s testing advances helping patients get earlier treatment
Cancer-Like Mutations Found in the Brain May Be Driving Alzheimer’s Disease
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?
Read more HERE
At what age does Alzheimer’s disease begin?
Measurable declines in cognitive performance were seen to accelerate in people who are in their late 50s, followed by more rapid amyloid accumulation in the brains of people in their early 60s — pointing to an early 60s window when cognitive and amyloid changes become more pronounced. The buildup of amyloid-beta proteins that clump together to form plaques in the brain is a primary hallmark of the disease.
By the late 60s to early 70s, biomarkers of tau pathology and neurodegeneration show more pronounced increases. Several blood-based markers — including plasma GFAP, NfL and p-tau — show steeper changes around ages 68 to 72, alongside more evident brain atrophy, particularly in memory-related regions. Two broad windows emerged, around the early 60s for cognition and amyloid PET, and around the late 60s to early 70s for several blood and neurodegeneration markers, highlighting these key transitional periods in the aging process.
Read more HERE
These 5 language issues could reveal Alzheimer’s long before memory loss
Alzheimer’s disease is notoriously tricky to diagnose, with symptoms creeping in so gradually that they can easily be mistaken for something else entirely. Yet pinpointing the signs early can make all the difference in slowing its progression. Among these early red flags, language issues are often ignored or underestimated—but they might just be your best tool for picking up on Alzheimer’s sooner.
Read more HERE
Could Alzheimer’s Begin in the Nerves, Not the Brain?
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.
Read it HERE