Feature Channels: Alzheimer's and Dementia

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Below are some of the latest research and features on this growing population of older adults in the Seniors channel on Newswise.

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Improving the way scientists can see the microscopic structures of the brain can improve our understanding of a host of brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s or multiple sclerosis. Studying these diseases is challenging and has been limited by accuracy of available models.To see the smallest parts of cells, scientists often use a technique called electron microscopy.

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In an effort five years in the making, UNC School of Medicine cell biologist Sarah Cohen, PhD, and Rockefeller University’s Ian Windham, PhD, describe the interplay between fats and proteins in brain cells and how their dysfunction contributes to the development of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

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University Hospitals Brain Health & Memory Center is now treating patients with LEQEMBI® (lecanemab), a Food and Drug Administration-approved medication for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

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The drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction may also be associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the February 7, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Designing sensitive and single-use biosensors for early diagnosis remains a major challenge. Scientists in China invented submonolayer lasers on optical fibers as ultrasensitive and disposable biosensors.

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A potential new drug to prevent Alzheimer’s disease in people with the so-called Alzheimer’s gene has been discovered by a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) research team led by Sue Griffin, Ph.D.

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Researchers have discovered why a gene that, when mutated, is a common cause of two debilitating brain diseases.

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Since its introduction to the public in November 2022, ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence system, has substantially grown in use, creating written stories, graphics, art and more with just a short prompt from the user.

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Nicolas Musi, MD, studies a spectrum of age-related disorders that can impact a healthy lifespan.

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A team of University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists has developed the first 3D-printed brain tissue that can grow and function like typical brain tissue.

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Hydrogen peroxide is crucial in cell metabolism, playing key roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. However, elevated levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are linked to several diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

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Left unchecked, hearing loss can lead to lead to social isolation and depression – two conditions proven to hasten dementia. A Penn State Health expert sounds off on what you can do about it.

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University at Albany scientist Scott Tenenbaum, founder of UAlbany spinoff company sxRNA Technologies, Inc. (sxRNA Tech), has received $500,000 from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, to study how aging brain cells shape the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and advance RNA technology that could inform new therapeutics to prevent and treat Alzheimer's and related dementias.

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A new therapeutic for stroke based on University of Georgia research will soon enter clinical trials.

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RUDN University chemists have obtained new azaheterocyclic compounds that inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), regulators of the central nervous system.

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The latest research and expertise on the flue can be found in the Influenza channel on Newswise.

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Compared to urban dwellers, racially/ethnically diverse older adults face up to an 80 percent greater risk of cognitive impairment in older age, and 2.5 times potentially preventable Alzheimer’s-related (ADRD) hospitalizations.

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Nerve cells in the brain demand an enormous amount of energy to survive and maintain their connections for communicating with other nerve cells.

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A new study from UC Davis Health and Oregon Health & Science University reveals significant disparities in dementia care.

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A Beckman study led by Paul Bogdan and Florin and Sanda Dolcos suggests the moments that follow a distressing episode are more memorable than the moments leading up to it.

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This research from UNC-Chapel Hill, published in the journal Nature Communications, opens the door to researching this wirelessly controlled patch to deliver on-demand treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease.

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UC Davis Health and Kaiser Permanente Division of Research received a $24 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, part of the NIH, to continue the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR).

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Approximately 23% of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another related dementia in their 60s and later 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 the January 17, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Is it possible to amp up the energy production of mitochondria, the “power centers” of cells, without also boosting potentially harmful byproducts? If so, such a method could be used to treat a host of neurodegenerative diseases in which impaired mitochondria are believed to play a central role.

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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 peer-reviewed Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, is designed to help medical staff tailor care to best serve these patients.

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New understanding of a gene that is linked to some forms of dementia and other age-related diseases gives scientists fresh hope that action can be taken against these diseases long before the onset of symptoms.

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Irvine, Calif., Jan. 8, 2024 — 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 challenges presented by this population.

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People who have more disrupted sleep in their 30s and 40s may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems a decade later, according to new research published in the January 3, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that sleep quality causes cognitive decline. It only shows an association.

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A surprising MIT study published in Nature at the end of 2016 helped to spur interest in the possibility that light flickering at the frequency of a particular gamma-band brain rhythm could produce meaningful therapeutic effects for people with Alzheimer’s disease.

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

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UCLA Health dementia care specialists say caregiving and holiday festivities do not have to be mutually exclusive, but do require some adaptations to make the season enjoyable for all.