Autism-related genetic mutations occur in aging brains of Alzheimer’s patients

Researchers believe that autism is caused by mutations that occur sporadically in the egg or sperm or during pregnancy. Activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) is a dominant gene whose de novo (during pregnancy) mutations are known to cause autism-related intellectual disabilities. A new Tel Aviv University study has found that ADNP mutations continue to occur in old age and accumulate in […]

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Inflammatory processes drive progression of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases

Inflammation drives the progression of neurodegenerative brain diseases and plays a major role in the accumulation of tau proteins within neurons. An international research team led by the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University of Bonn comes to this conclusion in the journal Nature. The findings are based on the analyses of human brain tissue and further […]

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Bag of words test for Alzheimer’s disease

A positive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can only be made definitively postmortem. However, there are many symptoms that become apparent as the disease progresses and specialists can usually be quite certain of a diagnosis. However, as with many diseases, the later the diagnosis, the less successful medical interventions will generally be. New research published in the International Journal of […]

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Using math to help treat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other diseases

Protein aggregation—in which misfolded proteins clump together to form large fibrils—has been implicated in many diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and type II diabetes. While the exact role these fibrils play in diseases isn’t fully understood, many of the current treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s target the aggregation process. However, finding the right treatment protocols for these drugs, which […]

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Amyloid is a less accurate marker for measuring severity, progression of Alzheimer’s

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 at the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University. The researchers concluded that fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) […]

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New target for drug intervention in Alzheimer’s disease identified

Scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have identified an enzyme in the brain that may be an intriguing target for interventions against Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The researchers suggest that the enzyme, a serine/threonine kinase known as LIMK1, may play an important role in the degradation of dendritic spines, the connections between neurons in the brain. In […]

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The mobile game that can detect Alzheimer’s risk

A specially designed mobile phone game can detect people at risk of Alzheimer’s – according to new research from the University of East Anglia. Researchers studied gaming data from an app called Sea Hero Quest, which has been downloaded and played by more than 4.3 million people worldwide. The game, created by Deutsche Telekom in partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK, […]

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Test detects protein associated with Alzheimer’s and CTE

An ultrasensitive test has been developed that detects a corrupted protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition found in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma. This advance could lead to early diagnosis of these conditions and open new research into how they originate, according to National Institutes of Health […]

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Research suggests path to vaccine or drug for late-onset Alzheimer’s

UT Southwestern researchers have succeeded in neutralizing what they believe is a primary factor in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, opening the door to development of a drug that could be administered before age 40, and taken for life, to potentially prevent the disease in 50 to 80 percent of at-risk adults. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a protein that carries fatty substances […]

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