Feature Channels: Alzheimer's and Dementia

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Researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) in Japan show that melatonin and its metabolites promote the formation of long-term memories in mice and protect against cognitive decline.

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The foods we eat may have a direct impact on our cognitive acuity in our later years. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, is a first-of-its-kind large scale analysis that connects specific foods to later-in-life cognitive acuity.

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DALLAS – Dec. 8, 2020 – Two studies led by UT Southwestern researchers shed new light on how the brain encodes time and place into memories. The findings, published recently in PNAS and Science, not only add to the body of fundamental research on memory, but could eventually provide the basis for new treatments to combat memory loss from conditions such as traumatic brain injury or Alzheimer’s disease.

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A new project led by the University of South Australia will develop a virtual assistant tool to support around two million dementia carers in the Asia Pacific.

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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a novel form of the Alzheimer’s protein tau in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This form of tau — known as MTBR tau — indicates what stage of Alzheimer’s a person is in and tracks with tangles of tau protein in the brain.

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A novel Alzheimer’s disease marker—coming early in progression of the condition—could open significant new fronts of research into possible therapies

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With the support of a new grant from the National Institutes of Health, a team from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will examine the interactions between the brain, bone, and the gut microbiota in relation to Alzheimer’s disease. What the researchers learn could lead to new biomarker and therapeutic discoveries for both diagnosis and treatment.

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As COVID-19 cases increase across the nation, many caregivers are trying to navigate the holidays for relatives with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that people not travel to limit the potential spread of the coronavirus. Mary Catherine Lundquist, program director of Care2Caregivers, a peer counseling helpline (800-424-2494) for caregivers of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease operated by Rutgers Behavioral Health Care, discusses how families can stay connected with their loved ones.

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A new analysis assesses how emerging artificial intelligence technologies can help older adults preserve their autonomy, and addresses ethical concerns that have been raised about the use of AI in so-called “carebots.”

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A team of researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has taken a major step toward understanding the mechanisms involved in the formation of large clumps of tau protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and several other neurodegenerative disorders.

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A new study led by researchers at UC San Francisco has found that among older Americans with cognitive impairment, the greater the air pollution in their neighborhood, the higher the likelihood of amyloid plaques - a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

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A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors found that Medicare beneficiaries who go on to be diagnosed with dementia are more likely to miss payments on bills as early as six years before a clinical diagnosis.

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Researchers from Mount Sinai and the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology in Japan have identified new molecular mechanisms driving late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

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Jerold Chun, M.D., Ph.D., a professor and senior vice president at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, has been named a “Highly Cited Researcher” by Clarivate, the global analytics company. The honor recognizes researchers who have demonstrated a significant influence in their chosen field of study through the publication of multiple works that have been cited by their peers.

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Noted Alzheimer’s researcher will assume new role on January 1, 2021

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Older women who live in locations with higher levels of air pollution may have more brain shrinkage, the kind seen in Alzheimer’s disease, than women who live in locations with lower levels, according to a new study published in the November 18, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at fine particle pollution and found that breathing in high levels of this kind of air pollution was linked to shrinkage in the areas of the brain vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.

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Tufts researchers find a key mutation causing abnormal transport of BACE1, the enzyme responsible for processing the Alzheimer’s disease-linked amyloid protein. Identification of this mutation, which is more common among African Americans with Alzheimer’s, may allow early intervention.

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A study led by the Cedars-Sinai Department of Neurosurgery has identified certain regions in the retina – the lining found in the back of the eye – that are more affected by Alzheimer's disease than other areas. The findings may help physicians predict changes in the brain as well as cognitive deterioration, even for patients experiencing the earliest signs of mild impairment.

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