People with dementia can sometimes be fully “present”, knowing who is around them, where they are, and what’s happening. And then other times they may be confused, disorientated, and unaware.
Our understanding of Parkinson’s disease is far from complete. But researchers now believe that in most cases, Parkinson’s is caused by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors.
New research affords a rare window into the circumstances and needs of a potentially very vulnerable group that until now has remained largely invisible: people with dementia who have no close kin.
Although autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease is very rare, studying it provides researchers with valuable information on how the disease progresses in general.
Andrew Bubak, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Diego Restrepo, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and Maria Nagel, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Inflammation and damage to the olfactory system from shingles, COVID-19 and herpes infections may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
In clinical trials, lecanemab slowed disease progression by 27% and reduced the amount of plaque found in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease.
An 18-month treatment with lecanemab slows functional and cognitive loss by 27 per cent in people with mild Alzheimer’s disease. But this is only the first step towards a real cure.
Impaired insulin receptors in the blood vessels between the blood and the brain may contribute to the insulin resistance observed in Alzheimer’s disease.
Two new dementia drugs are being hailed as breakthroughs. But what might be an incremental breakthrough for researchers, doesn’t mean a cure for patients.
Microglia, immune cells disguised as brain cells, are known as the janitors of the brain. Dialing up their usual duties just enough could provide an avenue to treat neurodegenerative disease.