The sense of smell is directly connected to areas of the brain linked to memory and emotions. That is why some smells bring to light memories and feelings we thought we had forgotten.
Researchers are zeroing in on understanding what goes awry in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
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Despite decades of starts and stops, new treatments and key genetic discoveries are giving researchers great hope for slowing or eventually preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is often assumed to be a disease which develops later in life, but a new study clearly shows it can start early in the brains of young athletes.
The surprising parallel between spider silk spinning and fibres toxic to humans could lead to new clues about how to fight neurodegenerative disorders.
FTD leads to changes in personality and behavior. Understanding its genetic and molecular causes could lead to new ways to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
Illustration of an autophagosome (light blue double-membrane to the right) engulfing cellular material.
David S. Goodsell and Daniel Klionsky/RCSB PDB-101
Cells degrade and recycle damaged parts of themselves through a process called autophagy. When this “self-devouring” goes awry, it may promote cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
Many viruses interact with the olfactory system, and can damage other areas of the brain through it.
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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.
Type 2 diabetes, characterised in its advanced stages by insulin resistance, is an important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
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Impaired insulin receptors in the blood vessels between the blood and the brain may contribute to the insulin resistance observed in Alzheimer’s disease.
Asymptomatic sensitization may lead people to continue consuming food allergens, causing hidden neurological issues.
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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.
Nonhuman primates like rhesus monkeys share certain characteristics with people that may make them better study subjects than mice for research on neurodegenerative diseases.
The U.S. BRAIN Initiative seeks to elucidate the connection between brain structure and function.
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From figuring out where memories are stored to how sensory information translates to behavior, new technologies are helping neuroscientists better understand how the brain works.
Drugs can convert between different isomers in the body, leading to unexpected effects.
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From thalidomide to resveratrol, molecules with the exact same chemical properties can have drastically different effects in the body depending on how they’re arranged in space.
People reported having frequent bad dreams at the beginning of the study were twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s compared with those who had them less than once a week.