Dementia

Neuroscientists from the University of Cambridge have identified apathy as an important early sign of dementia. The research finds apathy is distinct from depression, and offers a more accurate longitudinal association with the onset of dementia.

An intriguing study has identified a protein produced by the liver after exercise that could protect the brain from cognitive decline. The study points to the possibility of developing a drug to generate this same effect without the need for exercise.

New research is uncovering how non-alcoholic fatty liver disease influences the neurological conditions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The study describes how a protein produced in the liver can travel to the brain and trigger neuroinflammation.

New imaging research is offering insights into the relationship between Alzheimer’s and abnormal accumulations of iron in the brain. The study confirms a correlation between high iron deposits in some brain regions and rates of cognitive decline.

Tens of billions of cells in your body die everyday. It’s a natural process, important for keeping the body healthy. Now, in a world first, researchers have directly imaged the death of neurons in mice, and as how the body clears them out afterwards.

Scientists are already struggling to make headway in the fight against dementia, and the discovery of a new more aggressive form of neurodegeneration that's often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease further complicates the problem.

Two new studies are offering strong evidence that bowel inflammation and obesity are risk factors for developing dementia. The studies are observational, and cannot determine causality, but they build on prior research reaching similar conclusions.

A new brain imaging study, examining cognitively healthy middle-aged subjects, is suggesting lower levels of estrogen in women post-menopause could play a role in triggering brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Encouraging results from a small Phase 2 human trial testing the effects of a cancer drug in treating Alzheimer’s disease suggest the drug is safe, well-tolerated and alters biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s. A larger study is currently planned.

Two new studies, published in The Lancet Neurology, are suggesting increasing levels of a particular brain protein, detected in blood and spinal fluid, could be the earliest sign of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s.

Scientists have designed a novel antibody that can accurately detect the toxic protein oligomers suspected to cause the degeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The breakthrough hopes to lead to improved drug design and clinical testing.

A study has homed in on how aerobic exercise can improve memory in older subjects with cognitive impairment. The findings suggest it's never too late to start exercising as aerobic activity improves blood flow to parts of the brain linked to memory.