Dementia

A new study describes one way immune cells become dysfunctional as we age, leading to the inflammatory hyperdrive that plays a role in most age-related disease from cancer to cognitive decline, and suggests this immune dysfunction can be reversed.

A pair of newly published studies are offering novel insights into how the neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease leads to cognitive decline. The research suggests minor vision problems can precede cognitive decline by up to 18 months.

Although yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has announced promising results from one of its Phase 2 human trials testing an experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug designed to slow cognitive decline.

A robust new study has comprehensively demonstrated how SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can infect the brain and central nervous system. The study validates a growing body of research attributing neurological issues to COVID-19.

A new study has identified three different molecular subtypes of Alzheimer's disease. The research suggests these subtypes are so distinct from one another they could account for previous clinical trial failures and inconsistent translational studies.

Research into a rare type of dementia has uncovered a genetic mutation that results in dysfunctional white blood cells and a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, a mechanism that may play a role in common types of dementia such as Alzheimer's.

A novel wearable that stimulates the olfactory system using electrical pulses has been proposed as a way to prevent or slow dementia-related neurodegeneration. A dysfunctional sense of smell is suspected to be one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s.

Scientists have identified a protein implicated in the progression of Alzheimer's disease that appears highly regulated by the circadian rhythm, helping them join the dots between the two and providing a potential new therapeutic target.

A team from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has come up with a technique it says can detect one of the biomarkers of Alzheimer's in cerebrospinal fluid, which could lead to earlier diagnoses and more effective treatments.

A new test that can analyze levels of two proteins in the blood of those with mild memory loss has demonstrated the potential to help predict the risk of them going on to develop Alzheimer’s within a timeframe of two to four years.

A new study into the gut microbiome and Alzheimer's has shown that shifts in bacterial diversity are associated with inflammation and heightened numbers of amyloid plaques in the brain, one of the hallmarks of the condition.

A new analysis of US patient data has found nearly one in five people are diagnosed with a psychiatric illness within three months of a positive COVID-19 test. The study suggests recovered patients are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety or depression.