Dementia News and Research

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Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. People with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with normal activities and relationships. They also lose their ability to solve problems and maintain emotional control, and they may experience personality changes and behavioral problems, such as agitation, delusions, and hallucinations.

Flavanols enhance browning of adipose tissue by activating the sympathetic nervous system

In cold conditions, brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat generates heat to keep the body warm. Compared with white adipose tissue, BAT has more mitochondria-;subcellular organelles associated with energy production-;which allows it to burn calories and produce heat by activating the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp-1).

3 Feb 2022

Researchers catalog the complete cells that form the blood vessels of the human brain

Researchers at UC San Francisco have cataloged all of the cells that make up the blood vessels in the human brain, as well as their positions and the genes produced.

31 Jan 2022

Stanford study reveals how ribosomes may contribute to age-related diseases

Aging leads to a decline in cellular fitness and loss of optimal protein function. Many age-related ailments, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, are caused by protein aggregation, a result of errors in protein folding.

20 Jan 2022

First molecular images of enzyme may help solve the mystery cause of hereditary neurodegenerative diseases

WEHI researchers have produced the first molecular images of an enzyme that controls proteins to signal and communicate with each other in human cells.

From Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) 13 Jan 2022

Neurons derived from human stem cells can predict the cardinal features of psychiatric illness

In a breakthrough that holds significant promise for early diagnosis and better treatment of psychiatric illness, researchers have for the first time used neurons derived from human stem cells to predict the cardinal features of a psychiatric illness, such as psychosis and cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia.

11 Jan 2022

Discovery may lead to a better understanding of prion and other neurodegenerative diseases

Prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), are fast-moving, fatal dementia syndromes associated with the formation of aggregates of the prion protein, PrP.

23 Dec 2021

Adults with rare genetic changes have poorer health, says study

According to a study, grown-ups with certain genetic causes of mental health and other brain disorders had substantially increased rates of chronic disease.

17 Dec 2021

Study suggests dietary intake of flavan-3-ols could help prevent obesity

14 Dec 2021

First molecular structure of TDP-43 could pave the way for new ALS therapies

Scientists have determined for the first time the structure of the molecule associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple other neurodegenerative diseases.

9 Dec 2021

Immune cells in the brain mediate the link between gut microbiome and amyloid beta deposits

New research from the University of Chicago points to microglia, key immune cells in the brain, as a key mediator in the relationship between the gut microbiome and b-amyloid deposits in male mice in a model of Alzheimer's disease.

3 Dec 2021

Persistency allows value signals to be most effectively coded across different brain areas

In 2019 University of California San Diego researchers discovered the area of the brain where "value decisions" are made.

24 Nov 2021

Specific amino acids act against neurodegenerative processes, says study

Dementia is a condition that involves severe loss of cognitive function.

26 Oct 2021

'Mini brains' allow researchers to study a fatal, untreatable neurological disorder

Cambridge researchers have developed 'mini brains' that allow them to study a fatal and untreatable neurological disorder causing paralysis and dementia – and for the first time have been able to grow these for almost a year.

22 Oct 2021

Researchers reveal how bacteria make liquid protein droplets to survive harsh environments

Scientists have revealed how bacteria make tiny liquid droplets from proteins to help them survive harsh environments and thus reduce their chances of being killed by antibiotics.

21 Oct 2021

Novel research reveals a vital but previously unknown role for microglia

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have revealed a vital but previously unknown role for immune cells that protect the brain from disease and injury: The cells, known as microglia, also help regulate blood flow and maintain the brain's critical blood vessels.

18 Oct 2021

Brain immune cells take up large amounts of sugar at the beginning of neurodegenerative disease

At the beginning of neurodegenerative disease, the immune cells of the brain – the "microglia" – take up glucose, a sugar molecule, to a much greater extent than hitherto assumed.

18 Oct 2021

Oral diuretic pill may potentially be repurposed to treat Alzheimer's in people with genetic risk

A commonly available oral diuretic pill approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may be a potential candidate for an Alzheimer's disease treatment for those who are at genetic risk, according to findings published in Nature Aging.

12 Oct 2021

Ketone supplement may be a new therapeutic strategy for enhancing brain health in adults with obesity

New research published in The Journal of Physiology has shown that ketone supplements may be a novel therapeutic strategy for protecting and improving brain health in people with obesity.

5 Oct 2021

Microglial cells join together to break down toxic proteins more quickly

To break down toxic proteins more quickly, immune cells in the brain can join together to form networks when needed. This is shown by a joint study of the University of Bonn, the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and the Institut François Jacob in France.

23 Sep 2021

Study explores the benefits of the MIND diet for older adults

Scientists identified that older adults could take advantage of a specific diet named the MIND diet even when the protein deposits are developed.