Frontotemporal Dementia News and Research

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New fluid biomarker may one day detect ALS and FTD before symptoms appear

Two progressively degenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD, recently in the news with the diagnoses of actor Bruce Willis and talk show host Wendy Williams), are linked by more than the fact that they both damage nerve cells critical to normal functioning - the former affecting nerves in the brain and spinal cord leading to loss of movement, the latter eroding the brain regions controlling personality, behavior and language.

18 Mar 2024

Groundbreaking study unveils new insights into neurodegenerative disorder symptoms

Identification of clinical disease trajectories in neurodegenerative disorders with natural language processing.

14 Mar 2024

Neural cell culture model sheds light on the intricate mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration

Scientists at the University of Zurich have developed an innovative neural cell culture model, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration.

22 Feb 2024

Single-dose genetic medicine halts the progression of ALS and frontotemporal dementia in mice

Neuroscientists at Macquarie University in Australia have developed a single-dose genetic medicine that has been proven to halt the progression of both ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in mice – and may even offer the potential to reverse some of the effects of the fatal diseases.

19 Feb 2024

New approach offers hope for regaining lost memories in Alzheimer's

While newly approved drugs for Alzheimer's show some promise for slowing the memory-robbing disease, the current treatments fall far short of being effective at regaining memory.

1 Feb 2024

Thinning brain tissue predicts dementia up to a decade before symptoms

A ribbon of brain tissue called cortical gray matter grows thinner in people who go on to develop dementia, and this appears to be an accurate biomarker of the disease five to 10 years before symptoms appear, researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (also called UT Health San Antonio) reported.

22 Jan 2024

Cryo-EM reveals TAF15 as potential treatment target for frontotemporal dementia

An international team of researchers including experts at the Indiana University School of Medicine has identified a protein found in the brains of people with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), discovering a new target for potential treatments for the disease.

7 Dec 2023

Scientists uncover key protein aggregation in frontotemporal dementia

Most neurodegenerative diseases, including dementias, involve proteins aggregating into filaments called amyloids.

6 Dec 2023

New insights into the interplay between prions and TDP-43 in neurodegenerative pathology

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the deposition of clumped proteins in the brain and progressive neuronal cell death.

4 Dec 2023

Desperate families search for affordable home care

It's a good day when Frank Lee, a retired chef, can slip out to the hardware store, fairly confident that his wife, Robin, is in the hands of reliable help. He spends nearly every hour of every day anxiously overseeing her care at their home on the Isle of Palms, a barrier island near Charleston, South Carolina.

4 Dec 2023

UC Riverside scientists slow progression of Huntington's disease in flies and worms

Huntington's disease causes involuntary movements and dementia, has no cure, and is fatal. For the first time, UC Riverside scientists have shown they can slow its progression in flies and worms, opening the door to human treatments.

8 Nov 2023

Redefining the battle against Alzheimer's with tau-focused treatments

Researchers explore the potential of tau-targeting therapies in treating Alzheimer's disease, focusing on immunotherapies and strategies to improve their efficacy. The study dives into the complex biology of tau proteins, their modifications, and how they can be targeted to halt the progression of Alzheimer's.

29 Oct 2023

Immune system proteins play role in early stages of Huntington's disease

Huntington's Disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder controlled by a single gene and is characterized by motor and cognitive deficits and psychiatric symptoms.

12 Oct 2023

New Alzheimer's study to combine drugs targeting amyloid and tau proteins

A new study will combine an Alzheimer's medication that slows disease progression in some patients with two other drugs to see if their effects can be amplified.

12 Oct 2023

Cerebrospinal fluid leaks may be one of the mechanisms that link TBI with dementia

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks may be one of the mechanisms that link traumatic brain injury (TBI) with dementia, according to a recently published hypothesis in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, a journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

21 Sep 2023

A review of the neurological imaging techniques in dementia diagnosis

Researchers reviewed existing data on the contribution of neuroimaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging.

28 Aug 2023

British neuroscientist wins Hartwig Piepenbrock-DZNE Prize for contributions to dementia research

This year's "Hartwig Piepenbrock-DZNE Prize", endowed with 60,000 euros, goes to the British neuroscientist Alison Goate, DPhil. The award recognizes her outstanding contributions to research into Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia.

13 Jul 2023

Alternative splicing in neurodegenerative disease and the promise of RNA-based therapeutic strategies

Alternative splicing, a clever way a cell generates many different variations of messenger RNAs - single-stranded RNAs involved in protein synthesis - and proteins from the same stretch of DNA, plays an important role in molecular biology.

21 Jun 2023

Alarming rise: New cases of dementia surging in elderly population of Wales, UK

Dementia cases are increasing among the elderly population, with a rise in new diagnoses and a growing number of people living with the disease. This trend poses challenges for healthcare systems as the aging population with dementia continues to grow.

20 Jun 2023

Dementia can take a toll on financial health, as some families learn the hard way

Angela Reynolds knew her mother’s memory was slipping, but she didn’t realize how bad things had gotten until she started to untangle her mom’s finances: unpaid bills, unusual cash withdrawals, and the discovery that, oddly, the mortgage on the family home had been refinanced at a higher interest rate.