Frontotemporal Dementia News and Research

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SLU researchers make advances in understanding plaque-causing protein in neurological disorders

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry Yuna Ayala, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, and her research team made advances in understanding how a protein causes damaging plaques to build up in neurodegenerative illnesses like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a form of dementia called frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

19 Apr 2017

Targeted treatment slows progression of two degenerative brain diseases in mice

Scientists report a significant step toward combatting two degenerative brain diseases that chip away at an individual's ability to move, and think.

12 Apr 2017

Gladstone scientists discover common mechanism that links neurodegeneration in young and old

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), identified a common mechanism in two forms of neurodegeneration that affect young adults or the elderly.

12 Apr 2017

Research findings suggest potential strategies to combat IBMPFD and other degenerative diseases

UCLA researchers have discovered the molecular basis of, and identified potential treatment for, an incurable disease known as inclusion body myopathy, Paget disease with frontotemporal dementia, or IBMPFD.

21 Mar 2017

CUMC researchers discover common genetic variant that impacts brain aging

Columbia University Medical Center researchers have discovered a common genetic variant that greatly impacts normal brain aging, starting at around age 65, and may modify the risk for neurodegenerative diseases.

15 Mar 2017

Children of parents affected with C9orf72 mutations more likely to have FTD and ALS at younger age

The most common genetic cause of the brain diseases frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a mutation in the C9orf72 gene.

14 Feb 2017

Designer compound may be effective tool for tackling tau-related disorders

In a study of mice and monkeys, National Institutes of Health funded researchers showed that they could prevent and reverse some of the brain injury caused by the toxic form of a protein called tau.

8 Feb 2017

Elevated levels of brain protein linked to longer recovery period after concussion

Elevated levels of the brain protein tau following a sport-related concussion are associated with a longer recovery period and delayed return to play for athletes, according to a study published in the January 6, 2017 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 Jan 2017

Distinct structures of tau protein aggregates may help determine type of dementia, study shows

The distinct structures of toxic protein aggregates that form in degenerating brains determine which type of dementia will occur, which regions of brain will be affected, and how quickly the disease will spread, according to a study from the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.

31 Oct 2016

Researchers discover how toxic proteins linked to neurological diseases impair membrane-less organelles

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered the way toxic proteins linked to the most common forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) incapacitate membrane-less organelles inside cells.

21 Oct 2016

Research findings may have implications for ALS and other neurological disorders

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease) is a progressive disorder that devastates motor nerve cells. People diagnosed with ALS slowly lose the ability to control muscle movement, and are ultimately unable to speak, eat, move, or breathe.

4 Aug 2016

Scientists uncover novel sites of expression in the brain for gene linked to ALS and FTD

For the first time novel expression sites in the brain have been identified for a gene which is associated with Motor Neuron Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia.

1 Aug 2016

AAN announces winners of 2016 Neuro Film Festival

The American Academy of Neurology is pleased to announce the winning entries to the 2016 Neuro Film Festival.

10 Jul 2016

Sheffield researchers identify novel function of C9orf72 protein linked to ALS and FTD

Scientists from the University of Sheffield have discovered a novel function of the C9orf72 protein which is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) - giving a new insight into the most common genetic cause of the degenerative diseases.

1 Jul 2016

Research sheds new light on biological processes underlying neurodegeneration in AD

Progranulin is a central protein in both neuronal survival and neurodegenerative diseases. It is thus not surprising that altered progranulin levels represent a universal theme shared across several common neurodegenerative diseases.

26 May 2016

Neuroscientist distinguishes different forms of dementia using MRI scans

Neuroscientist Anne Hafkemeijer is able to distinguish two different forms of dementia using advanced imaging techniques. This is the first step towards early recognition of dementia in patients on the basis of brain networks. PhD defence 26 May.

25 May 2016

Unique mouse model could help study genetic origins and potential treatments for ALS

University of Florida Health researchers have developed a unique mouse model that will allow researchers around the world to better study the genetic origins and potential treatments for a neurodegenerative brain disease that causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, and frontotemporal dementia.

22 Apr 2016

Transcranial direct current stimulation can allow faster comprehension of meaningful word combinations

How the human brain processes the words we hear and constructs complex concepts is still somewhat of a mystery to the neuroscience community. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can alter our language processing, allowing for faster comprehension of meaningful word combinations, according to new research from the department of Neurology the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The work is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

11 Apr 2016

Brain's immune cells play direct role in development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Cedars-Sinai research scientists have found that immune cells in the brain play a direct role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, offering hope for new therapies to target the neurodegenerative disease that gradually leads to paralysis and death.

18 Mar 2016

Frontotemporal dementia often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease in many patients

Many patients showing signs of dementia are quickly diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease when they might actually suffer from frontotemporal dementia, delaying the appropriate treatment for them.

25 Feb 2016