Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

New insights into the mechanisms of "Niemann-Pick type C" in children

In the journal "Science Translational Medicine", scientists from DZNE and LMU Hospital report on new insights into the mechanisms of "Niemann-Pick type C" (NPC), a rare neurodegenerative disease associated with dementia that can manifest as early as childhood.

6 Dec 2024

Neighborhood disadvantage found to affect blood pressure and cognition

New research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests that living in a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with higher blood pressure and lower cognitive scores, even among people who do not have an existing diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment.

6 Dec 2024

Antipsychotics linked to increased behavioral problems in nursing homes

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Waterloo analyzed data from nearly 500,000 Canadian patients who lived in nursing homes across Canada between 2000 and 2022.

6 Dec 2024

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy risk in ice hockey increases with each year played

A study of 77 male hockey players reveals a 96.4% CTE prevalence, highlighting the link between play duration and increased risk of chronic encephalopathy.

6 Dec 2024

Scientists link proteins to Alzheimer’s through cutting-edge genetic method

Researchers have developed MR-SPI, a novel method integrated with AlphaFold3, to identify causal protein biomarkers and predict their 3D structural changes in Alzheimer’s disease. This breakthrough offers insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.

5 Dec 2024

Frontotemporal dementia disrupts empathy for pain, study reveals

Study reveals diminished brain activity related to empathy for pain in individuals with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), using task-based fMRI. Findings show a stark reduction in neural responses tied to affective empathy, highlighting early bvFTD impacts on social cognition.

5 Dec 2024

Alzheimer's genetic risk studies undermined by systemic biases

Recent research in Nature Genetics reveals pervasive biases in GWAX studies using parental history of Alzheimer’s, highlighting potential misdirection in genetic associations and disease risk predictions. A novel GSUB method identifies false signals stemming from confounding factors like survival bias and socioeconomic status.

4 Dec 2024

Type 2 diabetes doubles infection-related mortality and exposes gaps in health reporting

People with type 2 diabetes face a significantly higher risk of infection-related deaths, particularly in younger age groups, with infections accounting for 13% of deaths compared to 1.2% in conventional records.

3 Dec 2024

Behavioral chaos in Alzheimer’s disease mice decoded by machine learning

Researchers use machine learning to identify behavioral disruptions in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models, highlighting a potential therapeutic target in fibrinogen-microglia interactions.

3 Dec 2024

Researchers aim to uncover causes of acquired hearing loss and find potential therapies

With a new five-year, $3.2 million grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders, researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Mass Eye and Ear will study what causes acquired hearing loss (AHL) and seek new ways to protect against it.

3 Dec 2024

High blood sugar impairs brain health even without diabetes

A study by Baycrest found that high blood sugar may impair brain health even in people without diabetes.

3 Dec 2024

Baycrest study discovers role of thalamus in post-stroke recovery

A recent study by Baycrest reveals that an area of the brain distinct from the stroke lesion may play a significant role in causing the life-altering symptoms survivors are often left with, which can include severe challenges with speech, mobility and cognition.

3 Dec 2024

Loss of empathy in frontotemporal dementia linked to brain activity changes

Patients with frontotemporal dementia often lack the ability to empathize. A study at Karolinska Institutet has now shown that these patients do not show the same brain activity as healthy individuals when they witness the pain of others, a finding that it is hoped will increase understanding of this specific dementia disease.

3 Dec 2024

Lifestyle choices and cognitive health linked to future dementia risk

The risk of developing dementia later in life is strongly predicted by a person's cognitive ability, functional limitations and physical health as many as 20 years before onset of the illness, according to a new RAND report.

3 Dec 2024

Skeletal muscle loss linked to increased risk of dementia

Skeletal muscle loss is a risk factor for developing dementia, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

3 Dec 2024

Short sleep and high blood pressure may increase brain damage

People with high blood pressure who also lack sleep may be at increased risk of reduced cognitive performance and greater brain injury, Monash University research has found.

2 Dec 2024

UK’s hearing loss organizations address misleading claims about dementia

The UK’s leading hearing loss organizations have joined forces to highlight misleading reports by some health professionals and the media that hearing loss causes dementia, and treating hearing loss will reduce our individual risk of dementia.

2 Dec 2024

Understanding the role of sleep in dementia and associated illnesses

A new review was published on the cover of Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 21, titled, "Sleep deprivation in dementia comorbidities: focus on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, anxiety/depression and thyroid disorders."

2 Dec 2024

Visceral fat found to contribute to Alzheimer's disease development

Researchers have linked a specific type of body fat to the abnormal proteins in the brain that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease up to 20 years before the earliest symptoms of dementia appear, according to a study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

2 Dec 2024