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Increased activity of mutant forms of a specific enzyme, protein kinase Cα (PKCα), correlates with damage to neurons caused by the amyloid-beta protein in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School reported. The findings also suggest that drugs inhibiting the…

The major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the apolipoprotein E4 gene, is responsible for the disruption of a particular type of brain activity required for memory consolidation, according to the study “Apolipoprotein E4 Causes Age-Dependent Disruption of Slow Gamma Oscillations during Hippocampal Sharp-Wave Ripples,” published…

A new study reveals how tau protein drives the formation of stress granules, intended to allow neurons to adapt to stressful conditions, like an injury, during brief periods of time. Findings in the journal Cell Reports show that if stress persists, the tau-stress granule complex does so as well,…

Riluzole, a drug approved for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), might reverse genetic changes often observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline. The findings support a clinical trial now exploring if riluzole is beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients. Researchers at Rockefeller University have previously shown that…

Studies suggesting that a cancer diagnosis reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), possibly through a biological mechanism that triggers cancer and prevents AD, may be somewhat irrelevant, researchers said, pointing to data showing that pancreatic cancer patients usually don’t live long enough to develop Alzheimer’s. The study, “Is…

An immune molecule called IL-33 can reverse Alzheimer’s disease symptoms and cognitive decline in mice, researchers show in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The findings lend support to theories that humans have a natural defense against Alzheimer’s that decreases…

In the first long-term analysis of its kind, researchers report that depressive symptoms that progressively increase in older age might better predict the development of dementia than any other type of depression – and may, in fact, represent an early disease stage. Many studies have linked depressive symptoms with dementia, but…

Washington University researchers suggest that difficulties in establishing cognitive maps of new surroundings might indicate the onset of Alzheimer’s disease long before a clinical diagnosis. The findings suggest that navigational tasks can be a powerful new tool for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease-related changes. The research paper, “Spatial Navigation in…

The UC Cures for Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative was launched recently by the University of California (UC) to accelerate the most promising Alzheimer’s disease research. Projects could be studies or proof-of-concept clinical trials to confirm a new imaging modality or biomarker. Sponsored by the UC Office of the President with a foundational…

A study by researchers at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) detailed, reportedly for a first time, the relationship between plasma levels of two types of amyloid beta peptides and cognitive function and brain volume, factors known to be diminished in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The findings suggested that blood…