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Researchers have identified a group of agricultural chemicals — pesticides and fungicides — that constitute environmental risk factors for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. A recent study found that a number of these chemicals produce gene expression changes in mouse neurons similar to those observed in people with autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and other conditions. The paper, “…

Before any signs of cognitive decline start showing, neuronal synaptic connections are lost in mice destined to develop Alzheimer’s. New research shows that microglia – brain immune cells – destroy synapses in a fashion resembling processes in the developing brain, suggesting that it might be possible to develop drugs targeting…

Researchers tested the effects of fingolimod, an approved treatment for multiple sclerosis shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The drug reduced the density of pathological plaques and decreased the number of pro-inflammatory cells in in vivo disease models, suggesting a potential therapeutic role for Alzheimer’s.

More than 15 million unpaid caregivers around the world are estimated to provide daily care to people living with Alzheimer’s disease, usually without much outside support and often at risk to their own health and wellbeing. A collaborative research team at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)…

Relatives and friends of people suffering from dementia may put their retirement savings at stake or sell assets as they increasingly face hard financial decisions to keep taking care of their loved ones. Most families have to cut back on spending, and many have to cut out basic necessity items, according to…

Researchers at Austria’s MedUni Vienna have found that the protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyloid-β, is transmissible to other brains under very unusual circumstances. However, the clinical symptoms of the disease are not manifested in the affected brains, suggesting that amyloid-β transmission is not able to reproduce the full…

Elder Rage: How to Survive Caring for Aging Parents is a new book by Jacqueline Marcell, who details her experiences caring for her elderly parents, both of whom had Alzheimer’s disease. She has written the book as an aid to other caregivers. Initially, both her parents were undiagnosed. Marcell describes the struggle in her book:…

Studies have shown that women suffer a higher risk of developing dementia than men. Now, a study reports that this gender difference seems to be mirrored by molecular changes in brain proteins, raising prospects of identifying better treatments for both men and women. “The number of dementia patients is projected to triple…

In September 2015, a study published in the journal Nature significantly stirred the scientific community and made people around the world understandably alarmed. The research suggested that Alzheimer’s disease might be transmittable through injections of the disease-driving protein amyloid-β. Researchers all over the world now race to further investigate these…

Progressive supranuclear palsy is a brain disease that causes difficulty with walking, balance, and eye movements. The nonprofit CurePSP is dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for the disease, but its mission also extends beyond PSP. By initiating clinical trials to study PSP as well as head injury due to concussion,…