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A gene associated with a rare balance disorder also may be involved in susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease, a new study in mice shows. The study, “Loss of Ataxin-1 Potentiates Alzheimer’s Pathogenesis by Elevating Cerebral BACE1 Transcription,” was published in the journal Cell. Mutations that affect a gene’s…

A new 3D model using human cells grown on a chip can mimic what happens in the brain during Alzheimer’s and allow for the screening of possible therapies in a disease where so many fail, including medicines already approved for other conditions. This tissue model also helps researchers see how…

Better understanding the mathematics behind how protein clumps form — and how therapies interfere with this process — may improve treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s, and other diseases, new research suggests. The study, “Optimal control strategies for inhibition of protein aggregation,” was published in PNAS. Protein aggregation is…

The strain of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) during the hectic back-to-school season can be overwhelming. For good brain health, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) says it’s essential to take measures to mitigate stress. “It’s super important to make managing stress one of your top…

A diet rich in phosphatidylcholine, a form of the choline found in foods like eggs and meat, was linked to a lower risk of dementia and better memory skills in middle-aged men in Finland, a recent study reports. These findings suggest that choline helps to support cognitive processing, and verbal and visual…

Compared to regular amyloid imaging, fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET), an imaging technique that quantifies brain function by measuring glucose levels, can better assess the progression and severity of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s, and also cognitive impairment, researchers have found. Their study, “18F-FDG Is…

People with high blood pressure, or hypertension, during midlife are at a greater risk of developing dementia, irrespective of their blood pressure later on, a long-term follow-up study suggests. The study, “Association of Midlife to Late-Life Blood Pressure Patterns With Incident Dementia,” was published in the…

Alkahest’s experimental blood-derived protein GRF6019 helps maintain cognition and function in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease patients, results of a six-month Phase 2 clinical trial show. “These top-line results indicate a potential benefit of this plasma protein fraction in slowing the progression of cognitive decline in patients with…

Blood levels of certain molecules— metabolites and amino acids — may help to identify people with Alzheimer’s disease who are more likely to improve their cognitive skills in response to aerobic exercise, a study suggests. These results were shared in the poster “Plasma Metabolites to Predict Response to Exercise in…

AC Immune is launching a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial to evaluate an investigational anti-tau vaccine called ACI-35.030 as a potential disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders characterized by the accumulation of tau protein. The presence of abnormal aggregates of beta-amyloid and tau proteins in the brain…