Dementia news
NR Times explores the latest research developments in the world of neurology and neurorehabilitation. Scientists reverse Alzheimer’s in mice using nanoparticles Researchers have demonstrated a nanotechnology strategy that reverses Alzheimer’s disease in mice. Unlike traditional nanomedicine, which relies on nanoparticles as carriers for therapeutic molecules, this approach employs nanoparticles that are bioactive in their own [...]
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in older adults are associated with a 69 per cent higher risk of developing dementia within five years, new research has found. The study analysed data from more than 260,000 adults aged 65 and older between April 2004 and March 2020, following them until dementia diagnosis, March 2021, or death. It [...]
Scientists have developed a molecule that prevents toxic protein clumping in Parkinson's disease, demonstrating its effect in an animal model. Researchers at the University of Bath, working with the Universities of Oxford and Bristol, engineered a peptide fragment that locks alpha-synuclein – a protein that forms toxic clumps in Parkinson's – into its healthy shape, [...]
A new brain imaging technique has detected tiny pulsing blood vessels that could reveal early Alzheimer's disease and track changes linked to ageing. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It is currently the seventh leading cause of death and one of the major causes of disability in older people worldwide. The method [...]
Oral bacteria that settle in the gut may produce chemicals that damage brain cells and play a role in Parkinson's disease, researchers have suggested. Scientists found that Streptococcus mutans – the bacterium responsible for tooth decay – was more common in the guts of Parkinson’s patients than in healthy people. The finding adds to the case for [...]
CTE, a brain condition linked to repeated head injuries in sport, has for the first time been identified in people who had experienced homelessness. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – often linked to boxing, rugby and American football – was detected in post-mortem examinations of people with a history of homelessness, marking the first confirmed cases [...]
A protein that helps organise brain cell connections has been identified by researchers, offering potential new ways to treat brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers from Michigan State University and Rutgers University–New Brunswick have found that a protein called cypin acts as a “librarian” in the brain. It tags and arranges other proteins in the [...]
Women who undergo hysterectomy face up to an 18 per cent higher risk of stroke, especially if both ovaries are removed, according to new research. A meta-analysis of data from more than 2 million people found that removing the uterus and cervix alone raises risk by 5 per cent, while combining this with removal of [...]
Emerging research is exploring the potential of photobiomodulation (PBM) - a light-based therapy targeting the gut-brain axis- as a promising new treatment for Parkinson’s disease. A recently published clinical trial, conducted on 60 participants in Canada, reported clinically significant improvements in multiple Parkinson’s symptoms following treatment with photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy. The results, presented last month at [...]
Researchers have shown how faults in DNA repair, caused by gene mutations, can lead to motor neurone disease, pointing to possible new treatment targets. The study found that mutations in the CFAP410 gene make neurones more vulnerable to DNA damage, rather than disrupting cell structures as once believed. Motor neurone disease (MND), also called amyotrophic [...]
