Alzheimer's
Scientists pinpoint how vitamin D may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's
Researchers have identified the intracellular mechanisms regulated by vitamin D3 that may help the body clear the brain of amyloid beta, the main component of plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. The early findings show that vitamin D3 may activate key genes and cellular signaling networks to help stimulate the immune system to clear the amyloid-beta protein.
New Alzheimer's marker strongly predicts mental decline
A new marker of Alzheimer’s disease can predict how rapidly a patient’s memory and other mental abilities will decline after the disorder is diagnosed, researchers have found.
How anesthetic isoflurane induces Alzheimer's-like changes in mammalian brains
The association of the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane with Alzheimer's-disease-like changes in mammalian brains may by caused by the drug's effects on mitochondria, the structures in which most cellular energy is produced.
Promising approach to preventing Alzheimer's
As scientists struggle to find an effective way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, researchers may have found a new approach to interrupting the process that leads to the devastating disease.
Understanding and treating the cognitive dysfunction of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic disorder in live born children arising as a consequence of a chromosomal abnormality. It occurs as a result of having three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two. It causes substantial physical and behavioral abnormalities, including life-long cognitive dysfunction that can range from mild to severe but which further deteriorates as individuals with DS age.
[Editorial] A grand plan for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
As this issue of the Lancet Neurology went to press, a noteworthy date for researchers and clinicians with an interest in dementia was near: February 8, 2012. The date marks a deadline set up by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to receive public input on a draft framework for the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA). The US government considers NAPA a historic opportunity, and it could certainly become a celebrated milestone if, by implementing the law, dementia research is made a national priority.