Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes neurons in the area of the brain that controls movement to weaken or die. Up to 50 percent of patients with PD suffer from dementia. The timing, severity, and effects of that dementia differs — and the reason for the varying vulnerability of different brain …
Advances in Drug Discovery for Central Nervous System Diseases
Discovering effective and safe new drugs depends on a detailed knowledge of disease mechanisms, as well as a successful progression from candidate identification to clinical trial design. This complicated, work-intensive path makes drug discovery hard, according to Valentin K. Gribkoff and Leonard K. Kaczmarek, authors of an article in Neuropharmacology entitled “The need for new …
Marmosets as Primate Models of Familial Alzheimer’s Disease
The common marmoset, Callithrix jaccus, possesses complex social behaviors and sleep patterns that closely resemble those of humans. This South American monkey’s metabolism, immune systems, brain structure, and physiology are also very similar to humans. Common marmosets (henceforth referred to as marmosets) can live 10 to 15 years in captivity, and they naturally develop hyperphosphylated …
Tau Propagation Influences the Pace of Alzheimer’s Disease Progression
Progressive cognitive impairments are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), but the timing of their onset and progression varies by patient. Even among people with the typical amnestic form of AD, the speed with which the disease progresses can vary significantly: some patients experience rapid cognitive decline, while others deteriorate over a decade or more. …
New Research: Neurofilament-Light Chain Is a Biomarker with High Translational Value
In the field of neurological diseases, there is a need for reliable biomarkers that can improve accuracy of a differential diagnosis and prognostic assessment. Neurofilament-light chain (NF-L) is a widely known clinical biomarker of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), among others. When scientists analyze ALS patients’ cerebrospinal fluid …
Flortaucipir PET Shows Promise in Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis
In the April 27th issue of JAMA Neurology, researchers released new data that suggests 18F-flortaucipir positron emission topography (PET) can help clinicians diagnose late-stage Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The results of the large autopsy validation study revealed that the PET tau tracers can identify the underlying presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) at the B3 level (Braak stages V …
Repetitive Negative Thinking Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease
According to a study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, cognitive decline and the deposition of harmful proteins in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) may be related to the practice of repetitive negative thinking (RNT). RNT, also called perseverative thinking, consists of rumination on the past and worry about the future. The term RNT …
Research Breakthrough: Antibodies for the Quantification of Amyloid Beta Oligomers in Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers have designed an antibody that can identify toxic particles that destroy healthy brain cells. A collaboration of scientists from the University of Cambridge, University College London, and Lund University published their findings in an article titled “Rational design of a conformation-specific antibody for the quantification of amyloid beta oligomers” in Proceedings of the National …
Proteomic Analysis Studies in Alzheimer’s Disease and Cerebral Atherosclerosis Research
RNA sequencing studies of thousands of post mortem human brain samples have generated massive datasets for use in medical research. These studies implicate many different biological functions in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) — but how do these findings translate to proteins, the most important building blocks in the brain? Two studies from scientists at Emory University …
Protein Shapes in Alzheimer’s Disease Research
Proteins — large molecules made up of amino acids — do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. A confluence of circumstances leads the proteins to twist, unfold, and refold the way they are meant to for regular functioning — but …
