Author: Ronald

Patient defies genetic fate to avoid Alzheimer’s (Links to an external site)

Doug Whitney, who lives near Seattle, Wash., inherited a mutation that has caused many family members to develop Alzheimer’s disease at about age 50, yet he shows no sign of the illness at age 75. His case is the subject of a new study by WashU Medicine researchers that aims to identify potential routes to preventing or treating Alzheimer’s based on Whitney’s exceptional resilience to the disease.

Anti-amyloid treatments: Why we think they are worth it (Links to an external site)

Years of experience watching our patients progressively decline and die from complications of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has strongly motivated us to provide newly approved anti-amyloid treatments to appropriate patients. Following detailed and personalized discussions of the potential risks and benefits of these treatments with patients and their families, almost 300 patients at our clinic have chosen to receive lecanemab infusions

Memory Loss Isn’t the Only Sign of Dementia (Links to an external site)

Memory loss is the most well-known symptom of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. But experts say there are other warning signs that can signal early brain changes — ones that are especially important for types of dementia where forgetfulness is not the primary symptom.

New drug targets for Alzheimer’s identified from cerebrospinal fluid (Links to an external site)

Using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from living patients, a team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has for the first time linked disease-related proteins and genes to identify specific cellular pathways responsible for Alzheimer’s genesis and progression. Because these proteins were gathered from CSF, they are a good proxy for activity in the brain, and several of them may be potential targets for therapies.

Scientists Analyze Body Fluid to Find New Drugs for Disease (Links to an external site)

An analysis of cerebrospinal fluid has uncovered several proteins likely involved in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

The study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, identified more than a dozen proteins that represent potential targets for future drug therapies designed to treat the disease, shedding light on how genetics and proteins influence the neurodegeneration seen in Alzheimer’s.

Subtle cognitive decline precedes end to driving for older adults (Links to an external site)

Even slight cognitive changes can affect an older person’s decision to stop driving, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings suggest that routine cognitive testing — in particular, the kind of screening designed to pick up the earliest, most subtle decline — could help older adults and their physicians make decisions about driving that maximizes safety while preserving independence as long as possible.

Alzheimer’s disease progresses faster in people with Down syndrome (Links to an external site)

Nearly all adults with Down syndrome will develop evidence of Alzheimer’s disease by late middle age. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that the disease both starts earlier and moves faster in people with Down syndrome, a finding that may have important implications for the treatment and care of this vulnerable group of patients.

Moment of promise (Links to an external site)

Washington University is known the world over for being a leader in neuroscience research. And the university underscored its commitment to the neurosciences by building an 11-story hub on the Medical Campus that enables researchers to work more collaboratively and creatively. The goal: to accelerate the translation of science into treatments to help those living with neurodegenerative diseases.

Alzheimer’s blood test performs as well as FDA-approved spinal fluid tests (Links to an external site)

Scientists report a major step toward a simple blood test for Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Lund University in Sweden showed that a blood test is as good at identifying people in early stages of the disease as cerebrospinal fluid tests approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The findings indicate that a blood test soon may replace more expensive and invasive brain scans and spinal taps for detecting signs of Alzheimer’s in the brain.

Blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer’s — if they’re accurate enough. Not all are (Links to an external site)

A new generation of blood tests is poised to change the way doctors determine whether patients with memory loss also have Alzheimer’s disease.

The tests detect substances in the blood that indicate the presence of sticky amyloid plaques in the brain — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. So these tests have the potential to replace current diagnostic procedures, like costly PET scans and uncomfortable spinal taps.

Smoking causes brain shrinkage (Links to an external site)

Smoking shrinks the brain and effectively causes premature brain aging, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Quitting smoking prevents further loss of brain tissue but doesn’t restore the brain to its original size.

Clues to preventing Alzheimer’s come from patient who, despite genetics, evaded disease (Links to an external site)

Alzheimer’s disease has plagued one large Colombian family for generations, striking down half of its members in the prime of life. But one member of that family evaded what had seemed would be fate: Despite inheriting the genetic defect that caused her relatives to develop dementia in their 40s, she stayed cognitively healthy into her 70s.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis now think they know why. A previous study had reported that, unlike her relatives, the woman carried two copies of a rare variant of the APOE gene known as the Christchurch mutation. In this study, researchers used genetically modified mice to show that the Christchurch mutation severs the link between the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease, when a protein called amyloid beta builds up in the brain, and the late phase, when another protein called tau accumulates and cognitive decline sets in. So the woman stayed mentally sharp for decades, even as her brain filled with massive amounts of amyloid. The findings, published Dec. 11 in the journal Cell, suggest a new approach to preventing Alzheimer’s dementia.

Living with Alzheimer Disease and Other Types of Dementia: Stories from Caregivers (Links to an external site)

People with Alzheimer Disease or other types of dementia often face years of memory and thinking problems that eventually require help from others to assist with daily activities. An estimated 83% of people caring for older adults in the US are family members, friends or other unpaid caregivers. People providing care may have emotional and physical stress, or financial burdens, especially when caring for someone in the later stages of the disease. In this collection of narratives, authors write about the challenges, struggles, and joys of providing care for family members or another close person with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Doubts abound about a new Alzheimer’s blood test (Links to an external site)

…Alzheimer’s researchers and clinicians aren’t convinced the Quest test is backed by sound scientific research. The possibility of false-positive results is high, as is the likelihood that older adults won’t understand the significance of their results, they say. The test should be taken only under a physician’s supervision, if at all, they advise. And, priced originally at $399 (recently discounted to $299) and not covered by insurance, it isn’t cheap.

How do toxic proteins accumulate in Alzheimer’s and other diseases? (Links to an external site)

In search of ways to prevent these destructive tau tangles, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a key step in their development. Intervening at this step potentially could forestall the destructive cascade of events that results in brain damage, the researchers said. The findings are published Sept. 20 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.