A variant called APOE4 is notorious for its link to Alzheimer’s. Can new insights into its function help stave off disease?
Author: Ronald
Accuracy of diagnostic blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease varies (Links to an external site)
Head-to-head comparison of six tests reveals which ones could replace spinal taps, brain scans
Blood tests for Alzheimer’s may be coming to your doctor’s office. Here’s what to know (Links to an external site)
New blood tests could help doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s disease faster and more accurately, researchers reported Sunday – but some appear to work far better than others.
Racial disparities in dementia determined by social factors (Links to an external site)
Racial disparities in dementia are due to social determinants of health, with genetic ancestry playing no role, according to a new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
New Alzheimer’s Drug (Links to an external site)
Washington University Professor of Neurology Dr. Joy Snider joins the show to talk about the new Alzheimer’s drug that was approved by the FDA in July.
19th Annual Norman R. Seay Lecture (Links to an external site)
Join us in-person or virtually on October 22, 2024 at 4pm Central with lecturer Robert Turner II, PhD.
State of the Knight ADRC Lecture (Links to an external site)
Watch this year’s lecture by Dr. Holtzman along with previous years which are also available.
New Drug Approved for Early Alzheimer’s (Links to an external site)
The drug, Kisunla, made by Eli Lilly, is the latest in a new class of treatments that could modestly slow cognitive decline in initial stages of the disease but also carry safety risks.
Annual Participants’ Meeting (2024) (Links to an external site)
Access this year’s recording and slides from our Participants’ Meeting page.
‘A study to give us hope’: Lifestyle changes improve Alzheimer’s symptoms for some (Links to an external site)
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 drug adoption in US slowed by doctors’ skepticism (Links to an external site)
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.
Proteins may predict who will get dementia 10 years later, study finds (Links to an external site)
A study of frozen blood samples has turned up a trove of proteins that may predict several forms of dementia more than 10 years before the disease is diagnosed, researchers from the U.K. and China reported on Monday.
Racial and ethnic disparities undermine dementia care in the US (Links to an external site)
A review of dementia research highlights unequal healthcare outcomes for Black and Hispanic people in the US
New Alzheimer’s drugs bring hope. But not equally for all patients (Links to an external site)
The medications have not been widely tested in Black people with the disease, underscoring stark — and persistent — disparities
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.
Lowering a form of brain cholesterol reduces Alzheimer’s-like damage in mice (Links to an external site)
…researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found — in mice — that Alzheimer’s-like tau deposits in the brain lead to the accumulation of a form of cholesterol known as cholesteryl esters, and that lowering cholesteryl ester levels helps prevent brain damage and behavioral changes.
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.
Enhancing Participation by Minoritized Groups in Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementia Research (2023) (Links to an external site)
Access talks and videos from this event from our Community Events page.
18th Annual Norman R. Seay Lecture (Links to an external site)
Watch this year’s lecture by clicking the link above.
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.
What to know about the new Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi (Links to an external site)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently gave full approval to Leqembi (lecanemab) for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Barbara Joy Snider, MD, PhD, answers questions about the drug.
Center staff attend Affinia Healthcare event (Links to an external site)
The Knight ADRC’s own Myrtis Spencer, Dotti McDowell, Maribel Chebuske, and Heather Klemp were excited to attend the Affinia Health Back-to-School Bash at their N. Florissant Health Center to raise awareness on Alzheimer Disease.
Cognitive function in Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer’s focus of grant (Links to an external site)
NIH-supported study lays groundwork for Alzheimer’s clinical trials involving people with intellectual disabilities
Study defines disparities in memory care (Links to an external site)
Patients who live in less affluent neighborhoods and those from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups are less likely than others to receive specialized care for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates. Further, the research shows that Black people are more likely than white people to be diagnosed with dementia at a later, more advanced stage, which could contribute to inequities in access to new treatments.
Tau-based biomarker tracks Alzheimer’s progression (Links to an external site)
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Lund University in Lund, Sweden, have identified a form of tau that could serve as a marker to track Alzheimer’s progression. The marker also could be used by Alzheimer’s drug developers to assess whether investigational tau-based drugs – the next frontier in Alzheimer’s drug development – are effective against the disease. Such drugs theoretically would benefit people in later stages of the disease, when tau tangles play a crucial role.
When Gut Bacteria May Be an Early Sign of Alzheimer’s Disease (Links to an external site)
In a new study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis report on another possible factor: the types of bacteria living in the gut. Experiencing changes in gut bacteria populations may be an early marker for developing the disease, the scientists found. These differences can often begin years before the first symptoms of cognitive decline, such as memory loss and confusion, appear.
2023 State of the Knight ADRC Lecture (Links to an external site)
Watch this year’s lecture by clicking the link above.
Dr. Joy Balls-Berry discusses the latest research with Alzheimer disease (Links to an external site)
Stress increases Alzheimer’s risk in female mice but not males (Links to an external site)
A study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that the effect stress has on the brain differs by sex, at least in mice. In stressful situations, levels of the Alzheimer’s protein amyloid beta rises sharply in the brains of females but not males. In addition, the researchers identified a molecular pathway that is active in brain cells from female mice but not male mice, and showed that it accounts for the divergent responses to stress.
Sleeping pill reduces levels of Alzheimer’s proteins (Links to an external site)
A small, two-night study has shown that people who took a sleeping pill before bed experienced a drop in the levels of key Alzheimer’s proteins — a good sign, since higher levels of such proteins tracks with worsening disease. The study, which involved a sleeping aid known as suvorexant that is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for insomnia, hints at the potential of sleep medications to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, although much more work is needed to confirm the viability of such an approach.
How to make your community livable for you now and in the years ahead (Links to an external site)
…everyone has a lot to gain from living with multiple generations, whether that is learning about iPads or the roots of a community, said Dr. Joyce Balls-Berry, an associate professor of neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Seeking Alzheimer’s clues from few who escape genetic fate (Links to an external site)
If researchers could uncover and mimic whatever protects these escapees, they might develop better treatments — even preventive therapies — not only for families plagued by inherited Alzheimer’s but for everyone.
Brain-twisted or brain-washed — can crossword puzzles and word games sharpen memory? (Links to an external site)
“Doing puzzles, in and of itself, will only improve how you do the puzzles,” said Dr. Beau Ances, a Washington University professor who specializes in neurodegenerative disease. “I am not sure it improves long-term cognition.”
Ances said he has patients who love the puzzles and he absolutely encourages them to keep at it; having a daily ritual you look forward to is beneficial in many ways. Galvan, for instance, told me it’s good for his self-esteem when he conquers a puzzle.
Discovery of T cells’ role in Alzheimer’s, related diseases, suggests new treatment strategy (Links to an external site)
In Alzheimer’s and related neurodegenerative diseases, the brain protein tau is closely linked to brain damage and cognitive decline. A new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that T cells play a key role in tau-related neurodegeneration, a finding that suggests new treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s and related diseases.
Microglia-mediated T cell infiltration drives neurodegeneration in tauopathy (Links to an external site)
Microglia-mediated T cell infiltration drives neurodegeneration in tauopathy
Progress in Early Detection and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (Links to an external site)
Neurologists discuss the major milestones in identifying biomarkers for detecting early Alzheimer’s disease over the past two decades.
Researchers call for clinical trial globalization in Alzheimer’s (Links to an external site)
Globalization of ADRD clinical trials has become a pressing need as 68% of the people living with ADRD will reside in low-middle-income countries (LMICs) by 2025.
Equity for African Americans in Alzheimer’s disease (Links to an external site)
For 20 years, the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center has worked to boost diversity in clinical trials.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Blood Test May Detect Condition 3 Years Before Clinical Diagnosis (Links to an external site)
Scientists say they have developed a test that can potentially detect Alzheimer’s disease a few years before people typically get a clinical diagnosis.
US approves Alzheimer’s drug that modestly slows disease (Links to an external site)
“This drug is not a cure. It doesn’t stop people from getting worse, but it does measurably slow the progression of the disease,” said Dr. Joy Snider, a neurologist at Washington University in St. Louis. “That might mean someone could have an extra six months to a year of being able to drive.”
Gut bacteria affect brain health, mouse study shows (Links to an external site)
Gut bacteria can influence brain health, according to a study of mice genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer’s-like brain damage. The study, by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, indicates that gut bacteria produce compounds that influence the behavior of immune cells, including ones in the brain that can cause neurodegeneration. The findings suggest a new approach to treating Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Dare We Say Consensus Achieved: Lecanemab Slows the Disease (Links to an external site)
Randall Bateman of Washington University, St. Louis, presented the biomarker evidence, concluding that it indicates the treatment modified underlying biology. “These findings support the ability to change the course of Alzheimer’s disease,” he told Alzforum.
Roche Alzheimer’s antibody fails to slow cognitive decline in major test (Links to an external site)
Biogen Inc. and Eisai Co. caused a stir in September when they announced positive results in a late-stage trial for a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug, lecanemab. Doctors tempered their excitement, though, until they could scrutinize the full peer-reviewed data.
That data arrived Tuesday night. And while it is stoking enthusiasm that physicians might soon be able to offer patients a treatment that can slow the progression of the devastating disease, doctors need to carefully balance that optimism with safety concerns and the reality that the drug is far from a cure — and in fact, it’s hard to quantify how meaningful it might be for a given patient.