Psychiatric disorders do not increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland has found. But the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses increased before the Alzheimer’s diagnosis, which might be due to prodromal symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. A history of mood disorder, such as depression, or any psychiatric disorder were…
Category: Neurology
Dopamine Levels Drop During Migraine Headaches, Brain Scans Show
Levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine fall and fluctuate at different times during a migraine headache, University of Michigan researchers have found. The findings could help scientists better understand dopamine-based therapies for migraines as well as a patient’s behavior during an attack. The association between migraine and dopamine has remained a poorly understood therapeutic and research…
PTPRD Gene Variant Associated With Tau Neuropathology
A new gene variant that is associated with susceptibility to a common form of brain pathology has been identified by investigators at Rush University Medical Center and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The finding concerns Tau, a protein that accumulates in several different conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, certain forms of dementia and Parkinsonian syndromes as…
Thinner Neuronal Membranes Provide Amyloid-beta Access Points
Reduced thickness areas of neural cell membranes are particularly vulnerable to a protein that collects in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease, suggests University of Michigan research. The finding could clear a path for developing Alzheimer’s disease treatments that work within the cell’s membrane. The protein amyloid-beta builds up in the brains of people…
Brain Capillaries Monitor Activity & Control Blood Flow To Neurons
Cerebral capillaries have the capacity to both sense brain activity and generate an electrical vaso-dilatory signal to evoke blood flow and direct nutrients to nourish hard-working neurons, new research has found. The simple flip of a protein “switch” within the tiny capillaries of the brain can increase the blood flow that provides optimal brain function.…
Alzheimer's Disease May Be Triggered By Vascular System Alterations
A plasma component normally involved in blood clotting and inflammation may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease in some patients, scientists at Rockefeller University report. This is not the first time the condition has been linked to the vascular system. Yet it’s still not clear precisely how changes in the blood might…
How GRIN2A Gene Mutations Can Lead To Childhood Epilepsy
The cellular dysfunction caused by genetic mutation that leads to epilepsy has been uncovered by researchers from King’s College London. The researchers wanted to understand how gene mutations affect electrical transmission in the brain. Understanding exactly how nerve cells are misfiring and creating seizures in children with epilepsy will allow researchers to design better, more…
Bilateral Tinnitus Is Linked To Genetic Factors
Tinnitus in both ears, known as bilateral tinnitus, depends on genetic factors, a twin study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet together with colleagues from the European research network TINNET has found. Tinnitus prevalence increases with age and is thought to be related to a number of environmental factors but little research has been done…
Magnesium Could Offer Fresh Hope to Tinnitus Sufferers
You may be familiar with the experience of a ringing sensation in your ears after a night out enjoying some good music. Perhaps you’ve never given it a second thought, as the sound normally disappears on its own. But what if you were to wake up in the morning and still have the ringing in…