Excess Tau Protein Causes Spatial Disorientation In Alzheimer's

The spatial disorientation that leads to wandering in many Alzheimer’s disease patients is caused by the accumulation of tau protein in navigational nerve cells in the brain, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have discovered. The findings, in mice, could open the door to early diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s and highlight novel targets for…

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Blood–brain Barrier Alterations Found In Autism Spectrum Disorders

A new avenue of research into the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders and other neurodevelopmental disorders has been opened up by looking at the interconnectivity of the gut-brain axis – the biochemical signaling between the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. Researchers led by Maria Rosaria Fiorentino, PhD, of the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center…

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Mediterranean Diet May Protect Your Brain In Old Age

Amid the contention about diets and detoxes, sugar and fats, there is at least general agreement that a Mediterranean diet – fruit, vegetables, olive oil, grains, fish – is a good thing. Now, a new study based on brain imaging in over 400 people seems to show that we have even more reason to celebrate…

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Delusional Misidentification Syndrome Brain Lesions Mapped

Delusional misidentification syndrome (DMS), is a group of rare disorders that leaves patients convinced people and places aren’t really as they seem. Now, neuroscientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have mapped the brain injuries – or lesions – that result in the symdromes. Michael D. Fox, MD, PhD, Director of the Laboratory for…

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Hypothermia Raises Survival Chances In Traumatic Brain Injury

Lowering the body temperature in people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), as soon as possible after the trauma, may significantly improve chances of survival in adults, suggests research from Royal Holloway College, University of London. Purposely lowering the body temperature, known as therapeutic hypothermia (TH), involves reducing the body temperature of a…

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Brimonidine May Have Potential As Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

Brimonidine, a drug which is used to treat open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, may have potential as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, say researchers from University College London. The common eye disease open-angle glaucoma occurs when optic nerve damage results in a progressive loss of the visual field and increased pressure in the eye. In…

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Gamma Frequency Entrainment Reduces Beta Amyloid Plaques

Using LED lights flickering at a specific frequency, MIT researchers have shown that they can substantially reduce the beta amyloid plaques seen in Alzheimer’s disease, in the visual cortex of mice. This treatment appears to work by inducing brain waves known as gamma oscillations, which the researchers discovered help the brain suppress beta amyloid production…

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Structural Brain Changes Linked To Parkinson's Cognitive Impairment

Individuals with cognitive impairment and Parkinson’s disease show disruptions in their brain networks that can be seen on a type of MRI, a study from San Raffaele Scientific Institute has found. An MRI technique called diffusion tractography was used to look for differences in the neural networks of PD patients with and without mild cognitive…

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Tau And Amyloid Beta Both Present In Early Alzheimer's Stage

Two molecules assumed to contribute to the disease process are both present at very early stages of Alzheimer’s in an area of the brain that is involved in memory formation and information processing, a study has confirmed for the first time. The finding has implications for the development of new drugs, and may also provide…

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