Category Archives: Research News (General)

Autopsies have revealed that some individuals develop the cellular changes indicative of Alzheimer’s disease without ever showing clinical symptoms in their lifetime.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center memory researchers have discovered a potential genetic variant in these asymptomatic individuals that may make brains more resilient against Alzheimer’s.

"Most Alzheimer’s research is searching for genes that predict the disease, but we’re taking a different approach. We’re looking for genes that predict who among those with Alzheimer’s pathology will actually show clinical symptoms of the disease," said principal investigator Timothy Hohman, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research fellow in the Center for Human Genetics Research and the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center.

The article, "Genetic modification of the relationship between phosphorylated tau and neurodegeneration," was published online recently in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia. (click to access the Pubmed abstract)

The researchers used a marker of Alzheimer’s disease found in cerebrospinal fluid called phosphorylated tau. In brain cells, tau is a protein that stabilizes the highways of cellular transport in neurons. In Alzheimer’s disease tau forms "tangles" that disrupt cellular messages.

Analyzing a sample of 700 subjects from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Hohman and colleagues looked for genetic variants that modify the relationship between phosphorylated tau and lateral ventricle dilation—a measure of disease progression visible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). One genetic mutation (rs4728029) was found to relate to both ventricle dilation and cognition and is a marker of neuroinflammation.

"This gene marker appears to be related to an inflammatory response in the presence of phosphorylated tau," Hohman said. "It appears that certain individuals with a genetic predisposition toward a ‘bad’ neuroinflammatory response have neurodegeneration. But those with a genetic predisposition toward no inflammatory response, or a reduced one, are able to endure the pathology without marked neurodegeneration."#

Hohman hopes to expand the study to include a larger sample and investigate gene and protein expression using data from a large autopsy study of Alzheimer’s disease.

Source:  Vanderbilt University, USA

Google Glass is being used by people suffering from Parkinson’s disease in a groundbreaking experiment to see if the technology can help improve their day-to-day lives.

Newcastle University, UK is trialling new technology to help patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease live more independently by reminding them to swallow, speak up and take their medication.

The Google technology, which is not yet available in Europe, reminds the patients to take their medication, contacts relatives in an emergency and can even prevent debilitating episodes of paralysis – known as ‘freezing.’

The system works like a hands-free smartphone, displaying information on the lens of the Glass. It is voice-operated and linked to the internet.

“The beauty of this research project is we are designing the apps and systems for Glass in collaboration with the users so the resulting applications should exactly meet their needs,” said Dr John Vines of the School of Computing Science.

Source: Newcastle University

Results out of a study funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) have enabled researchers to secure a $23 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, continuing a repurposed drug approved for hypertension to Phase III testing for slowing Parkinson’s progression.

The trial investigating the compound isradipine will be the most advanced, current study into a disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson’s, an unmet need.

Isradipine is a calcium channel blocker prescribed to treat high blood pressure. Epidemiological data from population-scale studies note a lower incidence of Parkinson’s disease (PD) among people who take this drug.

Furthering PD researchers’ interest, laboratory tests have shown that blocking calcium channels protects dopamine neurons, degeneration of which is one of the hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease.

Source: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

Prions are infectious agents responsible for neurodegenerative diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalitis (commonly known as “mad cow disease”) and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in humans.

Since the discovery in the 60s that an incurable and fatal disease could be caused by an infectious agent formed by nothing but converted misfolded proteins, the mechanisms responsible for the conversion of a normal prion protein into its infectious counterpart – the scrapie prion – have been relentlessly investigated. Researchers now know that once converted into the scrapie form, these abnormal proteins have the ability to sequestrate normal proteins, which are then converted to form an increasing aggregate of fibrils that builds up mainly in the brain.

More recently, several studies have suggested that a yet unknown cofactor plays a role in the process of conversion from a normal prion into the scrapie form. Among the factors potentially involved in the process are molecules belonging to the family of glycosaminoglycans, or simply GAGs. In fact, GAGs have been implicated in several degenerative diseases, including prion diseases. However, while some studies point to these molecules as the culprit for prion conversion, others suggest an opposite effect in which the molecules protect against prion conversion.

In a paper entitled “Heparin binding confers prion stability and impairs its aggregation” and published ahead of print in The FASEB Journal, the group now unveils more details on heparin and prion conversion and presents additional evidence that might help explain the conflicting results previously reported.

Source: Science Codex

The PredictND project, started by European research organisations, aims at developing and validating new procedures for the earlier diagnosis of memory disorders and for detecting individuals at high risk of developing memory disorders.

Co-funded under the European 7th Framework Programme, PredictND will not only develop new, cost-efficient methods for enabling earlier and more reliable diagnostics of different memory disorders in clinical practice; the project will also provide computer-based tools that help clinicians form a holistic view of the patient by combining information from several sources, such as clinical tests, imaging and blood samples, and by comparing these measurements to previously diagnosed cases available in hospital databases.

Source: EHealthNews

Research implicates new player in Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

More than a century of research into the causes of dementia has focused on the clumps and tangles of abnormal proteins that appear in the brains of people with neurodegenerative diseases. However, scientists know that at least one piece of the puzzle has been missing because some people with these abnormal protein clumps show few or no signs of cognitive decline.

A new study offers an explanation for these longstanding mysteries. Researchers have discovered that a gene regulator active during fetal brain development, called REST, switches back on later in life to protect aging neurons from various stresses, including the toxic effects of abnormal proteins. The researchers also showed that REST is lost in critical brain regions of people with Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment.

“Our work raises the possibility that the abnormal protein aggregates associated with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases may not be sufficient to cause dementia; you may also need a failure of the brain’s stress response system,” said Bruce Yankner, Harvard Medical School professor of genetics and leader of the study.

The results were published in the Mar 19th edition of Nature Magazine.

Source: Medical Express (Stephanie Dutchen)

Quality of life (QoL) improves under subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) in Parkinson’s disease (PD), whereas social functioning may be disrupted. This disruption could negatively influence the family dynamic, leading to different perceptions of the STN-DBS outcome by patients and caregivers.

A recent study, published in the March 17th edition of Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, demonstrated unequal perception of QoL between patients and caregivers under STN-DBS. The fact that social functioning did not improve longitudinally iin the study was suggested to be due to patient’s higher levels of apathy and reduced motivation following surgery. These findings stress the importance of considering caregiver’s input in DBS patients’ outcomes and the need for pre-operative preparation.

Source: European Parkinson’s Disease Association

Researchers have long been searching for a blood-based test that could predict Alzheimer’s disease. In the March 9 Nature Medicine, researchers report that a panel of 10 lipids could one day fit the bill.

In a small study, plasma levels of these lipids distinguished, with 90 percent accuracy, who would develop cognitive impairment over the next two to three years. If the results are confirmed in larger samples, it would encourage hopes for a blood test for Alzheimer’s. However, the authors stress that is still years away.

Numerous questions remain, including whether the observed lipid changes are specific to AD, or represent a more general marker for neurodegeneration. Despite this, the findings have generated excitement in the popular press, with numerous outlets touting the test as a potential AD diagnostic

Source: AlzForum

The latest research from the Alzheimer’s Association shows a woman’s lifetime risk of developing the neurodegenerative disease is one in six, compared with one in 11 for men.

Women are also shouldering the responsibility for caring for parents affected by Alzheimer’s. More than twice as many women as men provide 24-hour care for a loved one with the disease, and twice as many women as men gave up working full time in order to do so. The full 2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report can be downloaded at the link below.

Source: Alzheimer Association

A new ADI report highlights that undernutrition is a major problem among people with dementia and stresses the importance of recognising nutrition as a potential key factor in the wellbeing of people with dementia.

Research reviewed in the report finds that 20-45% of those with dementia in the community experience clinically significant weight loss over one year. The report reviews existing research on dietary factors across the life course that might increase or decrease the risk of developing dementia in later life. While obesity in mid-life may be a risk factor for developing dementia in late life, weight loss tends to become a more significant issue in the decade leading up to the clinical onset of the disease and accelerates thereafter.

The report also details actions that could improve the nutrition of people with dementia through diet and external factors such as modifying the mealtime environment, and supporting and training carers. Given the evidence for effective interventions, there is much untapped potential to improve the food intake and nutritional status of people with dementia.

Source: Alzheimer Disease International