Category Archives: Research News (General)

Highlights EU support for the coordination of national research efforts through the joint programming initiative on neurodegenerative diseases

More research, innovation and awareness is the solution to overcoming the societal challenges presented by dementia, argues Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.

Two studies recently released provide more insight into diagnosing and treating Parkinson’s disease.

One emerging area of study focuses on how the build-up of proteins in the brain may lead to neurodegenerative diseases. Interactions between two of those proteins, amyloid and tau, may distinguish Parkinson’s disease from other degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. This research is part of the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative, a global research project to better understand the disease sponsored in part by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.

The other study, published in the journalNature Neuroscience, found that an anti-cancer compound protected dopamine-making neurons from death in a mouse model, and also prevented behavioral abnormalities similar to those seen in Parkinson’s disease.

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Selected recent reviews on research areas relevant to JPND

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As part of their work to foster further collaboration and facilitate innovation in neuroscience, the Nansen Neuroscience Network are currently working to create an overview of all dementia-related medical research and development in Norway.

The Nansen Neuroscience Network are, in collaboration with leading researchers and other players, writing a report about the research activities that are taking place in universities and hospitals, as well as in industry.

Their ambition is that the report will make a clearer picture of the potential in Norwegian dementia research and stimulate new collaborations between scientists and between academia and industry.

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University of Leicester experts discovered that the activity of glutathione peroxidase, a key antioxidant in cells, improves symptoms of Huntington’s disease in models of the disease.

Researchers used models such as baker’s yeast, fruit flies, and cultured mammalian cells. Their study was published in Nature Genetics on 25 August, 2013.

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The structure of Portugal’s National Dementia Plan has been submitted to the Ministry of Health for approval.

The submission follows a May 2013 meeting, where a group of dementia experts persuaded the government that existing dementia prevalence figures are sufficiently accurate to allow the next phase of the plan to proceed right away. The group put forward a prevalence figure of 160,000 people with dementia in Portugal, which negated the need for a dedicated epidemiological study – an expensive and lengthy process.

The group included psychiatrists, neurologists, general practitioners, researchers, members of the municipalities and representatives of Alzheimer Portugal. Their work was coordinated by Prof Joel Menard, an architect of the original French Alzheimer Plan.

The next phase of the national plan is a study to determine the needs of people with dementia. This study is already prepared and can begin very quickly. It will begin in the north of Portugal and will return results within six to nine months According to Álvaro de Carvalho, the Coordinator of the National Mental Health Programme, the rest of the country will follow in turn. 

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The European Medicines Agency has released a draft guideline on the clinical investigation of medicines for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for a six-month public consultation.

The document focuses on the design of studies for medicines that have an impact on the course of the disease (disease-modifying treatments) as well as medicines that treat the symptoms of ALS. Guidance is provided on the choice of meaningful outcome parameters used in studies and the clinical relevance of functional tests of disability, including motor- and respiratory-function tests and their relationship to survival. 

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A new report from the International Longevity Centre (ILC) and Personal Finance Research Centre (PFRC), presents analyses exploring financial dimensions of wellbeing and other quality of life measures concerning older age.

The report was published as part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s Secondary Data Analysis Initiative (ESRC SDAI).

Data was derived from the “Understanding Society” social survey, which investigated the oldest old (i.e. people aged over 85) and their levels of health, wellbeing and participation.

The PFRC and ILC-UK plan to continue their analysis of Understanding Society, concerning aspects of financial wellbeing in particular.

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Results from two major cohort studies reveal that the number of people with dementia in the UK is substantially lower than expected because overall prevalence in the 65+ age group has dropped.

The two studies provide the first estimate of the change in the number of people living with dementia in the UK. The results indicate that overall prevalence has gone down by 1.8 per cent to an estimated 6.5 per cent of the population. Using the current age profiles of the UK this corresponds to an estimated 670,000 people over the age of 65 living with dementia, a reduction of more than 20 per cent in the number of people projected to have dementia today compared with 20 years ago.

Three geographical areas in Newcastle, Nottingham and Cambridgeshire from the initial MRC Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS) examined levels of dementia in the population. The latest figures from the follow up study, CFAS II, show that there is variation in the proportion of people with dementia across differing areas of deprivation, suggesting that health inequalities during life may influence a person’s likelihood of developing dementia.

The study was led by Professor Carol Brayne from the Cambridge Institute of Public Health at Cambridge University. She said: “This study provides compelling evidence of a reduction in the prevalence of dementia in the older population over two decades. Whether or not these gains for the current older population will be borne out in later generations would seem to depend on whether further improvements in primary prevention and effective health care for conditions which increase dementia risk can be achieved, including addressing inequalities.”

The full results of the study are published online in The Lancet on Tuesday 16 July and are available for download at the link below.

(Article modified from MRC press release)

The most recent findings have been published from the TRACK-HD study, designed to create an unprecedentedly detailed map of changes in prodromal and early Huntington’s disease.

The latest findings from the TRACK-HD study are published in The Lancet Neurology and could be used to assess whether potential new treatments are slowing the disease up to 10 years before the development of noticeable symptoms.
 
“Currently, the effectiveness of a new drug is decided by its ability to treat symptoms," says lead author Professor Sarah Tabrizi. "These new tests could be used in future preventative drug trials in individuals who are gene positive for HD but are not yet showing overt motor symptoms.
 
"These people have the most to gain by initiating treatment early to delay the start of these overt symptoms and give them a high quality of life for a longer period of time."

Read Francis Walker’seditorial in The Lancet Neurology.

Direct link to study results available at the link below: