Posts tagged with "Alzheimer’s disease"

Above, a blood test for Alzheimer's soon may be available. (Photo source: CNN).gif

Alzheimer’s blood test could hit the market early in 2024

December 7, 2023

Could a simple blood test detect Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms appear? New research from Resonant—a Utah-based biotech company that develops diagnostic tests for neurodegenerative diseases—suggests it may be possible, reports the New York Post.

Researchers said its new test achieved 100% accuracy in identifying patients with Alzheimer’s disease and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who went on to develop Alzheimer’s disease within five years.

In the study, a total of 50 blood plasma samples were tested. These included 25 older control individuals, 13 patients who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, six patients with mild cognitive impairment who later developed Alzheimer’s, and six mild cognitive impairment patients who did not develop Alzheimer’s.

The findings were published in Frontiers in Neurology on October 31.

The blood test works by detecting the presence of DNA released from the brain’s neurons—or nerve cells when they die—according to lead researcher Chad Pollard, a doctorate student and research assistant at Brigham Young University.

“All cells, to some degree, release fragments of DNA called cell-free DNA (cfDNA) into their environment,” Pollard, who is also a co-founder of Resonant, told Fox News Digital in an email.

“Under normal, healthy conditions, cfDNA from neurons is undetectable in blood circulation, but during neurodegeneration, the amount of cfDNA that is released from these cells significantly increases and can be detected in the blood.”

The presence of neuron cfDNA in the blood indicates neurodegeneration, Pollard added.

Beyond Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers are also actively working to apply this technology to other neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease), noted Pollard.

View the company’s peer-reviewed research or join the waitlist for the test at its website, http://www.resonantdx.com.

Research contact: @nypost

Above, incorporating more whole grains—like popcorn—into the diet was associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline. (Photo source: New York Post)

Adding this popular snack to your daily diet reduces dementia risk

November 27, 2023

Your movie theater go-to might be healthier than you think. New research suggests that incorporating more whole grains—like popcorn—into the diet is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline, reports the New York Post.

The study, published in the journal, Neurology, on Wednesday, November 22, found that people who ate more whole grains were 8.5 years younger cognitively than those who ate smaller amounts.

“With Alzheimer’s disease and dementia affecting millions of Americans, finding ways to prevent the disease is a high public health priority,” study author Dr. Xiaoran Liu asserted in a statement.

“It’s exciting to see that people could potentially lower their risk of dementia by increasing their diet of whole grains by a couple of servings a day.”

Whole grains included in the study were some breads and cereals, quinoa, and popcorn. One serving of whole grains was defined as one ounce of food, which would be about “one slice of bread, a half cup of cooked pasta or rice, an ounce of crackers, or a cup of dry cereal.”

To determine this, the researchers from Rush University in Chicago observed 3,326 people, at an average of 75 years of age, who did not have dementia, 60% of whom were Black.

The patients, who were followed for approximately six years, completed a survey regarding their diet and routinely underwent cognitive and memory tests every three years.

Based on the questionnaire responses, the participants were categorized into five different groups based on whole grain consumption, ranging from those who ate less than half a serving per day to people who ate 2.7 servings each day.

Researchers noticed that Black participants were more likely than white participants to consume more than one daily serving of whole grains, which have been shown to have significant health benefits.

According to the Mayo Clinic, nutrient-dense foods—such as oats, brown rice, or, yes, popcorn—have been linked to lowering cholesterol, insulin levels, and blood pressure. Adults should consume three or more servings of whole grains per day, per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“Whole grains are rich in vitamin B and E, and other antioxidants. They have a lot of fiber, which has been linked to a lot of health benefits, particularly related to brain health,” Liu said in a statement.

“So, we do see a lot of evidence in terms of whole grains being protective in lowering heart disease risk, and we know what’s good for the heart may also good for the brain.”

But to determine the possible role whole grains play in cognition, the researchers compared participants’ evaluations to a global cognition score, otherwise known as the gold standard used as a measure for cognitive impairment.

The team found that the global cognitive score of Black participants who consumed the most whole grains—more than three servings every day—declined more slowly than that of those who consumed less than one serving.

Their research—supported by both the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institutes of Health—could pave the way for more “tailored diet recommendations,” Liu said, although additional studies are necessary to confirm the association between whole grain intake and cognition.

Research contact: @nypost

Photo source: @greatmindsclinic/#senseofdirection/Instagram

Study: People raised in suburban or rural areas have a better sense of direction than city-dwellers

May 16, 2022

People who grew up in the countryside have a better sense of direction than city dwellers, according to a new study. European researchers have found that, on average, people raised in rural areas have stronger navigational skills than those who grew up in large towns or cities, reports Brain Tomorrow.

 

The pioneering international study used a video game called Sea Hero Quest developed to study Alzheimer’s disease. The game features a wayfinding task, requiring users to navigate a boat through a virtual environment to find checkpoints shown on a map.

 

Nearly 400,000 participants in 38 countries took part in the experiment. The research team—from University College London (UCL); the University of East Anglia (UEA), also in England; and the University of Lyon in France—says that people are better at navigating great distances if they come from rural areas.

 

  They also have found that people whose home city had a grid layout, such as New York or Chicago, are slightly better at navigating similarly organized street patterns, despite having poorer performance overallv. Authors say that early childhood environments influence not only navigation ability, but navigation styles as well.

 

“We found that growing up outside of cities appears to be good for the development of navigational abilities, and this seems to be influenced by the lack of complexity of many street networks in cities,” says lead researcher Hugo Spiers, a professor in Psychology & Language Sciences at UCL, in a statement.

 

“In our recent research, we have found that people’s spatial navigation skills decline with age, starting in early adulthood,” he continues. “Here, we found that people who grew up in areas with gridded streets can have comparable navigation skills to people five years their senior from rural areas—and in some areas the difference was even greater.”

 

Results show that where people grew up influenced their performance in Sea Hero Quest. That’s even after controlling for confounding effects of age, gender, and education levels. Their current place of residence did not affect their scores either.

 

The team compared the home cities of the study participants by analyzing the entropy—or disorder—of the street networks, to gauge the complexity and randomness of the layouts. To test if people from cities could more effectively navigate

environments comparable to where they grew up, the researchers developed a city-themed version of Sea Hero Quest. Called “City Hero Quest,” it requires participants to drive around city streets in a virtual environment that varied from simple grids to more winding street layouts.

 

People who grew up in cities with grid layouts were slightly better at navigating similar environments, although the difference was not as great as their inferior performance in Sea Hero Quest.

 

“Growing up somewhere with a more complex layout of roads or paths might help with navigational skills as it requires keeping track of direction when you’re more likely to be making multiple turns at different angles, while you might also need to remember more streets and landmarks for each journey,” says co-lead author Dr. Antoine Coutrot, of the University of Lyon.

 

The Sea Hero Quest project was designed to aid Alzheimer’s research, by shedding light on differences in spatial navigational abilities. More than 4 million people have played the game, contributing to numerous studies across the project as a whole.

 

“Spatial navigation deficits are a key Alzheimer’s symptom in the early stages of the disease,” explains joint senior author Michael Hornberger, a dementia researcher at UEA. “We are seeking to use the knowledge we have gained from Sea Hero Quest to develop better disease monitoring tools, such as for diagnostics or to track drug trial outcomes. Establishing how good you would expect someone’s navigational to be based on characteristics such as age, education, and where they grew up, is essential to test for signs of decline.”

 

The scientists are continuing their research into predictors of navigational ability, including how sleep impacts navigational skills in different countries.

 

The study has been published in the journal, Nature.

 

Research contact: @braintomorrow

Above, the Village Landais in southwestern France is a community created for the specific needs of Alxheimer's patients. (Photo source: Village Landais/Alzheimer)

Model village for Alzheimer’s patients in France encourages them to act and feel independent

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October 15, 2020

Alzheimer’s patients fear losing their independence almost as much as they dread the loss of their cognitive abilities. But a new community in France has been designed to liberate these patients from traditional memory care units—and allow them to have freedom of choice and freedom of movement each day, the Good News Network reports.

Indeed, in southwestern France near the city of Dax, a community has been createdto fulfill the specific needs of its 105 residents—all of whom suffer from Alzheimer’s in varying stages. Built in the same spirit as De Hogeweyk, a purpose-built village for dementia patients in the Netherlands, it’s the first such facility in France.

In addition to nursing facilities, the Landais campus includes a grocery store, hair salon, cafeteria, library, and music room. Residents are given as much freedom as their conditions allow, and treated to numerous entertainments.

According to the Good News Network, they also are encouraged to participate in daily activities that can include shopping, cooking, and regular hairstyling appointments—because experts believe that sticking to a familiar routine may actually hinder the advance of the disease’s worst symptoms.

“It’s like being at home,” 82-year-old Madeleine Elissalde, one of the village’s first residents, told Reuters. “We’re well looked after.”

The program costs in the neighborhood of 6.7 million euros (US$7.8 million) to run each year. Residents and their families kick in about 24,000 euros (US$28,000) in annual fees, but more than half the total expense is subsidized by government authorities.

Expensive? Perhaps, but researchers at France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research say that seeing how such model conditions impact the progression of dementia may ultimately hep them gain insights for future treatment standards.

In the meantime, residents of villages in France, the Netherlands, and another prototype community in Canada are able to live out the remainder of their years with not only a measure of self-esteem, dignity, and sense of purpose but some true “liberté, égalité, et fraternité” as well.

Research contact: @goodnewsnetwork

Photo source: Hooray for Moms

No sweat? Prolonged use of hormones linked to slightly higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease

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March 12, 2019

Hot flashes, mood swings, sleep problems. Many women trade these uncomfortable, annoying—even embarrassing—symptoms of menopause in for a prescription for oral hormone therapy, and never look back.

But now there’s a reason to reevaluate. Researchers reported on March 6 that long-term use of oral hormone therapy may be associated with a small increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in postmenopausal women.

The study, conducted by researchers affiliated with six Finnish healthcare organizations, looked at nearly 85,000 postmenopausal women, between the ages of 70 and 80, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease between 1999 and 2013.

They found that use of oral hormone therapy for ten or more years in women who started the pills before age 60 had a 9% to 17% increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Women who used vaginal hormone therapy showed no increased risk.

Interestingly enough, prior research had indicated that hormone therapy reduces the risk of vascular dementia; but the new study found no such good news related to Alzheimer’s.

“It prompted us to do research on Alzheimer’s disease to see if the same results persisted, but it doesn’t look like hormonal therapy provided a protective effect on Alzheimer’s,” lead author Dr. Tomi Mikkola, supervisor for the obstetrics and gynecology doctoral program in clinical research at the University of Helsinki, told NBC News during a recent interview.

The specific reasons behind this increased risk are elusive, but biological differences between Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia may be one reason why, Mikkola said.

“Alzheimer’s is a completely different type of disease, we don’t know the mechanism behind the disease. What we know is that the disease has started decades before we see symptoms of memory loss,” said Mikkola.

It is possible that the hormone therapy speeds up progression of the disease, he added.

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. And of the nearly 6 million Americans who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; fully  two-thirds (66%) are women—including 200,000 under the age of 65. By 2050, experts predict that this number will rise to nearly 14 million, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Given the lack of effective Alzheimer’s treatments and increased prevalence of the disease, medical and public health efforts have focused on primary prevention, including risk factors and preventive strategies, especially to women,” said Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, in an editorial written in response to the study.

“But the findings should not be a cause for alarm. For the short-term management of hot flashes, night sweats and disruptive sleep, the benefits of hormone therapy seem to outweigh the risk.”

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the role of menopausal hormone therapy. Two 2017 studies found that the period when a woman starts to produce less estrogen, usually in her 40s, may be a critical point in whether she’ll go on to develop Alzheimer’s or not. Researchers concluded that the hormone estrogen is protective for a woman’s brain, stimulating growth and keeping it healthy. But the natural drop in estrogen during menopause means women lose that layer of protection, NBC News reported..

Both Mikkola and Manson agree that most women under 60 are safe to use short courses of hormone therapy for menopause symptoms.

 “Women should not use hormone therapy for the expressed purpose of trying to improve memory or reduce cognitive decline, but when used for early menopause the benefits are sure to outweigh the risk for short term treatment,” said Manson.

Because the study was observational, it isn’t definite that long-term hormone therapy causes Alzheimer’s disease. Other risk factors, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or having the APOE gene weren’t included in the study — these may have also contributed to many of the women’s increased dementia risk.

“Women should not be scared to use hormone therapy if needed,” Mikkola told NBC News. “Women who use hormone therapy for symptom relief have a much better quality of life.”

Research contact: @NBCNews

Photo source: carelink-aal.org

Closer to a cure: United Neuroscience tests Alzheimer’s vaccine

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January 18, 2019

Today, 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s—and, every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

For the past 20 years, biotech companies have been striving to tackle Alzheimer’s—with little success.  However now, Bloomberg reports, a four-year old Dublin-based biotech team—comprising leaders in neurology, vaccines, drug development, and disruptive ideas—believes it may be on to something.

To be clear, the news outlet says, United Neuroscience hasn’t solved Alzheimer’s yet, nor has it claimed to. But previously unreported results from a small, recent United clinical trial find that 96% of patients responded, without serious side effects, to the Alzheimer’s vaccine the company calls UB-311. The researchers describe the drug as “a novel synthetic peptide vaccine targeting beta amyloid [the main component of the amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer patients] in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.”

The patients demonstrated improved brain function and showed a reduction in the protein plaque gumming up their neurons, the company’s report says.

“The positive results show that we can safely raise and maintain [anti-beta amyloid] antibody titers in a predictable and sustained manner,” said Peter Powchik, EVP of Research and Development at UNS, in a company release.

“High response rates, reproducibility of response, and generation of antibodies directed to relevant toxic protein species are key elements of an effective therapeutic vaccine for neurodegenerative conditions. The UNS platform is proving that it can deliver on these requirements,” Powchik claimed.

Indeed, Bloomberg explains, United’s vaccine stimulates the patient’s own immune system to attack amyloid, which some researchers believe to be the leading cause. The vaccine’s job is to slow the proteins’ clumping and, if possible, reverse some damage and restore brain function.

United’s clinical trial, a Phase II study completed last year, tested the vaccine with a group of 42 patients who had mild cognitive impairment and appeared to be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.

One set of patients was in the control group and received a placebo; while two other groups received three shots of the vaccine and then boosters either every three or six months over the course of a 18 months.

Although the small number of patients prevents United from drawing any major statistical conclusions, the company has been encouraged enough to move ahead with development of the vaccine, possibly with a larger partner, according to CEO Mel Mei Hu.

For now, United says it’s focused on raising capital to fund a more conclusive UB-311 study and to keep refining its widening range of vaccines. The 35-person company is gearing up to start trials of UB-312, aimed at Parkinson’s disease, and a second Alzheimer’s vaccine meant to combat tau [a protein that causes tangles in the brain].

“They have taken thoughtful initial steps with this very promising technology,” Eric Reiman, a leading Alzheimer’s researcher and an adviser to United Neuroscience, told Bloomberg. “But this is still the beginning of the beginning.”

Research contact: @UNSTechBio

Photo source: wenermedical.osu.edu

Can intermittent fasting improve your health?

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November 23, 2018

According to research by the Calorie Control Council, a typical Thanksgiving dinner can carry a load of 3,000 calories. That’s about 500 more calories than most Americans eat in a whole day—and also about 500 more than it takes to gain one pound.

And that’s also why, on the day after the holiday, many of us might be wondering about the pros and cons of intermittent fasting—one of the buzziest diets out there right now. After all, why diet diligently all week when you can drop the excess weight by skipping food entirely just two or three days out of seven?

Fans of this form of dieting say they have lost as much as 8% of their body weight within eight weeks by cutting calories by 20% every other day. They also say they are healthier and have less inflammation.

WebMD theorizes that the possible secret behind the diet’s health benefits is that fasting puts mild stress on your body’s cells. Scientists think that the process of responding to this stress can strengthen the cells’ ability to fight off some diseases—even disorders as serious as heart disease and cancer.

But are these claims legit? Honestly, researchers say, not enough is known yet to confirm whether fasting is advisable or not.

As Liz Weinandy, a staff dietitian at the Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, admitted to Men’s Health magazine in a recent interview, ““I don’t think anybody knows.This is all preliminary.”

In fact, the magazine says, most of the press coverage of intermittent fasting and its purported immune system benefits has focused on just one study: In 2014, Valter Longo— a professor of Gerontology and the director of the USC Longevity Institute—found that cycles of a four-day low-calorie diet that mimicked fasting (FMD) cut visceral belly fat and elevated the number of progenitor and stem cells in several organs of older mice—including the brain, where it boosted neural regeneration and improved learning and memory.

The test was part of a three-tiered study on periodic fasting’s effects—involving yeast, mice, and humans— o be published by the journal Cell Metabolism in June 2015.

Longo and his team had both mice and human cancer patients fast for four days. During the fast, both the mice and the cancer patients discarded old blood cells; once the fast was broken, their bodies produced shiny, new cells to take the place of discarded ones, thus effectively regenerating their immune systems.

In fact, Longo found, in the pilot human trial, three cycles of a similar diet given to 19 subjects once a month for five days decreased risk factors and biomarkers for aging, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer with no major adverse side effects.

Results of of the study led the USC team to conclude that prolonged periods of fasting could reduce the harsh side effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients—in fact, some patients are already trying this on their own, based on a story posted this year by U.S. News & World Report)—or even boost immunity for healthy people.

A 2015 study by Yale Medical School went one further, finding that hat a compound produced by the body when dieting or fasting can block a part of the immune system involved in several inflammatory disorders such as Type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Convinced and ready to start? First, read a few cautions from Men’s Health.

First, most intermittent fasting plans recommend not eating between 16 to 24 hours— a much shorter period of time than the four-day fast in Longo’s study. For this reason, Longo says it’s unlikely that his study has any long-term implications about the health benefits of intermittent fasting.

Your body won’t eliminate old cells “until two, three, or four days into the fasting,” he told the magazine. “It takes even longer for the system to start really breaking down muscle, breaking down immune cells, breaking down different tissues.”

Indeed, the report says, future studies will require a broader sample size than Longo’s, so we can determine how fasting affects different groups of people —for instance, the elderly, or diabetes patients, or those with low-functioning immune systems.

What’s more, if you have an active lifestyle, cut back on exercising because fasting could potentially drain your stores of sodium and potassium—two electrolytes that are essential for kidney, heart, and muscle function.

And finally, don’t forget to drink. Water is always a great choice, all day, every day. Sparkling water is fine—but don’t use artificial sweeteners. They will wreak havoc on your insulin levels and defeat your end purposes entirely.

Research contact: melissa.matthews@hearst.com

Photo source: Alzheimer's Association

All is not lost: When dementia patients wander, GPS devices can locate them quickly

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August 27, 2018

Now where was I? That’s a phrase many of us use when we lose track of our thoughts for a moment. However, for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, that question often should be taken much more literally.

The disorientation that comes with these diseases often results in wandering—a common and serious concern for caregivers, who may fear that their loved ones are oblivious to their surroundings, or frightened and even in danger, according to Alzheimers.net.

Life-saving GPS devices can help caregivers to quickly track and find wanderers, before they go too far astray. Among those recommended by Alzheimers.net are the following:

  • AngelSense is a device that can be attached to a patient’s clothing and can only be removed by the caregiver. It provides a daily timeline of locations, routes, and transit speed—and sends an instant alert, if a loved diverts from a safe radius. Caregivers can use the device to listen in to what is happening around their loved one; to receive an alert if the patient has not left for an appointment on time; or to communicate with a lost person, wherever he or she may be.
  • GPS Smart Sole fits into most shoes and allows caregivers to track their loved one from any smartphone, tablet, or web browser. The shoe insert is enabled with GPS technology and allows real-time syncing, provides a detailed report of location history, and empowers users to set up a safe radius for their loved one.
  • iTraq can be used to track pretty much anything—from loved ones to luggage. This tracker pairs with a smartphone app and, for seniors, includes a motion or fall sensor that will send an alert if a fall is detected. It also has a temperature sensor. The company’s newest device, the iTraq Nano is marketed as “the world’s smallest all-in-one tracking device that has global tracking, two months of battery life, is water and dust resistant, and is able to be charged wirelessly.” The device also has an SOS button that will send an instant alert to friends and family, notifying them of their loved one’s precise location.
  • MedicAlert Safely Home originally was created to help emergency responders treat patients who could not speak for themselves. Today, the device also helps people with dementia who wander. The device is worn as a bracelet and—when a loved one goes missing—caregivers can call the police and have the police call the 24-hour hotline to get the location of the missing person. Caregivers also can call the hotline themselves to get information. In addition to a tracking device, the bracelet has important medical information engraved on it.
  • Mindme offers two lifesaving devices—one,a location device; and the other, an alarm. The alarm allows the user to alert a Mindme response center, in case of a fall or other emergency. The locator device is specifically designed for people with dementia or other cognitive disabilities. The simple device works as a pendant that can be put in a bag or pocket and allows caregivers to track the user online at any time. Caregivers also can set a radius for the user and receive an alert if the person travels outside that zone.
  • PocketFinder was founded in 2005 by a single parent who wanted to know the whereabouts of his young son. Their slogan, “If you love it, locate it!” says it all. Tracking everything from luggage to pets to children to seniors, the company offers a wide range of emerging technological products. PocketFinder is designed to be the smallest tracker on the market: The device can fit in the palm of your hand. It has a battery life up of to one week and allows caregivers to track wearers through a user-friendly app. The device was updated in January 2017 and now includes three location technologies—including GPS, Cell ID, and Google Wi-Fi Touch. It now also has an SOS button.
  • Project Lifesaver provides enrolled seniors with a personal transmitter that they wear around an ankle. If they wander, the caregiver calls a local Project Lifesaver agency and a trained team will respond. Recovery times average 30 minutes and many who wander are found within a few miles of their homes.
  • Revolutionary Tracker has location-based systems to keep tabs on seniors who may wander. This GPS-enabled personal tracker features an SOS button for emergencies and offers real-time tracking ability. The device allows multiple seniors to be tracked at the same time and syncs directly to a caregiver’s smart phone or computer.
  • Safe Link, also GPS-enabled, is a small device carried by the person who may wander. The device periodically sends its geographic coordinates to central server; and family members and caregivers can view the wearer’s location via website. The device needs to be charged and worn at all times. All devices have an SOS button for emergencies.
  • Trax is touted by the company as “the world’s smallest and lightest live GPS tracker.” The device sends position, speed, and direction through the cellular network directly to your app on a smartphone. Trax comes with a clip that is easy to attach to a loved one. The app allows caregivers to set “Geofences” and will send an alert if a loved one enters or leaves a predetermined area. Trax Geofences have no size limit: Caregivers can create as many fence areas as needed, and can schedule when those virtual fences are in effect.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.7 million Americans of all ages are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2018. This number includes an estimated 5.5 million people age 65 and older and about 200,000 individuals under age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer’s. One in 10 people age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s dementia.

Research contact: @alzassociation