A new technology could come to the rescue of people who are suffering either short-term or long-term memory loss. Even more exciting, it can restore memory in a way that’s fast, safe, non-invasive, and free of side effects. Experts describe the most recent findings using the new technique as “extremely promising,” “quite remarkable,” “very exciting,” [...]
It’s one of the most cited scientific articles on Alzheimer’s ever published - a breakthrough 2006 study that identified amyloid beta star 56 as the cause of memory loss in mice. This single study led to billions of dollars in funding and a major research effort to find a treatment that would sweep the damaging [...]
A patient with suspected Alzheimer's may undergo a range of tests and examinations before a diagnosis is ever reached. This is time consuming, and, in the end, the diagnosis might not even be accurate. The reality is, up until recently, it was very difficult to diagnose Alzheimer’s with certainty until after death, during an autopsy [...]
For decades scientists have argued that the protein amyloid beta triggers the process that leads to Alzheimer’s. Others question this and suggest other underlying causes. These include abnormal tau protein metabolism, infections, neurotoxic chemicals, and more. Now, a new potential cause has been added to the list. And if researchers are right, there could be [...]
What if you were a doctor and you could successfully treat only 25 percent of the patients who came to you with a particular problem? You’d probably conclude that the condition was a very challenging one. And if you started with the assumption that the condition was due to moral weakness in your patients, your [...]
A hospital in England is the first in the world to implant a deep brain stimulation (DBS) device to deliver electrical impulses to areas of the brain impacted by Parkinson’s. It’s the smallest DBS system ever created, and Tony Howells, the first surgical patient, is thrilled with the results saying, “It’s given me my life [...]
When beta amyloid and tau proteins go rogue, they form the characteristic brain plaques and tangles thought to be a cause of Alzheimer's. But inflammation is also an early feature of the disease and strongly involved in its development. Previous attempts to relieve inflammation in Alzheimer's patients have not been successful, but a new study [...]
It's usually assumed - and backed up by a large body of research - that thinking speed peaks when we're in our twenties, after which it's downhill all the way. But a massive new study using machine learning came to a different conclusion that will certainly please all middle-aged folks. According to the new research, [...]
Our ability to access and use our memory grows with age. Hence the saying, with age comes wisdom. Yet it’s also known that our memory declines with age. How can wisdom and forgetfulness occur at the same time? This paradox is due in part to an aspect of memory that’s received little attention – memory [...]
Many people pride themselves on their ability to multitask – juggling Zoom meetings, while also writing memos, exchanging text messages, watching videos, and composing emails as well as coping with other inputs from electronic communications. But along with serious doubts about the quality of work that you can get done while multitasking, researchers are questioning [...]
