Many people know that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by proteins ‘going wrong’ in the brain. One of those key proteins is amyloid. But how does amyloid ‘go wrong’? And how does this potentially cause Alzheimer’s disease? Let’s find out. ‘Proteins, glorious proteins’ Proteins are the building blocks of life. They have so many vital functions … Continue reading What is beta-amyloid?
What is brain shrinkage/’atrophy’ in dementia When receiving a diagnosis of dementia, many people hear for the first time the term brain ‘atrophy’. The term is usually given by the clinician providing the diagnosis when discussing their brain scan. For example, “you have mild atrophy in your brain, suggesting that you might have the early … Continue reading What is brain shrinkage/’atrophy’ in dementia?
We often think that cognitive changes, such as loss of memory in Alzheimer’s disease, are the earliest changes in dementia. But is that the case? In fact, there is a whole cascade of other disease processes occurring in the brain before memory symptoms emerge, which has implications for how we will diagnose and treat dementia … Continue reading Are memory symptoms the start of Alzheimer’s disease?
A blood test for Alzheimer’s disease has been the ‘holy grail’ for dementia diagnostics for many years, if not decades. Not only would a simple blood test confirm a diagnosis much quicker but it would also allow better and earlier treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. However, only recently these blood tests coming into reality. Why did … Continue reading Blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease – Are they becoming a reality?
Sleep is a key part of our body’s healthy functioning and it is therefore not surprising that we nearly spend a quarter of our life asleep. However, for some people, their sleep gets disrupted by breathing problems, so-called obstructive sleep apnea, with previous reports suggesting that obstructive sleep apnea might increase our risk for Alzheimer’s … Continue reading Take my breath away – Do breathing problems during sleep increase our risk for Alzheimer’s disease?
The idea that Alzheimer’s disease could be an infectious disease seems a strange notion. However, over the last decades, there have been occasional reports that in rare occasions people can get ‘infected’ with Alzheimer’s disease. Two international expert groups decided therefore to review the evidence whether Alzheimer’s disease can be infectious and have now published … Continue reading Is Alzheimer’s disease infectious?
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