Newsline — Thursday, August 20, 2015 9:00
Study Shows How Aging Cripples the Immune System
Naturally Occurring Protein Fragment Implicated in Alzheimer’s Disease
Wednesday, August 19, 2015 9:00
In a study recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers found a natural protein fragment produced in the brain that can act as an inhibitor of a key enzyme implicated in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, a finding that could lead to the development of new drug treatments for the disease. The study found that the protein fragment, sAPPα, inhibits the proteolytic enzyme called BACE1. Increased BACE1 activity contributes to production of the amyloid beta aggregates and plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’ disease. During the study, the research team employed a technique called small-angle X-ray scattering, or SAXS, and found that the sAPPα inhibition of BACE1 activity is likely due to the unique, three-dimensional structure of the protein fragment itself. Going forward, researchers will determine the binding site of sAPPa to BACE1 using X-ray crystallography and other techniques. “Our study suggests that developing sAPPα itself as a biologic, finding a smaller protein or peptide fragment that has similar effects, or identifying a chemical compound that increases levels of this beneficial protein…
Read More…
Hospitals’ Compliance with Guidelines for Treating TBI Doesn’t Guarantee Better Outcomes
Tuesday, August 18, 2015 9:00
In research published in the journal JAMA Surgery, a study conducted by the Los Angeles County Trauma Consortium found that compliance with the Brain Tumor Foundation’s guidelines for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) doesn’t necessarily translate into better results for patients. “There is no direct connection between the rate at which a hospital does what it is supposed to do for traumatic brain injury patients and how likely their patients are to die from their injuries after we adjust for other important patient characteristics,” said the study’s lead author. The researchers analyzed data from 734 adults who sustained severe traumatic brain injury and found that the percentage of patients who died from their injuries varied by medical center, but ranged from 20 percent to 50 percent. After factoring in risk-adjusted mortality rates — which take into account the patients’ age and other medical conditions — ranged from 24.3 percent to 56.7 percent. Furthermore, only 46.1 percent of patients whose injuries called for intracranial pressure monitoring (according to the guidelines) actually underwent monitor placement, and only 45.6…
Read More…
Study Shows Paralyzed Men Moving Legs With Spinal Cord Stimulation
Monday, August 17, 2015 9:00
In a study recently published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, five men with complete motor paralysis were able to voluntarily generate step-like movements via a new strategy that non-invasively delivered electrical stimulation to their spinal cords. The strategy, called transcutaneous stimulation, delivers electrical current to the spinal cord by way of electrodes strategically placed on the skin of the lower back — previously, this method was delivered with an electrical stimulation device surgically implanted on the spinal cord. During the study, the men’s movements occurred while their legs were suspended in braces that hung from the ceiling, allowing them to move freely without resistance from gravity. Movement in this environment is not comparable to walking; however, the results signal significant progress towards the eventual goal of developing a therapy for a wide range of individuals with spinal cord injury. “These encouraging results provide continued evidence that spinal cord injury may no longer mean a life-long sentence of paralysis and support the need for more research,” said the director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and…
Read More…
Brain’s Ability to Dispose of Key Alzheimer’s Protein Drops with Age
Friday, August 14, 2015 9:00
Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified some of the key changes in the aging brain that lead to increasing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The changes center on amyloid beta 42, a main component of brain plaques that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. The protein, a natural byproduct of brain activity, is typically cleared from the brain before it can clump together into plaques. “We found that people in their 30s typically take about four hours to clear half the amyloid beta 42 from the brain,” said the senior author of the study. “In this new study, we show that at over 80 years old, it takes more than 10 hours.” The slowdown in clearance results in rising levels of amyloid beta 42 in the brain. Higher levels of the protein increase the chances that it will clump together to form Alzheimer’s plaques. During the study, in patients with evidence of brain plaques, the researchers observed that amyloid beta 42 appears to be more likely to drop out of…
Read More…
Explanation for Protein Clumps in Autopsy of ALS Patients
Thursday, August 13, 2015 9:00
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University recently reported in the journal Science that they have discovered why the abnormal accumulation of proteins occur in the brains of patients with the neurodegenerative disorder amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in addition to those with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), based on analyzing how those same proteins function normally. Prior to this research, scientists didn’t know the precise role of TDP-43, which is normally responsible for keeping unwanted stretches of RNA from being used by nerve cells to create proteins. When TDP-43 bunches up inside those cells, it malfunctions, lifting the brakes on cryptic exons and causing a cascade of events that kills brain or spinal cord cells. When the researchers studied brain autopsies from patients with ALS and FTD, they confirmed that not only were there buildups of TDP-43, but also cryptic exons in the degenerated brain cells. In the brains of healthy people, however, they saw no cryptic exons. This finding, the researchers say, suggests that when TDP-43 is clumped together, it no longer works, causing cells to function abnormally…
Read More…
Scientists Show How Memories Can Be Recovered
Wednesday, August 12, 2015 9:00
In a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications, a team of researchers from Cardiff University have found that human memories are more robust than previously believed, and have identified a process that could potentially help the brain recover lost memories, bury bad memories and pave the way for new drugs and treatments for people with memory-related disorders. During the study, the research team found that reminders could reverse the amnesia caused by methods previously thought to produce total memory loss in rats. “Previous research in this area found that when you recall a memory, it is sensitive to interference to other information and in some cases is completely wiped out. Our research challenges this view and we believe proves this not the case,” according to the lead researcher. Although the results of the study were found in a rat-model, the researchers believe the animal models do accurately reflect what happens in the human brain, suggesting our autobiographical memories and our self-histories are clouded by new memories, rather than completely lost. This is an…
Read More…
Blood Test Predicts Prognosis for Traumatic Brain Injuries
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 13:00
A new method of blood testing may reveal immediate signs of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the emergency room, enabling clearer diagnosis for immediate treatment options. Researchers from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine reported in the Journal of Neurotrauma that elevated levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reliably predicted the presence of TBI, as well as projected severity and recovery rates. If tested within 24 hours of an injury, much clearer readings could be provided by testing BDNF protein presence, and measuring it by nanograms per milliliter with the presence of the highest BDNF levels appeared to predict fastest recovery rates, while lower amounts marked injury, but predicted slower recovery. “A typical situation is that someone comes to the emergency department with a suspected TBI, we get a CT scan, and if the scan shows no bleeding, we send the patient home,” said an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins. “However, these patients go home and continue having headaches, difficulty concentrating and memory problems, and they can’t figure out why they…
Read More…
Does Body Posture During Sleep Affect How the Brain Clears Waste?
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 9:00
By using dynamic MRI technology to study the brain’s glymphatic pathway — the system that clears waste and other harmful chemicals from the brain — researchers from Stony Brook University discovered that a lateral sleeping position is the best position to most efficiently remove waste from the brain. The method used by the researchers during the study enabled them to identify and define the glymphatic pathway, where cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) filters through the brain and exchanges with interstitial fluid (ISF) to clear waste. “The analysis showed us consistently that glymphatic transport was most efficient in the lateral position when compared to the supine or prone positions,” said the study’s lead author. “Because of this finding, we propose that the body posture and sleep quality should be considered when standardizing future diagnostic imaging procedures to assess CSF-ISF transport in humans and therefore the assessment of the clearance of damaging brain proteins that may contribute to or cause brain diseases.” Interestingly, the lateral sleeping position is already the most popular in humans as well as with most…
Read More…
MIND Diet May Slow Cognitive Decline
Monday, August 10, 2015 13:00
According to a new study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, a particular diet may have tangible results for slowing the gradual cognitive decline of the typical aging process. Researchers from Rush University Medical Center reported that a comparative analysis of the MIND diet (a Mediterranean-based regimen) to typical Western diets revealed that those following the alternative-diet restrictions reported less cognitive decline over a four-year period. “The MIND diet modifies the Mediterranean and DASH diets to highlight the foods and nutrients shown through the scientific literature to be associated with dementia prevention,” explained the leader researcher of the study. “There is still a great deal of study we need to do in this area, and I expect that we’ll make further modifications as the science on diet and the brain advances.” Future research will attempt to refine what segments of the diet are most beneficial in order to clarify ideal recommendations for the prevention of cognitive decline. To learn more about this study, click here.