Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s genetic risk tracked across sex, race

A Vanderbilt study of genetic risks for cognitive impairment later in life uses data from 32,426 research participants ages 60 and older to elaborate these risks across sex and across the intersection of sex and race.

Images predict functional decline

MRI brain scans at baseline for study participants 60 and older — who were free of clinical dementia at study entry — predicted a decline in independent function five years later.

Neurofluid flow and Alzheimer’s disease

Vanderbilt researchers used novel MRI methods to noninvasively quantify measures of neurofluid circulation and found that hypertrophy of a site of cerebrospinal fluid egress may be related to amyloid-beta retention in Alzheimer’s disease.

Neural networks probe proteins

A machine learning method based on neural networks outperformed a mutational scanning model at identifying disease-causing mutations in an Alzheimer’s disease protein, suggesting the method could be useful for facilitating therapeutic design.

Alzheimer’s risk factor and cognition

Vanderbilt researchers found that a protein with roles in innate immunity worsens memory at baseline in carriers of APOE-e4, the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, further implicating neuroinflammation in cognitive decline.

Networked dots in the shape of a brain

Minority patients less likely to have amyloid plaques necessary for Alzheimer’s treatments

Fewer Black, Hispanic and Asian patients meet biomarker qualifications for landmark treatments that may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by targeting amyloid plaques, according to new findings published in JAMA Neurology.

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