Other Dementias

Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias take spotlight at NIH workshop

While most people with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease, about a third of all cases are caused by other, lesser known brain diseases. In fact, most people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s may actually have “mixed dementia.” Whatever the causes, as many as 36 million people worldwide are living with dementia, and its burden is enormous.

2013 webinar series on Alzheimer’s disease and resources

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) are collaborating to host a webinar series with the goals of 1) improving coordination of federal resources available to assist people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias and their family caregivers and 2) encouraging awareness of research participation opportunities.

Introduction

Few people have heard of frontotemporal dementia and other brain disorders that affect personality, behavior, language, and movement. These disorders are little known outside the circles of researchers, doctors, patients, and caregivers who study and live with them. Although frontotemporal disorders remain puzzling in many ways, researchers are finding new clues that will help them solve this medical mystery and better understand other common dementias.

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New, improved Alzheimer's clinical trials finder launched

An updated service from the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) is making it easier than ever for people to find clinical research studies that are testing new ways to detect, treat, delay and prevent Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment and other dementias.

Frontotemporal Disorders: A Resource List

Frontotemporal disorders occur when damage to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain causes changes in behavior, personality, language, and movement. These disorders are common causes of dementia in people under age 65. Understanding them can help people with the disorders, their families, and healthcare professionals know what to expect and how to cope with medical, emotional, financial, and other challenges that arise.

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New criteria announced for assessing Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology

The neuropathology guidelines used since 1997 to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease at autopsy have been updated to reflect a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. This will help pathologists characterize Alzheimer’s-related brain changes at death in people diagnosed with dementia and those who have not yet shown clinical symptoms.

Study finds mix of disease processes at work in brains of most people with dementia

Few older people die with brains untouched by a pathological process, however, an individual’s likelihood of having clinical signs of dementia increases with the number of different disease processes present in the brain, according to a new study. The research was funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Julie Schneider, M.D., and colleagues report the findings in the journal Neurology online today.

Scientists discover new frontotemporal dementia gene

Scientists have discovered genetic mutations that cause a form of familial frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a finding that provides clues to the underlying mechanism of this devastating disease and that may provide insight for future approaches to developing therapies. The mutations are contained in a single gene that scientists can now identify as responsible for a large portion of inherited FTD. A rare brain disorder, FTD usually affects people between ages 40 and 64 with symptoms that include personality changes and inappropriate social behavior.

Genetic mutation linked to inherited forms of ALS, dementia

National Institutes of Health scientists and worldwide teams of researchers have identified the most common genetic cause known to date for two neurological diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The discovery offers clues to underlying mechanisms of these diseases, and may eventually contribute to the design and testing of possible therapies. The research results appeared online in Neuron on Sept. 21, 2011.

Researchers identify gene mutations underlying risk for most common form of Parkinson's disease

Two genes containing mutations known to cause rare familial forms of parkinsonism are also associated with the more common, sporadic form of the disease where there is no family history, researchers have found.

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