Despite the belief that early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is crucial, a new study found that the diagnosis may unintentionally impact social relationships and activity. The study, published in the journal Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, examined how receiving a recent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias impacts social networks, social…

A simple measuring tape could be the key to identifying which children could develop neurological and developmental abnormalities from Zika virus exposure during gestation. Zika virus (ZIKV), first isolated in 1947 in the Ziika Forest in Uganda, made headlines in 2015-2016 for causing a widespread epidemic that spread through parts of North and South America,…

The researchers emphasized the preliminary nature of their findings and recommended further research in individuals with MS, as well in other populations with non-neurologic conditions, and healthy controls. The authors are Helen Genova, PhD, Katie Lancaster, PhD, Jean Lengenfelder, PhD, Christopher Bober, John DeLuca, PhD, and Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, of Kessler Foundation. Researchers tested 28…

Depression and anxiety in pregnant women may be connected to the type of delivery they have, new research suggests. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders have already been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes like low birth weight and preterm birth. And now, a new Michigan Medicine study finds that they may also be linked to significantly…

Scientists have uncovered new molecular drivers of Parkinson’s disease using a sophisticated statistical technique called multiscale gene network analysis (MGNA). The team was also able to determine how these molecular drivers impact the functions of genes involved in the disease. The results may point to potential new treatments. Some cases of Parkinson’s are directly caused…

The more abnormalities in intestinal and brain function that IBS sufferers have, the more severe their symptoms of this functional bowel disorder, and the more adversely their everyday life is affected. This is shown by a study indicating that patients with IBS should get treatments for different abnormalities simultaneously, to improve both bowel function and…

Scientists have identified a molecule called microRNA-29 as a powerful controller of brain maturation in mammals. Deleting microRNA-29 in mice caused problems very similar to those seen in autism, epilepsy, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. The results, published in Cell Reports, illuminate an important process in the normal maturation of the brain and point to the…

Researchers have achieved something long thought almost impossible — counting the molecules of the neurotransmitter glutamate released when a signal is transferred between two brain cells. With a new analysis method, they showed that the brain regulates its signals using glutamate in more ways than previously realized. The ability to measure the activity and quantity…

Children who are later diagnosed with autism and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder visit doctors and hospitals more often in their first year of life than non-affected children, suggesting a potential new way to identify the conditions early. The findings from Duke Health researchers, appearing online Oct. 19 in the journal Scientific Reports, provide evidence that…

Sex hormones influence the structure and function of the brain, but little is known about the effect of hormone therapies (HT) on changes in the brain during menopause. A new study shows smaller increases in structural brain changes related to aging were associated with hormone-level changes from transdermal estradiol or oral conjugated equine estrogen. Age-related…