Complex link between head trauma and Alzheimer’s

Studies linking head trauma with increased risk and earlier age of onset for Alzheimer's disease have yielded contradictory results. Now a population-based study involving 448 healthy older adults (70+) and 141 seniors with mild cognitive impairment has found that a history of head trauma was associated with higher levels of amyloid-beta plaques (a marker for Alzheimer’s) in those with MCI, but not in the cognitively normal. Similar rates of self-reported head trauma were found in the two groups (17% and 18%, respectively).

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-12/aaon-acr122013.php

[3591] Mielke, M. M., Savica R., Wiste H. J., Weigand S. D., Vemuri P., Knopman D. S., et al.
(2014). Head trauma and in vivo measures of amyloid and neurodegeneration in a population-based study.
Neurology. 82(1), 70 - 76.

seniors

Related News

Link among Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, atherosclerosis and diabetes

It’s been suggested before that Down syndrome and Alzheimer's are connected. Similarly, there has been evidence for connections between diabetes and Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s. Now new evidence shows that all of these share a common disease mechanism.

Hypertension linked to dementia in older women

Part of the Women's Health Initiative study looking at the effect of hormone therapy on thinking and memory in postmenopausal women, involving over 1400 women, has found those who had high blood pressure at the start of the study (eight years earlier) had significantly higher amounts of

Specific hippocampal atrophy early sign of MCI & Alzheimer's

A three-year study involving 169 people with mild cognitive impairment has found that those who later developed Alzheimer's disease showed 10-30% greater atrophy in two specific locations within the

Mental fluctuations may signal Alzheimer's disease

A study involving 511 older adults (average age 78) has found that 11.6% of those with very mild or mild Alzheimer’s (43% of the participants) had mental lapses, compared to only 2 of the 295 without Alzheimer’s. Those with mental lapses also tended to have more severe Alzheimer’s.

Training program improves eating skills of dementia patients

Loss of memory and problems with judgment in dementia patients can cause difficulties in relation to eating and nutrition; these problems in turn can lead to poor quality of life, pressure ulcers and infections.

Nutritional drink may help fight Alzheimer's

A European trial involving 225 patients with mild Alzheimer's has found that those who drank Souvenaid (a cocktail of uridine, choline and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, plus B vitamins, phosopholipids and antioxidants) for 12 weeks were more likely to improve their performance in a delayed verbal

Subjective memory loss may increase risk for MCI & dementia

Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), marked by situations such as when a person recognizes they can't remember a name like they used to or where they recently placed important objects the way they used to, is experienced by between one-quarter and one-half of the population over the age of 65.

Exercise helps prevent, improve MCI

A German study involving nearly 4000 older adults (55+) has found that physical activity significantly reduced the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment over a two-year period.

Connection between navigation, object location, & autobiographical memory

Rodent studies have demonstrated the existence of specialized neurons involved in spatial memory.

HIV infection prematurely ages the brain

Although HIV doesn't directly infect neurons, it appears that once it has crossed the blood-brain barrier, it affects supporting cells that can release immune factors that harm neurons.

Pages