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Neurology
Why cognitive fluctuations are common in all forms of dementia
It is not uncommon for people living with dementia to experience fluctuations in their cognitive abilities and levels of awareness. They can sometimes be fully...
Brain atrophy link to anti-Aβ drugs in Alzheimer's treatment – Australian meta-analysis
Recent research by Australian scientists found that anti-amyloid-beta (anti-Aβ) drugs, used to manage Alzheimer’s disease (AD), could compromise long-term brain health by accelerating brain...
Early signs of MS risk in children often missed – US study
Imaging tests may miss early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) in children who have no symptoms of the disease, according to a recent study...
Parkinson’s disease linked to common chemical – global study
Investigators are calling for a complete ban on the chemical trichloroethylene (TCE), saying exposure has long been associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s...
Sports industry may have helped downplay dangers of concussions and head injuries
Fresh doubt has been cast over the sports industry’s influence on concussion and head injury research, and stirred up old allegations that sporting bodies...
Pregnant women abuse risks babies’ brain development: SA cohort study
Abuse during pregnancy has been linked to alterations in brain structure in infants, according to a local study, with researchers saying the indications were...
Viral illnesses linked to dementia, neurodegenerative diseases – US study
At least 22 viral illnesses were linked with an increased risk of subsequent neurodegenerative disease, US National Institutes of Health researchers found, with viral...
Even one, moderate concussion can lead to cognitive deterioration – large study
In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found that having three or more concussions is linked with worsened brain function in later...
Modified Atkins and keto diets beneficial for paediatric epilepsy control – Indian meta-analysis
In children with drug-resistant epilepsy, the modified Atkins and ketogenic diets were more effective than usual care in achieving large short-term reductions in seizures...
Study confirms health lifestyle role in reducing dementia
Over-60s who enjoy a combination of healthy lifestyle choices like eating well, regularly exercising, playing cards and socialising at least twice weekly, are likely...
Blood test spots ‘toxic’ protein years before Alzheimer’s signs – US study
Researchers are now able to detect “toxic” small aggregates of a particular protein in the blood of people with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as...
No link between sedatives in pregnancy and child’s autism risk – large Chinese study
Researchers found in this study of 1.5m children that after adjusting for possible confounders and accounting for possible parental genetic or familial factors, benzodiazepine...
Brain ageing in black people faster from midlife than for white people – US cohort study
A cross-sectional analysis of two community-based cohorts found that from midlife, black people showed an accelerated pattern of brain ageing – the association of...
Scientists hail Alzheimer’s breakthrough despite two trial candidates’ deaths
While the eagerly-awaited findings of a trial involving nearly 1 800 people was widely celebrated as a major breakthrough in the treatment of Alzheimer's,...
Brain changes in autism more sweeping than thought – UCLA study
Brain changes in autism are comprehensive throughout the cerebral cortex rather than just particular areas thought to affect social behaviour and language, according to...
Prescription 'smart drugs' have opposite effect in healthy adults – Australian study
Specially prescribed medications aimed at boosting cognition in neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD don’t increase overall cognitive performance in healthy individuals – in fact, they...
Menopausal hot flashes a possible marker for brain health – US study
Women who experience more hot flashes and night sweats during menopause may have more of a brain biomarker called white matter hyperintensities, which has...
Older diabetes drugs linked to lower dementia risk – US study
People who took an older class of diabetes medication known as glitazones had a 22% lower risk of developing dementia, says BMJ Open Diabetes...
Dementia risk upped by 2.5 times with schizophrenia – UK meta-analysis
People with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia are 2.5 times more likely than those without a psychotic disorder to eventually develop dementia, report University College...
MND risk for professional rugby players 15 times higher than average: Scottish study
Urgent action needs to be taken by rugby bosses to reduce head injuries after a study showing former international players are 15 times more...
Alzheimer’s drug slows cognitive decline in trial – breakthrough or another false dawn?
The announcement that lecanemab, a drug candidate for Alzheimer’s disease slowed the rate of cognitive decline by 27% in a large, late-stage clinical trial,...
Nightmares a good predictor of future dementia – US study
We spend a third of our lives asleep, and a quarter of our time asleep is spent dreaming. So, for the average person alive...
Woman who smells Parkinson’s disease helps scientists develop test
A woman who has a rare condition giving her a heightened sense of smell and who can sniff out Parkinson’s, has helped scientists develop...
How you sleep could be ‘strongest predictor’ of when you will die – US study
Increased sleep fragmentation, when people briefly wake up several times at night without remembering it, is the “strongest predictor of mortality,” according to a...
Blood type could predict stroke risk before age 60 – Maryland study
A person’s blood type might be linked to their risk of an early stroke, according to a meta-analysis that included all available data from...
Ultra-processed food linked to cognitive decline – Brazilian study
Consuming ultra-processed foods for more than 20% of your calorie intake every day could set you on the road to cognitive decline, a study...
Australian scientists discover potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, currently has no cure or effective therapy, in part due to gaps in understanding how the...
More evidence flu jab may guard against Alzheimer’s – Texas cohort study
A new study provides more evidence that the influenza vaccination may help protect older adults against Alzheimer's disease (AD).
In a large propensity-matched cohort of...
Acupuncture relieves chronic headache – Chinese randomised trial
Acupuncture helped reduce the frequency of chronic tension-type headaches (CTTH), a randomised controlled trial in China found.
More than two-thirds (68.2%) of people with CTTH...
More brain changes for post-menopausal than for pre-menopausal women – Bonn study
Women who have gone through menopause may have more of a brain biomarker called white matter hyperintensities than premenopausal women or men of the...
Social isolation linked to later dementia – collaborative study
People who are socially isolated have lower grey matter volumes of brain regions involved in memory and learning, a team of researchers has discovered.
Their...
Gradual slower gait a sign of cognitive decline – Australian study
Walking more slowly as you age has always been a warning sign of increasing frailty that could lead to falls and other disabilities, experts...
Lab study raises intriguing questions about the ‘irreversibility of death’
Retina cells reacted to light and even communicated five hours after death, raising the possibility that other cells within the system could be activated...
Cranberries could improve memory, fight dementia – British collaborative study
Adding cranberries to your diet could help improve memory and brain function, and lower “bad” cholesterol, say researchers, who hope their findings have implications...
Promising dementia treatment stabilises behaviour – Australian study
Sodium selenate may slow cognitive decline and neurodegenerative damage that is the hallmark of many dementias, including Alzheimer’s Disease, found an Australian clinical trial.
A...
Dementia risk reduced with higher blood levels of two carotenoids – NIH study
Higher serum levels of two kinds of carotenoids were tied to lower risk of developing dementia over time, with dementia risk associated with blood...
People with epilepsy live 10-12-years shorter lives – Danish cohort study
Excess mortality is particularly pronounced among people with epilepsy and mental disorders, shows research from Aarhus University in Denmark.
The study shows that people with...
Pet ownership associated with slower cognitive decline, reduced disabilities in older people
Owning a pet, especially for five years or longer, may be linked to slower cognitive decline in older adults, according to a preliminary study...
Early menopause may raise dementia risk later – UK study of 150,000 women
Compared with women who enter menopause at about 50, women who experience very early menopause (before 40) were found to be 35% more likely...
Anti-epileptic dosages associated with breakthrough seizures in pregnancy – MONEAD study
Blood levels of many commonly used anti-epileptic drugs drop dramatically in pregnancy, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Minnesota have...