... but I've just been really lazy. My last post to this blog was June 5. Now it's a month later.
But I do watch the news on Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and I accumulate topics worth sharing. Usually, I research each story and then try to break it down in a way that would interest most people. But now, I've accumulated a significant backlog of topics, and I have no hope of researching them all. But I will share what's come across my computer screen and try to give a little insight on each. So here:
1. Alzheimer's disease could be prevented by antiviral drugs already on market. These are NRTIs, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, that are antivirals approved to treat HIV infection, but scientists from UVA Health at the University of Virginia found that patients taking them were less likely to develop the common form of dementia. Click here.
2. New Alzheimer’s drug boosts brain protection, restores memory. A promising drug candidate, DDL-357, improves memory in Alzheimer’s mouse models by increasing levels of a protective brain protein called clusterin (CLU). CLU helps prevent the buildup of toxic amyloid-beta plaques and tau proteins, both key drivers of Alzheimer’s disease. Click here.
3. Do viruses trigger Alzheimer's? A growing number of researchers think so. (And so do we.) Click here.
4. SSRIs restore brain function in Alzheimer’s. A new study suggests that SSRIs, commonly prescribed antidepressants, may reduce biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease. In a cohort of 191 individuals, AD patients on SSRIs had lower levels of plasma phosphorylated tau-181, a key indicator of disease severity. Brain scans also showed that SSRIs restored metabolic activity in an early site of tau accumulation and serotonin production. This metabolic recovery was not observed in healthy individuals, suggesting a disease-specific effect. Click here.
5. Facial stimulation clears brain waste and boosts aging minds. Researchers have discovered a safe, non-invasive way to enhance the brain’s waste clearance system by mechanically stimulating lymphatic vessels just beneath the facial skin. This gentle technique significantly improves cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage—a critical function that declines with age and contributes to cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s. The team used fluorescent tracers in mice and monkeys to uncover a new drainage pathway connecting facial lymphatics to deep lymph nodes, which remains intact even in older individuals. A handheld device that lightly strokes the skin restored youthful CSF flow in aged animals, opening up exciting potential for wearable treatments that prevent or slow neurological decline. Click here.
6. The cause of Alzheimer's might be coming from within your mouth. We wrote about this in Beating the Dementia Monster, but the case continues to grow. So floss your teeth! Click here.
7. Are rosemary and sage the future of Alzheimer’s treatment? The same herb that flavors your roast chicken is showing promising results in brain research. Click here. And here.
8. Ketogenic diet raises brain blood flow by 22% and BDNF by 47% in new study. In Beating the Dementia Monster, we said that BDNF was the key biochemical factor that made the Dementia Toolkit work. Click here.
9. Human brains keep making memory neurons in adulthood. In further confirmation of what we said in Beating the Dementia Monster, a groundbreaking study shows that the human hippocampus continues producing new neurons well into late adulthood. Researchers identified neural progenitor cells—the precursors to neurons—in adults up to 78 years old, confirming ongoing neurogenesis in the memory center of the brain. Using advanced sequencing, imaging, and machine learning techniques, they traced how these cells develop and where they reside in the hippocampus. The findings may pave the way for regenerative therapies targeting cognitive and psychiatric disorders. (Of course, as we wrote, BDNF prompts stem cells in the hippocampus form new neurons.). Click here.
10. Surprise discovery about sugar in the brain could help fight Alzheimer's. Stores of glucose in the brain could play a much more significant role in the pathological degeneration of neurons than scientists realized, opening the way to new treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Click here.
11. Spermidine is great for longevity, hair growth and heart health, says expert. We discussed spermidine briefly in Beating the Dementia Monster. Click here.
