Research On Dementia

Current research on dementia focuses on many different aspects of the condition. This research promises to improve the lives of people affected by the dementias and may eventually lead to ways of preventing or curing these disorders.

Research on dementia and estrogen

Early studies of estrogen suggested that it might help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's Disease in older women.  However, a clinical study of several thousand postmenopausal women aged 65 or older found that combination therapy with estrogen and progestin substantially increased the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.  Estrogen alone also appeared to slightly increase the risk of dementia in this study.

A 2003 study found that people with HIV-associated dementia have different levels of activity for more than 30 different proteins, compared to people who have HIV but no signs of dementia. The study suggests a possible way to screen HIV patients for the first signs of cognitive impairment, and it may lead to ways of intervening to prevent this form of dementia.

Causes and prevention

Research on the causes of Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementias includes studies of genetic factors, neurotransmitters, inflammation, factors that influence programmed cell death in the brain, and the roles of tau , beta amyloid, and the associated neurofibrillary tangles and plaques in Alzheimer's Disease. Some other researchers are trying to determine the possible roles of cholesterol metabolism, oxidative stress (chemical reactions that can damage proteins, DNA, and lipids inside cells), and microglia in the development of Alzheimer's Disease. Scientists also are investigating the role of aging-related proteins such as the enzyme telomerase.

Since many types of dementias and other neurodegenerative diseases have been linked to abnormal clumps of proteins in cells, researchers are trying to learn how these clumps develop, how they affect cells, and how the clumping can be prevented.

Current research on dementia also involves examining whether changes in white matter - nerve fibers lined with myelin - may play a role in the onset of Alzheimer's Disease. Myelin may erode in Alzheimer's Disease patients before other changes occur. This may be due to a problem with oligodendrocytes, the cells that produce myelin.

Researchers, as part of their research on dementia, are searching for additional genes that may contribute to Alzheimer's Disease, and they have identified a number of gene regions that may be involved. Some researchers suggest that people will eventually be screened for a number of genes that contribute to Alzheimer's Disease and that they will be able to receive treatments that specifically address their individual genetic risks. However, such individualized screening and treatment is still years away.

Research on dementia and insulin

Insulin resistance is common in people with Alzheimer's Disease, but it is not clear whether the insulin resistance contributes to the development of the disease or if it is merely a side effect.

Several studies have found a reduced risk of dementia in people who take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. However, it is not yet clear if the apparent effect is due to the drugs or to other factors.

 

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Sources:

National Institutes of Health
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
www.nih.gov
Tel: 301-496-4000
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
P.O. Box 5801
Bethesda, MD 20824
www.ninds.nih.gov
Tel: 800-352-9424
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National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Blvd. Rm. 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
www.nimh.nih.gov
Tel: 301-443-4513
Fax: 301-443-4279
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Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center
P.O. Box 8250
Silver Spring, MD 20907-8250
www.alzheimers.nia.nih.gov
Tel: 800-438-4380
Fax: 301-495-3334
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The Alzheimer's Research Trust of U.K.
The Stables
Station Road
Great Shelford
Cambridge
CB22 5LR - UK
www.alzheimers-research.org.uk
Tel: 01223 843899
Fax: 01223 84332