Dementia Information

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Some forms of dementia, most notably Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, are irreversible. Other cases of dementia may arise from treatable conditions, such as alcohol abuse or vitamin deficiencies.   After Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia is the second leading cause of senile dementia. Vascular dementia results from multiple small strokes, which change the available blood supply to brain... Read more >

Alzheimer's Disease

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Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for between fifty to seventy percent of all dementia cases. Approximately four million Americans exhibit Alzheimer's symptoms. Alzheimer's disease is usually diagnosed after age sixty; the average age of Alzheimer's sufferers is eighty. Alzheimer's disease, like other forms of dementia, is characterized by memory loss and a progressive... Read more >

Parkinson's Disease

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Parkinson's disease is a progressive and chronic disorder of the nervous system.   Parkinson's (PD) results from the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in thesubstantia nigra—the "movement control center" of the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that participates in sending signals from the brain to the muscles that control motor movements, balance, muscle... Read more >

Huntington's Disease

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Huntington's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects both the body and mind. Huntington's disease causes the death of cells in specific areas deep inside the brain. It is called Huntington's disease because an American physician named George Huntington was the first to describe it in 1872. A hereditary disease, Huntington's disease affects 1 in every 10,000 individuals. It is a dominantly... Read more >

Huntington's Disease Research

Huntington's disease research, including genetics and gene therapy, can provide valuable clues to the possible treatment, delay of disease progression, and causes of neuron death due to Huntington's disease.Gene Therapy for Huntington's Genetics plays an important role in Huntington's disease research. Gene therapy is a source of hope for many Huntington's disease researchers. Gene therapy is the insertion of... Read more >

Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia is caused by progressive atherosclerosis leading to multiple small strokes and subsequent brain damage and dementia. Approximately forty percent of all cases of dementia are attributed to vascular dementia.   Vascular dementia is caused by the buildup of fat deposits in the walls of arteries leading to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and resulting in a restriction of blood... Read more >

Brain Changes

Alzheimer's disease causes physical changes to the brain that affect brain functions. Brain functions are adversely affected by two types of brain lesions—amyloid plaques and tau protein "tangles"—a fact that has been well-documented by medical science. While an autopsy is currently the only way to check for Alzheimer's lesions, PET and CT scans can sometimes reveal changes in brain tissue caused by... Read more >

Parkinson's Research

Animal Cell Models The aim of Parkinson's research using animal cell models is twofold. Firstly, animal cell models help researcher gain a better understanding of the pathology and molecular controls governing Parkinson's disease. Secondly, it allows researchers to trial potential treatments and therapies for this currently incurable disease.   Another important aspect of animal cell model research is the... Read more >