Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What Role Do Seizures Play In Alzheimer's? Perhaps They Were Once Overlooked, But Now Researchers Say They Might Cause Dementia
Stat: Role Of Seizures In Alzheimer's Disease Is Gaining Overdue Attention
Scientists who study Alzheimer’s disease have mostly ignored the role of seizures, but that is beginning to change, and new research suggests they may provide insight into the progression of the disease and pave the way for treatments. It’s no surprise to neurologists that some people experience convulsive seizures in the later stages of the disease. In fact, the second patient ever to receive an Alzheimer’s diagnosis more than a century ago suffered from them. But because brain damage can cause seizures, they were long thought to be just one more casualty of a deteriorating brain. (Aguirre, 7/19)
NPR: 'EXERT' Study Is Testing Exercise To Ward Off Alzheimer's
Researchers are prescribing exercise as if it were a drug in a study that aims to see if it can prevent Alzheimer's disease. "We are testing if exercise is medicine for people with a mild memory problem," says Laura Baker, principal investigator of the nationwide EXERT study and associate director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Wake Forest School of Medicine. The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, could help determine whether exercise can protect people from the memory and thinking problems associated with Alzheimer's. (Hamilton, 7/18)
Medpage Today: Does Alzheimer's Disease Stem From Infection?
Is there an infectious link to Alzheimer's disease?That's a question of debate, and opinion was divided at the 2019 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) now underway here. "Ideas in this area of research are still evolving; there is now growing evidence that microbes such as bacteria and viruses may play a role in degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's," said Maria Carillo, PhD, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Association. (George, 7/17)
