Health
MINNEAPOLIS – A new study suggests that a history of concussion involving at least a momentary loss of consciousness may be related to the buildup of Alzheimer's-associated plaques in the brain.
The research was published in the Dec. 26 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
“Interestingly, in people with a history of concussion, a difference in the amount of brain plaques was found only in those with memory and thinking problems, not in those who were cognitively normal,” said study author Michelle Mielke, PhD, with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
For the study, people from Olmsted County in Minnesota were given brain scans; these included 448 people without any signs of memory problems and 141 people with memory and thinking problems called mild cognitive impairment.
Participants, who were all age 70 or older, were also asked about whether they had ever experienced a brain injury that involved any loss of consciousness or memory.
Of the 448 people without any thinking or memory problems, 17 percent reported a brain injury and 18 percent of the 141 with memory and thinking difficulties reported a concussion or head trauma.
The study found no difference in any brain scan measures among the people without memory and thinking impairments, whether or not they had head trauma.
However, people with memory and thinking impairments and a history of head trauma had levels of amyloid plaques an average of 18 percent higher than those with no head trauma history.
“Our results add merit to the idea that concussion and Alzheimer's disease brain pathology may be related,” said Mielke. “However, the fact that we did not find a relationship in those without memory and thinking problems suggests that any association between head trauma and amyloid is complex.”
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Alexander Family Alzheimer's Disease Research Professorship, GE Healthcare, the Elsie and Marvin Dekelboum Family Foundation, the MN Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics and the Robert H. and Clarice Smith and Abigail van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Program.
To learn more about concussion, please visit http://www.aan.com/concussion . To learn more about Alzheimer's disease, please visit http://www.aan.com/patients .
For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.
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An international group of investigators has discovered new genes, pathways and cell types that are involved in inherited susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
The findings are published online in Nature.
Scientists performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis in more than 100,000 people of European and Asian descent. They discovered 42 new sites of genetic variation involved in risk for RA.
The analysis provides specific locations of genes, DNA sequences or positions on chromosomes for these genetic differences, bringing the catalog of confirmed risk variants for RA to over 100 genetic loci. These findings lead to a better understanding of how new treatments could be developed.
"This study is the culmination of over a decade of work by an extraordinary group of collaborative scientists from around the world," said Peter K. Gregersen, a collaborator on the study, and head of the Robert S. Boas Center for Genomics and Human Genetics at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.
"It provides us with a definitive list of the major common genetic variation involved in this disease, and points the way forward to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this illness,” Gregersen added.
The lead investigator of the study, Robert Plenge, MD, PhD, director of Genetics and Genomics, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy at Brigham and Women's Hospital added, "Our study provides a compelling link between human genetics in RA and approved therapies to treat RA. This leads to an intriguing question: can our new genetic discoveries lead to new therapies to treat or cure RA? Further, can a similar approach be used to develop therapies for other complex diseases such as lupus, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease?"
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks flexible joints.
It can be a disabling and painful condition, which can lead to substantial loss of functioning and mobility if not adequately treated.
The disease often leads to the destruction of cartilage and fusion of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can also produce inflammation in areas of the body including the lungs, membrane around the heart, and white of the eye.
Feinstein Institute researchers are conducting studies on rheumatoid arthritis, both on genetics as well as to identify targets for the development of new therapies. To learn more, visit http://www.FeinsteinInstitute.org .
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