Commentary: The Roots of Dementia Could Start in Childhood

Protein misfolding, aggregation, and conformational strains in neurodegenerative diseases

A hallmark event in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) is the misfolding, aggregation, and accumulation of proteins, leading to cellular dysfunction, loss of synaptic connections, and brain damage. Despite the involvement of distinct proteins in different NDs, the process of protein misfolding and aggregation is remarkably similar. A recent breakthrough in the field was the discovery that misfolded protein aggregates can self-propagate through see…

Commentary: The roots of dementia could start in childhood

Strategies aimed at reducing dementia risk usually target those around 40 to 60 years of age. We should start earlier and make prevention a lifelong goal, say these researchers.

How do middle-aged folks get dementia? It could be these proteins

Dementia usually affects older people, so when it occurs in middle age, it can be hard to recognize. The most common form is frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which is often mistaken for depression, schizophrenia, or Parkinson's disease before the correct diagnosis is reached.

Loss of empathy in frontotemporal dementia traced to weakened brain signals

Frontotemporal dementia has gained significant attention in recent years after the family of actor Bruce Willis announced in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with the condition. A year later, it was revealed that US chat show host Wendy Williams had also been diagnosed with the condition. Yet despite all this recent attention, there’s still much we don’t know about frontotemporal dementia – including what mechanisms cause certain symptoms, and ho…