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Alzheimer’s disease impacts the lives of millions worldwide, and that number is only increasing. Despite this, in both the public eye and scientific community, it remains poorly understood and often misrepresented. Join us as we explore this disease from protein to person and shine a light on its lesser-known aspects.
Beyond Forgetfulness: Shedding Light on Other Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
Dr Byron Creese
(Senior Lecturer of Neuroscience at the University of Exeter)
This talk is about Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Like many people, when you read that your first thought may have related to memory loss. Memory is a core part of AD but there is much more to this devastating condition. In this talk, I will introduce you to a fascinating, yet complex, topic called Mild Behavioural Impairment (MBI). MBI describes a collection of symptoms like mood, anxiety, apathy, and paranoia/seeing things that may be the first signs of AD. These symptoms might, for some people, even come before the memory loss, making them crucial tools for early detection of the disease.
From guts to brains - linking diet and dementia
Dr Marcela Moraes
(Senior Research Technician at the University of Derby)
Roshita Edward
(Lecturer in Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Derby)
Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common dementia type, affects 1 in 84 people aged 60+ worldwide. Many factors contribute to AD, with Type II Diabetes granting ~60% higher risk. Thus, having a balanced diet is fundamental for healthy aging. Our work explores how unbalanced diets change the function of vital proteins in the brain, increasing sugar levels/stress inside our cells and triggering the release of damaging molecules. These can affect cell recycling and survival, contributing to disease progression. Here, we showcase the links between our diet and AD progression.
Unlocking the causes of dementia through our genes
Dr Emma Anderson
(Associate Professor, Division of Psychiatry, University College London)
Alzheimer’s disease affects millions worldwide; many lifestyle factors, such as smoking and diet, are linked to an increased risk of developing it, but we still do not know what causes it. Mendelian randomisation is a powerful technique that can help us determine whether a particular risk factor is truly causally related to Alzheimer’s disease, utilising genetics, or whether there may be other factors at play. By making these confident predictions, we can take a massive step towards designing more effective treatments and prevention strategies.
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