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In a recent study, a research group from the Neurological Clinic of the University Hospital Ospedali Riuniti di Ancona and Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy, evaluated the reliability of the Framingham cardiovascular risk profile (FCRP) for the prediction of the evolution from mild cognitive impairment to AD. FCRP is a commonly adopted score used to calculate the risk of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events along a 10-year period. Authors selected FCRP to evaluate if some common conditions, such as hypertension or diabetes , could be involved in increasing the risk of developing dementia. The results of this study are published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The study, coordinated by Mauro Silvestrini and Leandro Provinciali with Giovanna Viticchi as principal investigator, demonstrated that in subjects affected by mild cognitive impairment, the presence of high FCRP scores is associated to an increased risk of developing AD. These results could have a r...

PTSD is a brain disorder that can occur after experiencing a traumatic event. Individuals with PTSD frequently relive the traumatic event, often triggered by stimuli similar to those that accompanied the trauma. A number of epidemiological studies have shown that individuals suffering from PTSD are more prone to acquiring Alzheimer's disease later in their lives. Unravelling the molecular underpinnings of this correlation will help to identify targeted therapies. The research team in Göttingen identified such a molecular link by showing that Formin 2 is deregulated in PTSD and Alzheimer's disease patients. To investigate this link further, the researchers showed that Formin 2 mutant mice show PTSD phenotypes at an early age and develop age-related memory decline. On the molecular level, Formin 2 is active in the brain, where it regulates the dynamics of the cytoskeleton, the structure that helps cells to maintain their shape and internal organization. It is required for ...

Results of the research were published online in the  Journal of Alzheimer's Disease . Senior author Dr. Tetyana Zayats is a researcher at the KGJebsen Centre for Neuropsychiatric Disorders at the University of Bergen. The study analyzed genetic markers and IQ collected from 5,165 children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The genetic findings were followed up in the genetic data from two adult datasets (1) 17,008 cases with AD and 37,154 controls, and (2) 112,151 individuals assessed for general cognitive functioning. The function of the genetic markers was analysed using reporter assays in cells. Brain cells communicate via synapses containing hundreds of specialized proteins. Mutations in some of these proteins lead to dysfunctional synapses and brain diseases such as epilepsy, intellectual disability, autism or AD. Dr. Zayats and co-workers at the University of Bergen examined a subgroup of these proteins that have been implicated in synaptic plastic...