Late-life mood disorders (LLMDs), such as depression and bipolar disorder, appearing after 40 years of age, may signal early neurodegenerative diseases. Using advanced PET scans and autopsy data, researchers from Japan revealed that many patients with LLMDs exhibit abnormal tau and amyloid protein accumulation—key markers of dementia—years before cognitive symptoms arise. Their findings highlight tau-PET imaging as a promising tool for detecting underlying brain pathologies, paving the way to early dementia diagnosis.

By reprogramming brain cells, a new gene therapy approach for Alzheimer's developed by UC San Diego researchers could address the root cause of the disease to halt its progression.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a chronic age-related neurodegenerative disease, currently affects 10% of adults aged 65 and older. While the amyloid precursor protein (APP), especially Swedish mutant APP (APPswe), is recognized as a significant pathogenic protein in AD, its effect on the skeletal system and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.