All articles tagged with #neurodegenerative disease
Brooke Eby, a TikTok star and ALS advocate who used humor to humanize a terminal diagnosis, has died at 37. She built a massive online community for patients and raised over $1 million for research.
Brooke Eby, a TikTok star and ALS advocate who used humor to humanize a terminal diagnosis, has died at 37. She built a massive online community for patients and raised over $1 million for research.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) often begins in midlife and can resemble a psychiatric disorder, leading to missed or delayed diagnosis. Although relatively rare, FTD is the most common form of early-onset dementia, affecting about 50,000–60,000 people in the U.S. and accounting for roughly 5–10% of all dementia cases. Public attention from cases like Bruce Willis and Wendy Williams has raised awareness, but recognizing early behavioral and language changes remains crucial for timely care planning.
Indian researchers used a biometric smart pen to capture handwriting and drawing patterns (spirals and meanders) from 66 participants and fed the data into multiple AI models with a SNAKE algorithm, achieving about 98–99% accuracy in this small dataset. While promising as a non-invasive screening tool, the study’s limited size and lack of broad clinical diversity mean results are preliminary and require validation in larger populations.
A British Medical Journal study of 878 former NFL players who died from 2016–2021 found 215 of 235 brain donors had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The researchers estimate CTE prevalence among all decedents ranged from 24.5% (minimum) to 97.7% (maximum), underscoring a higher risk of neurodegenerative disease and dementia in this population and urging the NFL to reduce repetitive head impacts across levels of play.
New research finds that workers exposed to pesticides have about a 60% higher risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), adding to growing evidence that pesticide exposure is linked to several neurodegenerative and health conditions as ALS cases have risen in the U.S. over the past decade.
Some doctors warn that GLP-1 receptor agonists used for diabetes and obesity (e.g., semaglutide in Ozempic/Wegovy) could hasten ALS progression by triggering rapid weight loss; a 2025 ALS case study reported a 10-fold acceleration in decline after starting semaglutide, with stabilization after stopping, and ALS care guidelines emphasize maintaining or increasing weight; Novo Nordisk says ALS isn’t listed as a warning in their drug information.
A Mass General Brigham–Boston University–CTE Foundation study of nearly 20,000 NFL players finds death from neurodegenerative disease is about four times higher than in the general population, with dementia and Parkinson’s deaths 3–4x more common; longer careers (five-plus seasons) nearly double the risk versus shorter careers. CTE is considered the primary explanation, though players generally live longer overall due to other protective factors.
A scientist learns he has Huntington’s disease, a genetic brain disorder caused by CAG repeats, and launches a personal quest to find treatments, a mission that reflects a broader, large-scale effort to develop therapies for Huntington’s and other brain diseases.
Researchers identified a slow, lymphatic-like drainage channel in the dura surrounding the middle meningeal artery in healthy adults, using dynamic MRI and postmortem tissue with lymphatic markers PROX1, PDPN, LYVE1. This pathway could help clear cerebrospinal and interstitial fluids, reshaping how we understand brain waste clearance and potentially impacting aging and diseases like Alzheimer’s, while reinforcing the dura as an active immune interface rather than a static barrier.
Brooke Eby, diagnosed with ALS at 33, shares her journey living with the disease, highlighting her use of humor and social media to raise awareness, her daily routines, and her efforts in fundraising and advocacy, despite her rapidly declining health.
A Canadian study links higher exposure to sulfur dioxide, a pollutant from fossil fuel combustion, with an increased risk of developing ALS, highlighting the need for stricter air quality regulations despite current guidelines.
The article narrates the profound impact of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) on Marc Pierrat and his wife Julia, highlighting how the disease alters personality, cognition, and their relationship, while also emphasizing the importance of support, research, and advocacy for those affected by FTD.
The article narrates the profound impact of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) on Marc Pierrat and his wife Julia, highlighting how the disease alters personality, communication, and their relationship, while also emphasizing the importance of support, research, and adaptation in facing this challenging neurodegenerative condition.
Researchers discovered that gut immune cells, specifically B cells, migrate to the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease, influenced by inflammatory signals, and that a high-fiber diet can restore gut immune balance and improve quality of life, suggesting a new therapeutic target for Alzheimer's.