Aging-related genomic culprit found in Alzheimer’s disease (Links to an external site)

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a way to study aged neurons in the lab without a brain biopsy, allowing them to accurately model the effects of aging in the development of late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Shown is a 3D reconstruction of amyloid beta plaque deposition (green) between neurons (red) grown in the lab. These neurons were transformed from human skin cells taken from patients with late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a way to capture the effects of aging in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. They have devised a method to study aged neurons in the lab without a brain biopsy, an advancement that could contribute to a better understanding of the disease and […]

Accuracy of diagnostic blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease varies (Links to an external site)

A head-to-head comparison of six commercially available blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveals that two are accurate enough to replace brain scans and spinal taps in some patients with cognitive impairments.

Neurologists diagnose cognitive impairment with a clinical exam of memory and thinking skills. To determine whether Alzheimer’s disease is the cause of the cognitive impairment, evidence of the specific brain changes that characterize Alzheimer’s must be obtained, typically via a brain scan or spinal tap. Identifying people whose cognitive symptoms are due to Alzheimer’s disease […]

Psilocybin generates psychedelic experience by disrupting brain network (Links to an external site)

This heat map of brain activity patterns shows profound disturbance during an individual’s experience after taking psilocybin. Relatively stable patterns before and after the dose (blue and green hues) are temporarily scrambled during the "trip" (red, orange and yellow hues). Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that psilocybin destabilizes a critical network of brain areas involved in introspective thinking. The findings provide a neurobiological explanation for the drug’s mind-bending effects.

People who consume psilocybin-containing mushrooms — otherwise known as magic mushrooms — typically undergo a surreal experience in which their sense of space, time and self is distorted. Advocates have long argued that, under the right conditions, psychedelic experiences can alleviate mental distress, and a smattering of scientific studies suggests they may be right. Understanding […]

This Is Literally Your Brain on Drugs (Links to an external site)

This heat map of brain activity patterns shows profound disturbance during an individual’s experience after taking psilocybin. Relatively stable patterns before and after the dose (blue and green hues) are temporarily scrambled during the "trip" (red, orange and yellow hues). Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that psilocybin destabilizes a critical network of brain areas involved in introspective thinking. The findings provide a neurobiological explanation for the drug’s mind-bending effects.

The image, as it happens, comes from dozens of brain scans produced by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis who gave psilocybin, the compound in “magic mushrooms,” to participants in a study before sending them into a functional M.R.I. scanner.

Racial disparities in dementia determined by social factors (Links to an external site)

Merita (center) smiles at her great-granddaughter while her brother, Pablo, relaxes behind her. The family belongs to the Negritos community of Tumbes, a city in northern Peru. A study conducted in Peru and three other Latin American countries by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveals that racial disparities in brain health are due to social factors, with genetic ancestry playing no role.

Racial disparities in dementia are due to social determinants of health, with genetic ancestry playing no role, according to a new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study, which was based on a long-running population-based survey in four Latin American countries, helps explain why people of predominantly […]

Study aims to understand genetics of Parkinson’s disease in Black people  (Links to an external site)

Erin Foster, an associate professor of occupational therapy, and Scott Norris, MD, an associate professor of neurology, have established a site at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson’s Disease (BLAAC PD) study, an international study aimed at understanding the gene changes that may lead to […]