Dementia: Immune and Endocrine System

Dementia and the immune system

It seems that immune cells in the brain known as microglia might be sowing the seeds for the protein plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. But the link between dementia and the brain’s immune system is slippery and dynamic. Researchers have struggled to recreate in people the highly successful results they have seen in mice, but a new wave of clinical trials could be on the horizon.

Nature | 11 min read

The menopause-Alzheimer’s connection “The more we learn about what kicks off and accelerates dementia, the clearer it becomes that we need to take better care of women’s brains,” says neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi. She explores why women are much more likely than men to develop Alzheimer’s disease and the role of oestrogen in protecting the female brain from ageing. The New York Times | 4 min read