5 ms·

New Type of Dementia Identified

newsbinator 7y ago
> Researchers say it may explain why some recent trials of treatments for Alzheimer's disease have been unsuccessful. > They say treatments may have effectively treated the proteins that cause damage in Alzheimer's disease, but LATE may have continued, masking any improvements to Alzheimer's symptoms.
JPLeRouzic 7y ago
TDP-43 abnormal bodies are present in cytoplasm in almost all CNS diseases. Other proteins bodies are present as well. Some publications tell TDP-43 bodies are not the cause of the diseases, but some consequence, in a similar way to amyloid bodies. One thought I read recently told that the aging people (from who I belong) have multiple conditions and it is difficult to heal one condition independently of the others.
- mirimir 7y ago
  Medicine is hard. Diseases have typically been defined based on symptoms, plus available diagnostic tests. But with no reliable tests, you're left with basically "collections of symptoms". So this is progress.
ralusek 7y ago
Of all of the possible ailments, I hope that this class of issues is resolved by the time I'm older.
- shrimp_emoji 7y ago
  Surely heart disease and cancer are higher priority[0]. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rat...
  - sampleinajar 7y ago
    For some, I imagine death is preferable to dementia.
    - jacobsenscott 7y ago
      I've seen dementia run its course a few times now, and I'll take any other kind of death.
    - shrimp_emoji 7y ago
      It certainly would be for me, depending on the extent, but you can check out once you get a diagnosis. But you might not even get to that diagnosis if cancer or heart disease kills you before that (as the statistics overwhelmingly suggest it will), so you'll always have a net loss of "non-dementia years of life" without fixing those. Unless you're thinking: you're willing to accept that whether or not you'll ever get dementia in the first place because cowardice or social pressure would prevent you from checking out once you do get the diagnosis. But that's sad and pretty unfair to yourself and others.
      - SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
        So when do you check out? Dementia can insidiously can take years to develop, and by the time you're far enough along to need it to end you're already potentially too far along to know it. Losing your mental faculties is losing the ability to make objective decisions like that.
        joaomacp 7y ago
        That part makes me less scared of dementia. The fact that I'll not even realize I have it, and will just feel confused about who people are and where I am... Kind of like when I was a little child.
        malandrew 7y ago
        Vouching for this comment. Not sure why this comment was killed, but it's just as valid opinion as being scared of getting dementia. At the end of the day, people don't return from dementia (yet) so we don't really know if it's a bad way to go or a good way to go purely from the perspective of the afflicted. It's certainly painful for the loved ones of those afflicted with it, but for the person experiencing it, it could be similar to how a small child experiences the world or a drug induced stupor that many people voluntarily subject themselves to recreationally.
- melling 7y ago
  Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been saying that for over 30 years. Hopefully, that small group of people with that small amount of money solves these problems.
  - RegBarclay 7y ago
    My grandmother died from AD around 30 years ago. My dad has AD now and there's really not been much progress since his mother died. I'm very much hoping that there are some breakthroughs in the next 30 years. I'd rather die from anything else than AD.
    - Aromasin 7y ago
      If there's not a breakthrough, I at least hope that countries start to legalise assisted suicide so those like myself that don't want my life to end that way can at least go out in a civilised manner.
joelbondurant 7y ago
Warren Buffet on tech.

> Researchers say it may explain why some recent trials of treatments for Alzheimer's disease have been unsuccessful. > They say treatments may have effectively treated the proteins that cause damage in Alzheimer's disease, but LATE may have continued, masking any improvements to Alzheimer's symptoms.

JPLeRouzic 7y ago

TDP-43 abnormal bodies are present in cytoplasm in almost all CNS diseases. Other proteins bodies are present as well. Some publications tell TDP-43 bodies are not the cause of the diseases, but some consequence, in a similar way to amyloid bodies. One thought I read recently told that the aging people (from who I belong) have multiple conditions and it is difficult to heal one condition independently of the others.

mirimir 7y ago
Medicine is hard. Diseases have typically been defined based on symptoms, plus available diagnostic tests. But with no reliable tests, you're left with basically "collections of symptoms". So this is progress.

ralusek 7y ago

Of all of the possible ailments, I hope that this class of issues is resolved by the time I'm older.

shrimp_emoji 7y ago
Surely heart disease and cancer are higher priority[0]. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rat...
- sampleinajar 7y ago
  For some, I imagine death is preferable to dementia.
  - jacobsenscott 7y ago
    I've seen dementia run its course a few times now, and I'll take any other kind of death.
  - shrimp_emoji 7y ago
    It certainly would be for me, depending on the extent, but you can check out once you get a diagnosis. But you might not even get to that diagnosis if cancer or heart disease kills you before that (as the statistics overwhelmingly suggest it will), so you'll always have a net loss of "non-dementia years of life" without fixing those. Unless you're thinking: you're willing to accept that whether or not you'll ever get dementia in the first place because cowardice or social pressure would prevent you from checking out once you do get the diagnosis. But that's sad and pretty unfair to yourself and others.
    - SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
      So when do you check out? Dementia can insidiously can take years to develop, and by the time you're far enough along to need it to end you're already potentially too far along to know it. Losing your mental faculties is losing the ability to make objective decisions like that.
      - joaomacp 7y ago
        That part makes me less scared of dementia. The fact that I'll not even realize I have it, and will just feel confused about who people are and where I am... Kind of like when I was a little child.
        malandrew 7y ago
        Vouching for this comment. Not sure why this comment was killed, but it's just as valid opinion as being scared of getting dementia. At the end of the day, people don't return from dementia (yet) so we don't really know if it's a bad way to go or a good way to go purely from the perspective of the afflicted. It's certainly painful for the loved ones of those afflicted with it, but for the person experiencing it, it could be similar to how a small child experiences the world or a drug induced stupor that many people voluntarily subject themselves to recreationally.
melling 7y ago
Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been saying that for over 30 years. Hopefully, that small group of people with that small amount of money solves these problems.
- RegBarclay 7y ago
  My grandmother died from AD around 30 years ago. My dad has AD now and there's really not been much progress since his mother died. I'm very much hoping that there are some breakthroughs in the next 30 years. I'd rather die from anything else than AD.
  - Aromasin 7y ago
    If there's not a breakthrough, I at least hope that countries start to legalise assisted suicide so those like myself that don't want my life to end that way can at least go out in a civilised manner.

joelbondurant 7y ago

Warren Buffet on tech.