Neurodegenerative disorders have a devastating disease course and an increasing prevalence due to prolonged life expectancy. In the last decades, it has become increasingly clear that these diseases often start much earlier, before the onset of symptoms, creating a potential window for pre-symptomatic treatment, a strategy that is desirable from both the biologic and the ethical point of view. However, studying treatments for a pre-symptomatic population presents objective difficulties. This article intends to give a perspective about opportunities and challenges of pre-symptomatic prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. Besides the requirement for biomarkers that would facilitate both the selection of study population and demonstrating a treatment effect, further considerations about balancing benefits, risks and uncertainties pertaining a pre-symptomatic population will be examined.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2023.06.002 | DOI Listing |
Prenat Diagn
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening has advanced significantly, extending beyond detecting aneuploidies to sub-chromosomal copy number variations. However, its application for screening dominant single-gene conditions, often caused by de novo variants, remains underutilized in the general obstetric population. This study reviews recent data and experience on prenatal cfDNA screening for dominant monogenic conditions using multiple-gene panels, highlighting its potential to enhance early detection and management of genetic disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicina (Kaunas)
November 2024
Health Research Nursing Group (GREIS), University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain.
: Alzheimer's dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects memory abilities due to genetic and environmental factors. A well-known gene that influences the risk of Alzheimer's disease is the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene. The APOE gene is involved in the production of a protein that helps transport cholesterol and other types of fat in the bloodstream.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Commun
December 2024
BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK.
Predicting risk of future dementia is essential for primary prevention strategies, particularly in the era of novel immunotherapies. However, few studies have developed population-level prediction models using existing routine healthcare data. In this longitudinal retrospective cohort study, we predicted incident dementia using primary and secondary care health records at 5, 10 and 13 years in 144 113 Scottish older adults who were dementia-free prior to 1st April 2009.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuroepidemiology
November 2024
North of Scotland Regional Genetics Service, Clinical Genetics, Aberdeen, UK.
Introduction: Previous work demonstrated a prevalence of 14.6 per 100,000 manifest Huntington's disease (HD) patients and 8.3 per 100,000 identified pre-symptomatic gene expansion carriers (IPGEC) in Northern Scotland.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Aging Neurosci
October 2024
Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Jinan University)-Ministry of Education, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangzhou, China.
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor dysfunction and cognitive decline. While retinal abnormalities have been documented in some HD patients and animal models, the nature of these abnormalities-specifically whether they originate in the inner or outer retina-remains unclear, particularly regarding their progression with age. This study investigates the retinal structure and function in HD transgenic mice (R6/1) compared to C57BL/6 J control mice at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, encompassing both pre-symptomatic and symptomatic stages of HD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!