Grid cell dysfunction in the entorhinal cortex may explain why people with a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease have problems with navigation.
Sea Hero Quest, a navigation themed cell phone game, is helping researchers to identify those at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Those with a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's perform worse on the spatial navigation tasks in the game, taking more time and less efficient routes to checkpoint goals.
Researchers have identified cognitive subgroups related to genetic differences in Alzheimer's patients. The findings, researchers say, could open the door for more personalized treatments of the neurodegenerative disease.
According to a new study, women with the APOEe4 allele, a genetic variant closely tied to Alzheimer's disease, face sharper weight loss after the age of 70 than those without the gene, whether they go on to develop dementia or not.