Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common cause of dementia among older adults, is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

This series presented by leading clinicians and researchers from the UCSF Memory and Aging Center provides in-depth review of the neurodegenerative diseases of the brain, focusing primarily on Alzheimer’s disease. You’ll learn about the diverse clinical manifestations of Alzheimer’s, stages of illness, and current state of science regarding diagnosis, treatment and management of Alzheimer’s and other related diseases.

Early diagnosis can help preserve daily functioning for some time, even though the underlying disease process cannot be stopped or reversed.

Browse more programs in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases of the Brain.

Neuroscience, Mini Brains, and Your Health

“All the best models are the ones that you can improve in complexity to get closer and closer to the reality.”

The idea of a brain in a dish may sound like science fiction to some but scientists are becoming more and more adept at creating cortical organoids in the lab. The organoids are models of what is happening in utero as the brain forms. Being able to study this kind of human development not only opens new insights into neurological conditions but raises ethical questions.

Alysson Muotri, director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program, gives a look at how his lab is using these organoids to model specific conditions, treat disease, and explore fundamental brain mechanisms. Learn what the limitations, future projections, and ethical concerns are surrounding this exciting science.

Watch Re-constructing Brains in the Lab to Revolutionize Neuroscience – Exploring Ethics