Icelandic Genetic Mutation Found to be Protective Against Alzheimer's

  Researchers studied 1,795 Icelanders and found a coding mutation (A673T) in the APP gene that protects against Alzheimer's disease and decline in memory.
  This finding provides proof of principle for the hypothesis that reducing Beta-cleavage of APP may protect against the disease.
Nature 488, 96-99 Aug 2

Vascular Risk Factors : Narrowing Arteries in the Head = Alzheimer's Risk Increase

  Researchers from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Neurocognitive study demonstrated that hardening of the arteries in the head is associated with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
  In MCI and dementia patients with posterior (back of the brain) cerebral watery plaque had 44% higher prevalence of MCI than without it. Dementia risk was increased threefold in those with anterior cerebral (front of the brain) artery plaque and twofold in those with narrowing > 70% or involvement of > vascular territories.
  Again, as per my last review, decreasing vascular risk factors (obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol) decreases hardening if arteries inside the head and decreases cognitive impairment.
Neurology 2017 Apr 18;88:1156

Take Care in Mid-Life to Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer's

  Vascular risk factors are known to be associated with Alzheimer's i.e., obesity (BMI > 30), smoking, hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. In this study, researchers found that those with vascular risk factors in middle age (especially those that are APOE4 allele positive) had a greater amyloid (the protein found in excess in Alzheimer's brains) burden in their brains later in life. 
  However, late-life vascular risk factors were NOT associated with an increased risk later in life.
  Therefore, treatment of vascular risk factors in MIDLIFE while likely to be asymptomatic, may be critical in reducing the development of an underlying AD process.
JAMA 2017 April 11;317:1443

Sleep Deprivation Induces Genetic Change

  Identical twin studies reveal that habitual short sleep (chronic sleep deprivation) was associated with unique patterns of gene expression and pathway enrichment that affect immunity.
  Monozygotic (identical) twin studies allow assessment of environmental influences in these individuals that share genetics and a common environment when growing up.
  This study shows the effects of sleep deprivation on immune dysregulation indicating a potential link between it and adverse metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory outcomes.
Sleep 2017 Jan 1;40(1)

Virtual Reality Immersion Significantly Reduces Pain

  According to a study from Cedars-Sinai, virtual reality (VR) significantly reduced hospitalized patient's pain scores after just one 15 minute experience.
  Researchers state VR "hijacks" the senses....in a good way. They further attribute the benefit to "immersive distraction" in that the mind is deeply engaged in the immersive experience making it difficult to perceive other stimuli, including pain of varying etiologies.
JMIR Meant Health.2017;4:e9

The Effect of Sleep Position on Glymphatic System Function

  Researchers at Stony Brook School of Medicine studied the effect of body posture on the glymphatic system transport in experimental animals. They found that amyloid clearance (good) and glymphatic transport were most efficient in the side-sleeping and back-sleeping position while the stomach-sleeping position (i.e., the most upright position mimicking awake posture) resulted in slower clearance.
  According to the authors, the right-sided sleep position was associated with efflux and influx...out through and in through the glymphatic system.
J Neurosci. 2015;35(31):11034-11044

Restorative Function of Sleep: Yep, the Glymphatic System Implicated

  An important factor affecting glymphatic flow is interstitial space volume which increases 40-60% during sleep.Certain anesthetics that induce Stage 2 sleep and natural sleep significantly increase interstitial space volume.
  Awakening sleeping mice (never a good idea, they're real grouches) dramatically reduces glymphatic flow.
  The authors conclusion: the restorative function of sleep may be a consequence of the enhanced removal of potentially neurotoxic waste products that accumulate in the awake central nervous system by the glymphatic system.
Science 2013;342(6156):373-377