Rebecca L. Dyer

United States

Digital Producer and Copy Editor at The Arizona Republic

As a copy-editor, I'm part of the last line of defense, helping to hold the line on quality.

Articles

Parkinson's Discovery Suggests We Could Have an FDA-Approved Treatment Already

1 week ago | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Researchers have discovered how a surface protein on brain cells, called Aplp1, can play a role in spreading material responsible for Parkinson's disease from cell to cell in the brain. Promisingly, an FDA-approved cancer drug that targets another protein – Lag3 – which interacts with Aplp1 – was found to block this process in mice. This suggests a potential treatment for Parkinson's may already exist.
One Stage of Sleep Seems Critical For Reducing Risk of Dementia

1 month ago | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

The risk of getting dementia may go up as you get older if you don't get enough slow-wave sleep. A 2023 study found that over-60s are 27 percent more likely to develop dementia if they lose just 1 percent of this deep sleep each year. Slow-wave sleep is the third stage of a human 90-minute sleep cycle, lasting about 20–40 minutes. It's the most restful stage, where brain waves and heart rate slow and blood pressure drops.
One Stage of Sleep Seems Critical For Reducing Risk of Dementia

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

The risk of getting dementia may go up as you get older if you don't get enough slow-wave sleep. A 2023 study found that over-60s are 27 percent more likely to develop dementia if they lose just 1 percent of this deep sleep each year. Slow-wave sleep is the third stage of a human 90-minute sleep cycle, lasting about 20–40 minutes. It's the most restful stage, where brain waves and heart rate slow and blood pressure drops.
Brain Autopsies Reveal a Potential Culprit Behind Alzheimer's

Mar 4, 2025 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Analysis of human brain tissue revealed differences in how immune cells behave in brains with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy brains, indicating a potential new treatment target. University of Washington-led research, published in 2023, discovered microglia in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease were in a pre-inflammatory state more frequently, making them less likely to be protective.
Parkinson's Discovery Suggests We Could Already Have an FDA-Approved Treatment

Jan 19, 2025 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Researchers have discovered how a cell surface protein called Aplp1 can play a role in spreading material responsible for Parkinson's disease from cell-to-cell in the brain. Promisingly, an FDA-approved cancer drug that targets another protein called Lag3 – which interacts with Aplp1 – blocks the spread in mice, suggesting a potential therapy may already exist.
These 2 Jobs Have The Lowest Alzheimer's Death Rates. But What Does It Mean?

Dec 17, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Driving an ambulance or taxi as your job may provide some protection against Alzheimer's, according to a new study that discovered these occupations have the lowest rates of death associated with the disease. Researchers analyzed US death certificates for almost 9 million people who died during 2020–2022, linking occupational data across 443 professions with Alzheimer's as a cause of death.
Cannabis Use Linked to Epigenetic Changes, Study Finds

Dec 3, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Using cannabis may cause changes in the human body's epigenome, a study of over 1,000 adults suggests. The epigenome functions like a set of switches, activating or deactivating genes to change how our bodies function. "We observed associations between cumulative marijuana use and multiple epigenetic markers across time," explained epidemiologist Lifang Hou from Northwestern University when the research was published in 2023.
Brain Autopsies Reveal a Potential New Culprit Behind Alzheimer's

Nov 13, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Analysis of human brain tissue revealed differences in how immune cells behave in brains with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy brains, indicating a potential new treatment target. University of Washington-led research, published in 2023, discovered microglia in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease were in a pre-inflammatory state more frequently, making them less likely to be protective.
Parkinson's Discovery Suggests We Already Have an FDA-Approved Treatment

Oct 9, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Researchers have discovered how a cell surface protein called Aplp1 can play a role in spreading material responsible for Parkinson's disease from cell-to-cell in the brain. Promisingly, an FDA-approved cancer drug that targets another protein called Lag3 – which interacts with Aplp1 – blocks the spread in mice, suggesting a potential therapy may already exist.
Owning a Cat Could Double Your Schizophrenia Risk, Research Suggests

Sep 22, 2024 | sciencealert.com | Rebecca L. Dyer

Having a cat as a pet could potentially double a person's risk of schizophrenia-related disorders, according to a recent study. Australian researchers conducted an analysis of 17 studies published during the last 44 years, from 11 countries including the US and the UK.