Visual auras, like those that occur in migraines, may be signs of small injuries to the brain’s visual cortex, according to a clinical trial at UC San Francisco that tracked the appearance of these lesions after procedures to treat abnormal heart rhythms.

The study, which appeared July 7 in Heart Rhythm, found that patients with lesions in the occipital and parietal lobe were 12 times more likely than those who did not have them to experience migraine-related visual auras.

It’s been recognized for some time that Alzheimer’s disease affects brain regions differently and that tau — a protein known to misbehave — plays an important role in the disease. Normally, tau helps stabilize neurons, but in Alzheimer’s disease, it begins to misfold and tangle inside neurons. It spreads across the brain forming toxic clumps that impair neuronal function and ultimately lead to cell death.

The Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation (OHF) has accepted UCSF Health into its OHF Care Center Network recognizing the health system’s dedication to providing high-quality medical care, resources, and education for patients with primary hyperoxaluria (PH), which is a genetic, and often severe, kidney disease.

A critical step in meeting the needs of the growing aging population is early recognition of cognitive decline. In California, women who live to be 65 or older have a one in four chance of developing any type of dementia and men have a one in six chance. Early detection may help slow progression of cognitive decline and improve quality of life for people living with the condition and their care partners.