The Turbulent Brain: Ageing and Dementia

Explore the mathematical modeling of neurodegenerative diseases in this 59-minute lecture by Professor Alain Goriely from Gresham College. Beginning with the historical context of Alzheimer's disease, the lecture examines what these conditions look like at cellular and brain-wide levels, showing how they progress through characteristic patterns. Learn how advanced mathematical approaches can predict the spread of dementia through the brain, potentially revolutionizing our understanding of these devastating conditions. The presentation covers prion-like mechanisms, network models of the brain, discrete simulations, and the application of these models to real patient data, ultimately offering hope for personalized predictions and future treatments. The comprehensive lecture includes detailed explanations of brain changes, mathematical foundations, and simulation techniques that could help unravel the universal features of neurological aging diseases.