Articles by author: Brock University

• Brock research exploring estrogen’s connection to late-onset Alzheimer’s in women

  Monday, March 04, 2024 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: March 4 2024 – R0025

  The answer to why women are almost twice as likely as men to develop late-onset Alzheimer’s disease may lie in hormones.

  With the help of federal funding, Rebecca MacPherson and her research team at Brock University are aiming to learn more about the link between the disease and a drop in estrogen in women.

  “Being a female is the second-greatest risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease,” says the Associate Professor of Health Sciences. “Most Alzheimer’s disease research focuses on males, so we don’t fully understand why females are at greater risk.”

  MacPherson and her team have made great strides in linking a protein called brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to a biomarker in the brain that is related to Alzheimer’s disease.

  BDNF levels are lower in patients with Alzheimer’s — and also, in post-menopausal women, says MacPherson.

  To test out the association between estrogen loss and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, MacPherson and her team have received a $130,000 Biomedical Discovery Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

  BDNF — which MacPherson calls “brain fertilizer,” because it helps maintain healthy brain cells, as well as grow new ones — can reduce the production of small proteins called beta-amyloid.

  Beta-amyloid clumps together and forms plaques in the brains of people living with Alzheimer’s disease. These plaques damage the brain by blocking cell-signalling processes, among other effects.

  The female hormone estrogen regulates BDNF levels, says MacPherson. But estrogen levels drop dramatically during the progression to menopause.

  MacPherson and her team will study if and how targeting BDNF signalling in post-menopausal females will prevent the production of beta-amyloid that lead to Alzheimer’s disease, and in the process, improve memory and maintain brain health.

  She says one of the easiest ways to increase BDNF is through physical exercise.

  “But for those who have physical or other limitations, it will be important to identify other methods that complement the benefits of exercise,” she says.

  “The majority of exercise-related research and recommendations are based on data collected from male participants,” says MacPherson. “However, males and females may respond differently to the same exercise or therapy, therefore, research should focus on alternative therapies that can reduce the detrimental effects of menopause.”

  The team will also study post-mortem human brain samples from male and female patients diagnosed with and without Alzheimer’s to further explore the differences in male and female brains.

  In addition to the greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease with the onset of menopause in females, the risk for other health conditions is also increased. One example is sarcopenia, an age-associated disease characterized by muscle wasting and weakness.

  “Interestingly, muscle can also regulate BDNF content in the brain,” says MacPherson, adding that part of the research will examine how menopause impacts muscle health, and how targeting muscle health in turn affects brain health.

  Working on this with MacPherson is Val Fajardo, Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Canada Research Chair in Tissue Re-modelling and Plasticity Throughout the Lifespan.

  Other team members that contributed to the grant include Kinesiology master’s student Bianca Marcella and Health Sciences master’s student Ahmad Mohammad.

  CIHR’s Biomedical Discovery Grant is a one-year, special opportunity under the National Women’s Health Research Initiative co-led by CIHR. The initiative aims to advance a co-ordinated research program that addresses under-researched and high-priority areas of women’s health.

  Categories: Media releases

• Surge pricing a growing part of consumer experience, says Brock expert

  Friday, March 01, 2024 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY: March 1 2024 – R0024

  The public reacted swiftly this week when news spread that Wendy’s had potential plans to test run surge pricing in its restaurants.

  While the popular fast-food chain has since indicated it will not increase prices during the busiest times at its restaurants, the situation has shed light on both current and potential future surge pricing practices, says Brock University’s Eric Dolansky.

  The Associate Professor of Marketing with Brock’s Goodman School of Business says the thought of restaurants introducing dynamic pricing elicited public backlash because it “violates norms and expectations” for the food industry.

  As of late, the concept of surge pricing has been attributed mainly to transportation companies such as Uber, which use a dynamic model to moderate use by customers based on supply and demand.

  However, “surge pricing is a relatively new name for a fairly old concept,” says Dolansky, who studies behavioural economics, price perception and consumer estimations of value.

  “Tying price to supply and demand is as old as classical economics, but the technological power needed to do it in real time and on a wider scale is more recent,” he says. “Even so, for decades companies have been altering prices based on either actual or expected demand.”

  Dolansky points to the travel industry, where both airlines and hotels operate on dynamic pricing models — and have for some time.

  The difference is the perceived value for consumers when it comes to purchases such as travel versus physical products, such as food items, for which customers expect relatively stable prices, he says.

  For instance, with Niagara Falls being one of few places in the path of totality for the April 8 total solar eclipse, hotels raised their prices in anticipation of the celestial event’s ability to draw tourists.

  “Staying in Niagara Falls around April 8 holds a great deal more value, for some consumers, than that same stay one week earlier or later,” Dolansky says. “Therefore, they are willing to pay more, and the companies involved are trying to capitalize on that desire.”

  However, gift shops, tourist attractions and restaurants in the Niagara area wouldn’t normally change their prices based on an expected increase in demand, he says.

  “If these businesses raise their prices, they need to convince customers it’s worth it.”

  This may be done by providing an exclusive offering, such as a special menu, to increase the perceived value, he says.

  Dolansky says businesses have to be careful that their pricing — not only the amount but the way prices are set and change over time — reflects the value that is perceived by customers.

  “If customers don’t see a difference in value based on, for example, how busy a particular fast-food franchise is at a given moment, they won’t be willing to accept a higher price,” he says.

  Dolanksy says it’s beneficial for businesses to research, innovate and test out different pricing models, but that they must be based on customer value.

  “We inherently understand that if something is in greater demand, we may need to pay more for it,” he says. “But for food, in most situations in Canada, there is not the same scarcity — thankfully — so a model like this may feel artificial.”

  Eric Dolansky, Associate Professor of Marketing with Brock’s Goodman School of Business, is available for media interviews on the topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Doug Hunt, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Brock University dhunt2@brocku.ca or 905-941-6209

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  Categories: Media releases