Age-related memory loss manifests itself in several forms. New research from Harvard suggests that these different forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, may all be linked to the contraction of a specific region of the brain. Newsweek.
Alzheimer’s affects approximately 5.8 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is the most common form of dementia and age-related memory loss. However, it is not the only form.
Scientists do not yet fully understand the direct causes of the disease in most patients, but we do know that the development of Alzheimer’s disease is associated with the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain – such as tau proteins and amyloid plaques – as well as changes in brain structure and function. .
In recent years, there have been dramatic developments in the field of research and drug discovery for Alzheimer’s. But it is necessary to distinguish between Alzheimer’s and other forms of cognitive decline to ensure the rapid provision of effective treatment.
To better understand the molecular underpinnings of these various diseases, Bernard Hanseeuw from Harvard Medical School recruited 128 participants with an average age of 72 years. The participants did not have to have thinking or memory problems at the beginning of the study.
Over the course of the seven-year study, each participant underwent several types of brain scans to measure specific Alzheimer’s biomarkers — such as amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles — as well as the volume of the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in learning and memory. Participants were also asked to undergo annual cognitive assessments.
Analyzing these results, shrinking of the hippocampus was associated with faster cognitive decline, regardless of whether or not the participants had biomarkers for early Alzheimer’s. Indeed, on its own, hippocampal contraction accounted for 10 percent of the difference in the extent of cognitive decline between participants.
“These results emphasize that dementia is a complex condition with many underlying causes and suggest that other types of dementia than Alzheimer’s disease may contribute to hippocampal shrinkage and cognitive decline,” said Hanseeuw. “[Studiile noastre] suggests that neurodegenerative diseases other than Alzheimer’s contribute to this decline, and measuring the volume of the hippocampus can help us evaluate these causes that are currently difficult to measure. This could help us better predict… the trajectories of people’s cognitive decline.”
2023-11-16 09:25:17
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