Resisting Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s disease has a prevalence of 850 per 100,000 people and is the most common form of dementia. Dementia causes deficits in memory, cognitive function and language (for more information on dementia, see my previous post - http://my-medical-musings.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/dementia-in-news.html).

Image: Upright Health

Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a loss of neurons in the brain, but it is not completely understood why this happens. The dominant theory is the “amyloid hypothesis”, which suggests that proteins misfold, causing fibrous aggregates known as plaques. Pathophysiology may also include oligomers, which are formed in the production of the amyloid plaques. The oligomers are thought to cause toxicity by disrupting cell membranes, causing them to die. Additionally, tau deposits are also thought to contribute. These neurofibrillary tangles interrupt signal transmission between neurons, leading to cell death.

Image: Brain Athlete

There are few drug current treatments for Alzheimer’s that target neurotransmitters, but their efficacy is not great. Therefore, researchers are looking at targeting processes that cause pathophysiology. A recent article in Nature Neuroscience reveals how researchers at the University of California may be in the early stages of understanding how the brain may be able to fight early damage.

The study involved 71 adults with no signs of mental decline memorising a series of pictures in detail and later recalling them whilst their brain activity was recorded. Results found that of those with amyloid deposits, better recall correlated with increased brain activity. The researchers suggested that their brains were able to adapt to compensate for early damage caused by the protein. Whilst this is a significant finding, more research is needed for further understanding of how people react to amyloid differently and the next stage will be to test those with Alzheimer’s disease.  

One researcher suggested “people who spend a lifetime involved in cognitively stimulating activity have brains that are better able to adapt to potential damage”. So keep doing that sudoku, no matter how long it takes you – just keep the brain active!