In a groundbreaking study, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have shed new light on Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that affects memory and thinking skills.
They discovered that the buildup of harmful protein clumps in the brain, known as amyloid, plays a crucial role in determining who might develop Alzheimer’s and benefit from new treatments aimed at delaying its progression.
This study, published in the journal Neurology, emphasizes that it’s not just age that’s a key factor in Alzheimer’s but also the initial amount and spread of amyloid in the brain. As people grow older, their brains tend to accumulate these amyloid clumps more rapidly.
However, the researchers found that knowing the amount of amyloid present at the start and the overall health of the brain is more important in predicting who will progress to Alzheimer’s.
Oscar Lopez, M.D., a lead researcher in the study, emphasized the importance of understanding this amyloid buildup in people who still have normal mental functions. This knowledge is vital for better application of dementia treatments.
Amyloid clumps are a common sign of Alzheimer’s, and while older people, especially those over 80, have a higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s, most previous studies have focused on younger people. This left a gap in understanding how amyloid affects the oldest individuals.
The study involved 94 older adults who were mentally sharp when the study began. These participants, who started the study at an average age of 85, were followed for 11 years.
They underwent at least two PET scans, a type of brain imaging, during this period. The researchers compared their amyloid buildup with a younger group from the Australian Imaging, Biomarker, and Lifestyle study.
The team observed that amyloid increased steadily in all participants over time, regardless of their amyloid levels at the study’s start.
However, this increase was faster in those in their 80s compared to those in their late 60s. This finding helps explain why amyloid is more common in very old people.
Interestingly, the study revealed that very few participants developed dementia without having amyloid in their brain. Those who had amyloid at the beginning of the study developed dementia about two years earlier than those without it.
Moreover, the researchers discovered that just looking at the short-term increase in amyloid over 1.8 years was not enough to predict the future risk of dementia.
Instead, the severity of the initial amyloid levels, combined with other signs of brain damage, were the most reliable indicators of risk.
These signs included white matter lesions, which are signs of small vessel disease, and a decrease in the thickness of the gray matter in the brain, which indicates nerve cell loss.
Dr. Lopez, who also heads the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Pitt, noted that their findings align with other studies showing that amyloid buildup in the brain takes decades and occurs alongside other brain diseases, like small vessel disease.
He mentioned that the link between these conditions couldn’t be fully explored in their study. However, understanding when these brain changes start is crucial for developing future preventive therapies.
The research team’s collaborative effort has opened new avenues in understanding and potentially treating Alzheimer’s disease.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease , and new non-drug treatment that could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
The research findings can be found in Neurology.
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