Researchers at Cornell University have discovered that a small, deep part of the brain known as the “blue spot” may play a critical role in how we age and how early Alzheimer’s disease can be detected.
The blue spot’s real name is the locus coeruleus (LC), and it gets its color from a pigment called neuromelanin.
In a study involving 134 healthy adults aged 19 to 86, researchers used special MRI scans to measure the strength of the LC’s blue signal.
They found that the LC’s intensity follows an inverted U-shaped curve: it increases through midlife, peaks in later middle age, and then drops off sharply after age 60.
People whose blue signal stayed stronger after 60 tended to have better memory, attention, and thinking skills.
The study, published in Neurobiology of Aging, included a diverse group of participants, about 40% of whom were non-white.
Interestingly, the researchers found that Black participants and women showed even higher peaks in LC intensity, groups that are also known to face higher rates of Alzheimer’s later in life.
Adam Anderson, a professor of psychology and human ecology at Cornell, said understanding the health of the LC could help show whether someone is aging normally or facing an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
The results suggest that while all groups follow a similar basic brain aging pattern, certain groups may have unique risks tied to the way their LC ages.
The LC is important because it produces norepinephrine, a chemical that plays a key role in attention, memory, stress response, and sleep.
Scientists believe the LC is one of the first brain areas affected by Alzheimer’s disease, even decades before symptoms appear.
By studying normal changes in the LC over time, researchers hope to find new ways to catch Alzheimer’s earlier and potentially slow its progress.
Brain scans showed that higher neuromelanin levels in midlife were linked to better cognitive abilities, but drops in the blue signal after 60 were tied to weaker memory and thinking skills.
Scientists are now looking into ways to help maintain healthy LC levels, possibly through activities like deep breathing or stimulating the vagus nerve.
The reasons why women and Black participants had higher LC peaks aren’t yet clear. One idea is that chronic stress or constant brain stimulation could strengthen the LC early in life but lead to greater wear and tear later on.
The team emphasized that having a diverse sample was key to these findings. Studies that include people from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds are essential for getting a true picture of brain health across the whole population.
This research, supported by the National Institutes of Health, could bring us closer to new strategies for promoting healthy aging and fighting Alzheimer’s disease.
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