- A recent study found that cognitively healthy people who reported having memory problems had early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains.
- The findings could help experts detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier, allowing for earlier treatment.
- Starting treatment before symptoms appear will likely be more effective.
A new study, published May 29 in Neurologyrecruited neurologically healthy older adults without measurable cognitive impairments but who had concerns about their memory.
Scientists have looked for links between memory loss and signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). They found that people who reported memory loss were more likely to have high levels of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
If further research confirms these findings, it could help doctors detect the disease at an earlier stage, allowing treatment to begin sooner.
A team of researchers from Harvard Medical School recruited 675 people with an average age of 72 years.
First, participants took cognitive tests that showed they had no cognitive deficits.
Each recruit had a partner, who could be a child, a spouse or a friend: 65% of these partners lived with the participant.
Participants answered questions about their memory and thinking skills and their ability to complete daily tasks. Their partners also answered the same questions about the participants.
The questions included:
- “Compared to 1 year ago, do you feel like your memory has decreased significantly? »
- “Compared to 1 year ago, are you having more difficulty managing your money?
Each participant underwent a brain scan to look for protein markers of Alzheimer’s disease called amyloid plaques and tau tangles.
Although the precise mechanisms that lead to Alzheimer’s disease are still being studied, two telltale signs in the brain are associated with its progression:
- Amyloid plaques —accumulation of proteins between neurons
- No tangles —accumulation of proteins in neurons
Both of these things limit the ability of cells to signal to each other. Eventually, this leads to cell death. Over time, as more cells die, cognitive abilities decline and the brain may shrink or atrophy.
Medical news today spoke with Verna Porter, MD, board-certified neurologist and director of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and neurocognitive disorders at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California.
Porter, who was not involved in the study, said these proteins “interfere with the formation of memories at both a biochemical level and a structural level by interfering with the physical integrity of neural networks.” The observed patterns of impaired memory function are linked to changes in brain structure and function.
In the current study, 60% of participants had elevated levels of amyloid in the brain. People who have higher levels of amyloid are also more likely to have higher levels of tau.
Brain scans showed that people who reported memory problems had higher levels of Tau tangles. This association was even stronger in people who also had higher amyloid levels.
In other words, people who experience memory problems are more likely to have neurological signs of Alzheimer’s disease, even if they are cognitively healthy.
MNT asked the study’s lead author, Rebecca E. Amariglio, PhD, what surprised her most about the results. She answered us:
“Despite the fact that participants were not cognitively impaired and functioning normally in daily life, their study partners were still able to detect subtle changes in their condition compared to a year ago, related to biomarkers of Alzheimer’s.”
“Our study included a high percentage of people with high amyloid, and for this reason we were also able to see that memory problems were associated with higher tau tangles,” Amariglio explained in a press release from press.
“Our results suggest that asking older adults with elevated Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers about subjective cognitive decline could be useful for early detection,” she continued. “This is particularly important since it is expected that treatments administered at the earliest diagnosed form of the disease will be most effective in slowing the disease. »
Talk with MNTAmariglio said they plan to follow up this study with longitudinal data to understand how this relationship works over time.
MNT asked Porter what early signs of Alzheimer’s to look out for. She explained that people should seek care and a memory evaluation from a medical professional if they or a family member notice that someone is:
- ask the same question repeatedly
- forgetting a word, phrase, or idea while speaking
- inserting the wrong word into a conversation, for example saying “chair” instead of “sofa”
- taking more time to complete daily tasks, tasks, or affairs, such as paying bills or handling mail
- frequently misplacing items or items around the house
- getting lost while walking or driving in a relatively familiar area
- having sudden or unexplained changes in mood, personality, or behavior without a clear reason
Although steady cognitive decline is often a part of normal aging, this is not the case with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Although we cannot influence certain risk factors, such as our genetics and older age, some risk factors for dementia are modifiable.
MNT spoke with Iris Blotenberg, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, who was not involved in the recent research. She explained that modifiable risk factors “are associated with at least a third of dementia cases.” These factors include:
Blotenberg said other health conditions can also increase the risk of developing dementia, such as “strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure and obesity.”
Since these conditions are more likely in people who are sedentary, smoke and drink frequently, taking these factors into account can make a real difference in an individual’s risk of dementia.
Blotenberg added that hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia because “stimulation is very important for our brain to maintain cognitive functions. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you use a hearing aid if you or those around you notice a decline in your hearing ability.
Finally, social isolation — something that is
“For us, as social beings, social engagement is extremely important and, in particular, a vital form of stimulation for our brains,” Blotenberg said.
MNT also spoke with Geir Selbæk, professor at the Department of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Oslo in Norway. In addition to the risk factors outlined above, he suggested that people should “avoid head injuries and areas with high levels of air pollution.”
Selbæk, who was not involved in the recent study, explained that stress can also be a risk factor. So it might be helpful to find ways to minimize or manage daily stress.
“In general, it is beneficial to start as early as possible and maintain a healthy lifestyle, but it is never too late,” Blotenberg said.
“It is always good to continue to be cognitively active: stimulation is crucial for our brain. Therefore, within your means, remain cognitively, socially and physically active, but be careful not to overload yourself,” she concluded.