An early sign of dementia has been uncovered

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center have revealed that thinning of the cortical gray matter may be an early sign of dementia. This is reported in an article published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia.

Specialists analyzed data from magnetic resonance imaging, which was performed on 1,500 participants aged 70 to 74 years, who had already undergone MRI several years ago during previous medical examinations. People with and without dementia were compared to detect abnormal changes in the brain.

Although dementia can affect different areas of the brain, Alzheimer's disease and frontal temporal dementia affect the cerebral cortex, with Alzheimer's disease being the most common type of dementia.

It turned out that thicker cortical gray matter generally correlated with better medical outcomes, while thinner gray matter correlated with worse, although the authors note that more research is needed to confirm this biomarker.

It was previously reported that scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital have identified a possible trigger for Alzheimer's disease. It is a soluble form of aggregated tau protein.