Alzheimer's disease can be detected long before it begins

Biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease appear 20 years before the first symptoms

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In the brains of people genetically predisposed to the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD), biomarkers of the disease can be detected more than 20 years before the first symptoms appear. This conclusion was made by American scientists who studied the preclinical phase of the disease on the example of a group of young Colombians – carriers of a genetic mutation associated with early dementia. The work of Reiman et al. Brain imaging and fluid biomarker analysis in young adults at genetic risk for autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease in the presenilin 1 E280A kindred: a case-control study published November 6 in the journal The Lancet Neurology.

Of the 44 participants in the study, whose age ranged from 18 to 26 years, 20 were carriers of the PSEN1 E280A mutation, due to which their family members had AD at the age of about 40 years, while on average this age is about 75 years.

The state of tissues and brain functioning of all young people, as well as their cognitive abilities, were subjected to a comprehensive study using magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. In addition, the composition of their cerebrospinal fluid was studied.

As a result, it turned out that although both groups – carriers of the mutation and those who do not have it – almost did not differ in the level of cognitive abilities or according to the results of neuropsychological tests, young people from the first group had significant differences in the functioning of some areas of the brain, as well as a decrease in the amount of gray matter in its parietal lobe.

In addition, in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma of mutation carriers, a higher concentration of the pathological beta-amyloid protein was recorded than in those without a genetic predisposition to early dementia, which is characteristic of AD. The accumulation of this protein in the neurons of the brain causes the development of symptoms of the disease.

As noted in an interview with the BBC (Alzheimer's detected decades before symptoms), one of the authors of the work, Dr. Eric Reiman from Banner Alzheimer's Institute (Arizona), the results of the study suggest that changes in the brain begin very long before the clinical manifestations of AD, which must be taken into account when searching effective therapy.

Professor Nick Fox from the Institute of Neurology at University College London, commenting on the findings, stressed that some of his patients are already losing up to a fifth of the volume of some areas of the brain by the time they enter the clinic with pronounced symptoms of AD, so early diagnosis will be key when the cure for dementia is finally, found.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru 07.11.2012