New
research found that cognitively healthy people who self-reported memory
problems had early signs of Alzheimer’s, such as high tau buildup in the brain.
- A recent study found that
cognitively healthy people who self-reported memory problems had early
signs of Alzheimer’s in their brains.
- The results may help experts detect Alzheimer’s
sooner, allowing earlier treatment.
- Starting treatment before symptoms begin is
likely to be more effective.
A new
study, published May 29 in Neurology, recruited
neurologically healthy older adults without measurable cognitive impairments,
but who had concerns about their memory.
The scientists looked for
links between memory loss and
signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). They found that
people who self-reported memory loss were more likely to have elevated levels
of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s.
If further research backs
up these findings, it could help doctors catch the condition at an earlier
stage, allowing treatment to start earlier.
Assessing
cognition with memory and thinking skills
A
team of researchers from Harvard Medical School recruited 675 older adults with
an average age of 72.
First, participants took cognitive tests, which showed that they had no
cognitive impairments.
Each recruit had a partner,
which could be a child, spouse, or friend — 65% of these partners lived with
the participant.
Participants answered
questions about their memory and thinking skills and how well they performed
daily tasks. Their partners also answered the same questions about the
participants.
The questions included:
- “Compared
to 1 year ago, do you feel your memory has declined substantially?”
- “Compared
to 1 year ago, do you have more difficulty managing money?”
Brain scans reveal early signs of Alzheimer’s
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 thrashed out, two telltale signs in
the brain are associated with its progression:
- Amyloid plaques —protein
buildup between neurons
- Tau tangles —protein
buildup within neurons
Both of these limit cells’ ability to signal to each
other. Eventually, this leads to cell death. Over time, as more cells die, it
reduces cognitive ability and the brain can actually shrink or atrophy.
Medical News Today spoke with Verna Porter, MD, a board
certified neurologist and director of Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and
Neurocognitive Disorders at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA.
Porter, who was not
involved in the study, said these proteins “interfere with the formation of
memories at both the biochemical level and structural level through
interference with the physical integrity of neural networks. The patterns of
impaired memory functions observed relate to changes in the structure and
function of the brain.”
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.
Memory problems and protein buildup in Alzheimer’s
The
brain scans showed that individuals with self-reported memory problems had
higher levels of tau tangles. This association was even stronger in people who
also had higher levels of amyloid.
In other words, people who experience memory
problems are more likely to have neurological signs of Alzheimer’s despite
being cognitively healthy.
MNT asked
lead study author Rebecca E. Amariglio, PhD what
surprised her most about the findings, she told us:
“Despite the fact that participants
were cognitively unimpaired and functioning normally in their day-to-day, their
study partners were still able to detect subtle changes in how they once were
compared to a year ago that related to Alzheimer’s biomarkers.”
“Our study included a high
percentage of people with elevated amyloid, and for this reason, we were able
to also see that memory complaints were associated with higher tau tangles,”
Amariglio explained in a press release.
“Our findings suggest that
asking older people who have elevated Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers about
subjective cognitive decline may be valuable for early detection,” she
continued. “This is particularly important since it is predicted that
treatments given at the earliest diagnosable form of the disease will be the
most effective in slowing the disease.”
Speaking with MNT,
Amariglio said that they plan to follow up this study with longitudinal data to
understand how this relationship works over time.
What are the
warning signs of Alzheimer’s?
MNT asked Porter about early Alzheimer’s signs to
look out for. She explained that people should seek out care and a memory
evaluation by a medical professional if they or a family member notices that
someone is:
- repetitively
asking the same question
- forgetting
a word, phrase, or idea when speaking
- inserting
the wrong word in conversation, for instance, saying “chair” instead of
“sofa”
- taking
longer to complete daily chores, tasks, or affairs, such as paying bills
or managing the mail
- frequently
misplacing objects 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
While a steady
cognitive decline is often part of normal aging, Alzheimer’s and other
dementias are not.
While we cannot influence
some risk factors, such as our genetics and advancing 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 one-third of dementia cases.” These
factors include:
Blotenberg said that other health conditions can also
increase the risk of developing dementia, such as “stroke, heart attack, high
blood pressure, and obesity.”
As these conditions are
more likely in people who are sedentary, smoke, and drink frequently,
addressing these factors can make a real difference to an individual’s dementia
risk.
Blotenberg added that hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia
because “stimulation is very important for our brain to maintain cognitive
function. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use a hearing aid if you or
those around you notice a decline in hearing ability.”
Finally, social isolation — something that is increasingly common in Western
societies — increases the risk of
dementia.
“For us as social beings,
social engagement is incredibly important and, not least, a vital form of
stimulation for our brain,” Blotenberg said.
MNT also
spoke with Geir Selbæk, a professor
in the Department of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Oslo in Norway.
Alongside the risk factors outlined above, he suggested people should “avoid
head injury and areas with high levels of air pollution.”
Selbæk, who was not
involved in the recent study, explained that stress may also be a risk factor.
So, finding ways to minimize or deal with daily stresses could be helpful.
“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, stay cognitively, socially, and physically
active, but be careful not to overextend yourself,” she concluded.