A new study suggests that some of the
brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease may be detected as early as
childhood. The research, published in
the journal of Neurology, studied 1,187 children and young adults ages 3 to
20. All of the subjects were tested to
see if they carried the APOE-E4 gene that is believed to increase one’s risk
for Alzheimer’s.
In the case of the children carrying
the AOPE-E4 gene, scientists discovered they tended to have a smaller
hippocampus, the part of the brain critical for memory and the first area
damaged by Alzheimer’s disease. In
addition other changes were found in the children’s brain typical of
Alzheimer’s such as the youngest participants with the gene performed the worst
on tests involving thinking, memory and attention. However by the time the children were 8 to 10
years old, the deficits were no longer noticeable.
The lead author of the study and the
director of neuroscience at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Dr. Linda
Chang, states that, “Studying these genes in young children may ultimately give
us early indications of who may be at risk for dementia in the future, and
possibly even help us develop ways to prevent the disease from occurring or to
delay the start of the disease.”
If the results of the study are true
and Alzheimer’s is a developmental disorder that starts early in life, it
raises the possibility that people with the gene could be treated as young
children with noninvasive approaches such as diet and cognitive training. In addition researchers also stress that it
is imperative we learn and understand the underlying cause of the disease as it
is most effectively treated in the early stages.
MorningStar at Arrowhead represents
the best in senior living with a unique mission statement “to honor, to value,
to invest.” We have built our foundation
on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to
serve to create a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. To
experience firsthand the finest senior living in the Phoenix area, contact us
to schedule a tour.
Source:alzinfo.org/articles/diagnosis/alzheimers-brain-changes-may-start-early-in-life/
No comments:
Post a Comment