- New research undertaken by scientists from Scripps Research and the University of Bologna reveals that combining genetic susceptibility with alcohol use disorder (AUD) may accelerate the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease.
- The research, conducted in mice, demonstrates that repeated episodes of alcohol intoxication in rodents with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s lead to altered gene expression patterns, indicating a faster progression of the disease in their brains.
- These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying memory loss and may have broader implications for understanding and treating Alzheimer’s disease, regardless of alcohol consumption.
A new study, published in eNeuro reveals that mice exposed to regular high levels of alcohol exhibited cognitive decline approximately two months earlier than their typical progression when not exposed to alcohol.
Introducing ethanol to a genetic background prone to Alzheimer’s disease accelerates the onset of the condition by several months or even a few years.
While limited research has investigated the impact of alcohol on worsening Alzheimer’s disease, epidemiological studies have suggested that alcohol use disorder may increase the overall risk of developing dementia.
In order to investigate the impact of alcohol on Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers conducted an experiment where mice were exposed to repeated alcohol consumption over several months, reflecting the levels of alcohol exposure seen in individuals with alcohol use disorder.
They compared the behavior of control mice with mice that possessed three specific gene mutations associated with susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease.
The results of the study revealed that the mice exposed to alcohol displayed a gradual decline in their ability to learn and remember spatial patterns, and they exhibited these cognitive impairments at an earlier age compared to the control group.
The researchers observed cognitive impairments in the mice…
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