- 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.
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?”
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…
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