The international team under the guidance of researchers of the Cambridge University first traced over the course of Alzheimer’s disease. They found that the neurodegenerative violation in the very initial stage of development affects at the same time several areas of the brain, and does not begin at one point, which is the reason for the rapid progression of dementia. This is reported in an article published in the journal Science Advances.
Researchers analyzed the posthumous samples of the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the results of PET scanning of living patients, which ranged from people with light cognitive impairment to patients with full-scale Alzheimer’s disease. In Alzheimer’s disease, Tau and beta-amyloid proteins form plaques and aggregates that provoke the death of brain cells. This leads to a loss of memory, changes in personality and difficulties in performing everyday actions.
researchers found that the main mechanism controlling the rate of progression of Alzheimer’s disease is the appearance of aggregates in certain areas of the brain, and not the distribution of units from one area to another. According to scientists, the results of the study can be useful for the development of methods of treating Alzheimer’s disease, from which about 44 million people suffer all over the world.