If there is one consistent thing in the race to unravel the mystery of Alzheimer’s, it is changing. It seems as if whenever researchers begin to get an understanding of a single piece, new data shifts their hypotheses in a new direction. That’s most certainly the case with the excellent new knowledge in the progression of Alzheimer’s.
For the first time, researchers from the University of Cambridge have been able to study human data instead of animal models. Furthermore, their research aims at the origin of the disease in multiple areas of the brain, rather than a single location that starts a chain reaction, as formerly surmised from research studies of the brains of mice.
Dr. Georg Meisl of Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry explains, “The thinking had been that Alzheimer’s develops similarly to many cancers: the aggregates form in one region and then spread through the brain. But instead, we found that when Alzheimer’s starts, there are already aggregates in multiple regions of the brain, and so trying to stop the spread between regions will do little to slow the disease.”
Because of this, the progression of Alzheimer’s is more dependent upon how rapidly cells are destroyed in these various regions. This new information will undoubtedly be incredibly advantageous in advancing treatment plans that target the processes that occur at the outset of Alzheimer’s. Additional good news: replicating the tau and amyloid-beta proteins responsible for the disease occurs very gradually, and our neurons are already evolving to stop the aggregation of these proteins. Hopefully, biology and science can soon work together to aid the millions of people impacted by Alzheimer’s.
The next step will be for researchers to further explore the processes involved in the first stages of the disease while expanding research to other medical conditions, including progressive supranuclear palsy and traumatic brain injury. The information they discover could even help provide clues to more effective treatments for other common neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease.
If an aging adult you love is battling Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, reach out to our dementia care team for helpful information and assistance with compassionate, skilled, hands-on care support. Our creative, warm and patient methods help to relieve the stress of challenging behaviors, including:
Wandering
Sundowning
Agitation
Aggression
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Disorientation
Confusion
And many more
Give us a call at 215.995.2012 or contact us online to hear more about our home care services in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties and discuss solutions to help you with the particular care needs of an older adult you love. You’re never alone with Modern Health Home Care highly trained professionals on your side!
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