NEW YORK: New research has revealed an interesting link in Alzheimer’s disease.
The disease causes proteins to build up in the brain forming structures called ‘plaques’ and ‘tangles’.
Over time this can lead to the loss of the connections between nerve cells and eventually the loss of brain tissue.
In a study, neurologist Beth Stevens – who works primarily at the Boston Children’s Hospital – believes the loss of synapses in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers may be happening a lot sooner than scientists previously thought.
It was previously believed the synapse loss was a secondary effect of the protein pathology.
However, Stevens has this week published her research which would have us believe synapse loss occurs much earlier.
The process to which she is referring is called ‘synapse elimination’, and this is where – usually in new-born children ending at the time of sexual maturity – the human brain goes through a process of removing unnecessary neuronal structures from the brain.
This is because, as the human brain develops, the need to understand complex structures becomes much more pertinent – thus the simple structures are thought to be replaced and important connections to become stronger.
Stevens’ research on mice points to the developmental process gone awry – causing some immune cells to feast on the connections between neurons.
She believes microglia – a type of glial cell – are eating away at synapses early on in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease….