Barcelona (Spain), Feb 3 (EFE) .- A study by Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Spanish Research Center of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, has identified that the accumulation of beta amyloid protein can, by itself, cause brain damage in early stages of Alzheimer’s.
The BBRC study, published in the Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, provides new keys on how this disease develops.
The results of the study, sponsored by the “La Caixa” Foundation, have been possible thanks to the participation of 360 medium age volunteers without cognitive deterioration of the alpha cohort (group of individuals who share a common feature).
The finding opens the door to preventive approaches and earlier treatments, which could slow down the advance of Alzheimer’s disease.
Until now it was believed that neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s, especially the one that affects the medial temporal lobe of the brain -an essential region for the function of memory -occurred only when two key proteins were present: the beta amyloid and tau.
However, this new work suggests that the accumulation of amyloid beta can, by itself, trigger brain damage and memory loss in the early stages, even without the presence of high levels of Tau.
To reach this conclusion, the BBRC researchers team, led by Dr. Raffaele Cacciaglia, has worked with two independent cohorts of people without cognitive deterioration, to analyze data through high -resolution magnetic resonances and disease markers.
The results show that the accumulation of beta amyloid can be an indicator of structural changes in the brain and a possible deterioration of memory before the appearance of evident symptoms.
According to Dr. Raffaele Caccialia, BBRC researcher and leader of the study, “in recent years the first medications have been approved to reduce the accumulation of beta amyloid in the brain of people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.”
The research, added Cacciaglia, suggests that “intervening in early stages, before symptoms appear, could slow down the progression of the disease.”
“The amyloid beta,” she specified, “seems to directly affect the hippocampus, a key region for memory, so acting in advance could significantly reduce the risks associated with Alzheimer’s.”
The study has analyzed samples of cerebrospinal fluid of 360 voluntary people of the Alpha cohort promoted by the “La Caixa” Foundation, and has used latest generation technologies to capture detailed images of the hippocampus and other brain structures through advanced magnetic resonance techniques.
In addition, the data of the Alpha participants have collated with the EPAD validation cohort, without symptoms of Alzheimer’s or presence of Tau protein.
The discovery, according to which beta amyloid protein alone can cause initial atrophy in critical brain regions, underlines the importance of early detection and prevention.
It also reinforces the need for clinical trials aimed at people with risk profiles, before Alzheimer starts to demonstrate. EFE
