A new study from the University of Cambridge has examined the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on the human brain. Researchers compared the MRI scans of more than 300 people between the ages of 20 and 89, divided into three groups: those with Alzheimer’s disease, those who were showing early signs of the disease, and a group of people without the disease.
The results of the study, published in the open access journal PLOS ONE, revealed changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers found that the disease seems to affect different regions of the brain in different ways, with the most prominent changes occurring in the areas associated with memory and cognition.
Alzheimer’s Disease: A Common Cause Of Dementia
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, which is an umbrella term used to describe various brain disorders that affect people’s ability to think and behave normally. More than 570,000 people in the UK are currently living with dementia, and there are more than 500,000 cases reported in the United States each year.
It is a highly impactful disease, and as a person ages, the risk of developing it increases sharply. Those who are genetically predisposed to the disease are four times more likely to show symptoms of dementia than those without the gene. Alzheimer’s is also the most common cause of serious mental decline in older people, and early symptoms include memory loss and poor judgement. As the disease progresses, it can lead to aggression, depression, and mood swings. If not treated, it can even cause death.
What Is MRI Imaging?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique that creates a detailed picture of the inside of the body using magnetic fields and radio waves. It is a commonly used tool in clinical diagnosis and is considered to be the gold standard for imaging organs and structures such as the brain and spinal cord.
The MRI scan shows the structure of the brain and its different parts, as well as any abnormalities or injuries that may have occurred. It is a non-invasive test that does not involve using any radiated material and produces less severe imaging artifacts than other types of scans such as computed tomography (CT) scans or positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
How Is MRI Different From Other Imaging Techniques?
There are several important differences between MRI and other imaging techniques. One major disadvantage of conventional X-ray imaging is that it does not provide any details about the structure of the brain, while MRI does. Additionally, due to its relative invasiveness, MRI is inappropriate for use in patients who have already undergone surgery, as it may disturb the alignment of surgically placed implants or cause scar tissue to move around and interfere with subsequent imaging studies.
PET scans are another commonly used form of brain imaging, which shows the brain’s functional activity. They are similar to MRI scans, as they both provide structural data about the brain, but they also involve the use of radioactive material and are therefore more invasive than ordinary MRI scans. Finally, like traditional X-rays, PET scans only show the structure of the brain and cannot detect abnormalities or diseases that affect the brain’s function. That is where the importance of the MRI scan comes in, as it can give a complete picture of both the brain’s structure and its functional activity, providing a valuable insight into the patient’s mental state.
What Regions Of The Brain Are Affected In Alzheimer’s Disease?
The researchers behind the new study from Cambridge focused on comparing the volumes of certain areas of the brain across multiple groups. Doing this allowed the scientists to see which regions of the brain were specifically affected by the disease and how it progressed over time. Volumes of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex were significantly reduced in people with Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who did not have the disease, and this reduction was shown to be directly linked to the patient’s degree of dementia. The researchers also looked at the temporal lobes, the amygdala, and the striatum, which are all structures within the brain that are associated with processing emotions and memories. These results, along with those from previous studies, suggest that Alzheimer’s may affect a number of structures and pathways within the brain, resulting in a broad array of symptoms and behaviours that are characteristic of the disease.
Are There Certain Groups Of People That Are More At Risk Of Developing Alzheimer’s?
Those who are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s are more likely to show early symptoms of dementia, and it is a condition that commonly affects people aged 70 and over. Like many other diseases, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s increases sharply as you get older, with those aged 85 and over being 28 times more likely to show signs of the disease than people aged 65-74. Additionally, gender plays a role in Alzheimer’s risk, with men being more likely to contract the disease than women. Alzheimer’s affects around 1.8 million men and 1.5 million women in the UK alone, and around 5 million men and 3.5 million women in the United States.
Where Do The Brains Of People With Alzheimer’s Disease Actually End Up?
Alzheimer’s disease is a hugely debilitating condition, with sufferers experiencing changes in mood, behaviour, and cognition along with memory loss and confusion. It is a progressive disease and the damage done by the disease is far-reaching, with patients often being unable to complete basic tasks independently. The brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease end up in a shrunken state, with less brain matter than normal surrounding the areas of the brain that are still functioning. The disease gradually destroys all of the brain’s nerve cells, leading to its eventual demise. While there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s, sufferers can take an array of medications, which help to relieve their symptoms and improve their quality of life. However, there are cases where the medications backfire, leading to more severe side effects. Alternative treatment options include surgeries to remove amyloid plaques, which are believed to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, or tau tangles, which are protein deposits that act as a kind of electrical insulation around nerve cells and may contribute to dementia. While these are promising research findings, more work is needed to identify the causes of Alzheimer’s and to develop effective treatments.