Another Milestone Reached for Dementia and the Likes

A new pathology clock has been mapped, providing new information about the onset of Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases.

“We create a pathology clock that tells not only what changes are happening in this cortical region, but when. The new knowledge […] may help scientists and drug developers around the world develop diagnostics and treatments targeted to specific stages of Alzheimer’s and other dementias,” says director of The BRAIN Initiative, John Ngai, Ph.D..

Researchers at universities in Washington State, United States, worked together to examine millions of brain tissue cells of Alzheimer’s patients, ranging from mild cases with no symptoms to advanced cases. For the first time, researchers discovered the loss of specific inhibitory neurons that were not previously linked to Alzheimer’s. This allows for a much better understanding of what is happening in the brain during the earliest phases of the disease, likely before a patient notices any cognitive decline. These slight brain changes occur in the brain 10, 15, or even 20 years before the onset of memory loss, which means understanding this “quiet” phase better could be a crucial step in delaying or preventing degenerative brain diseases. Looking ahead, the study sets a new timeline for how Alzheimer’s affects the brain and could eventually guide the development of new treatment options.