The Battle Against Alzheimer’s
Late-onset Alzheimer´s disease (LOAD) is the most widespread form of dementia. The differing factors that cause LOAD create for an extensively complex issue. This is because it is still not clear as to what is triggering this degenerative disease. Though we still haven’t quite gained an understanding for the cause of LOAD, scientists are diligently researching for a solution.
Recently, scientists from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative have searched multifactorial model of the way LOAD comes about. The study has been conducted among 561 patients and three different imaging methods have been used. The researched factors are vascular dysregulation, functional dysregulation, glucose metabolism impairment, protein A? deposition, and structural degeneration. Comparing the five factors, a significant predominance of vascular (58.66%) and functional (40.58%) dysregulation has been found as initial factors for triggering LOAD. The other factors observed have less than 1% of an impact. That said, the identification of the triggering events is not enough to understand the causes and the progression for this disorder. That’s why research about the relation between the factors is currently being conducted. It turns out that the most negative influence, amongst other factors (especially blood flow), is glucose metabolism. The results suggest that if one of the factors occurs, the dysfunctional glucose metabolism will become the most negative affecting trigger for triggering the disease. Structural degeneration is the second most influential factor, also with a notable impact on vascular flow (31.69%).
Scientists offer new hope and thanks to this research, we are better able to explain why one-targeted therapies for LOAD fail. In addition, this research can be used for improving results in other brain disorders therapies. Based on these research quantitative strategies for reversing LOAD, solutions for other brain disorders can be developed.
Sources: Science Direct Journal 2017 - Multifactorial causal model of brain (dis)organization and therapeutic intervention: Application to Alzheimer’s disease Yasser Iturria-Medina, Félix M. Carbonell, Roberto C. Sotero, Francois Chouinar, Decortea, Alan C. Evansa for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Ludmer Centre for NeuroInformatics and Mental Health, Montreal, Canada Biospective Inc., Montreal, Canada Department of Radiology and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Canada.