Scientists have identified two types of brain cell linked to a reduced risk of dementia in older people — even those who have brain abnormalities that are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease1.
The finding could eventually lead to new ways to protect these cells before they die. The results were published in Cell on 28 September.
Plaques in the brain.
The most widely held theory about Alzheimer’s attributes the disease to a build-up of sticky amyloid proteins in the brain. This leads to clump-like ‘plaques’ of amyloid that slowly kill neurons and eventually destroy memory and cognitive ability. But not everyone who develops cognitive impairment late in life has amyloid clumps in their brain, and… More.
People with an abundance of specific neurons are more likely to escape cognitive decline despite having signs of Alzheimer’s in their brains.
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