Subtle patterns of brain activity may reveal the risk of Alzheimer's disease years before memory problems develop or harmful proteins begin accumulating in the brain, according to new research led by Stanford Medicine. The same approach can also identify people whose brains show exceptional resistance to cognitive decline, suggesting they may eventually become "super agers."
The study, published November 4 in Science Advances, points to a potentially powerful new way to detect early warning signs of cognitive decline. Unlike conventional biomarkers, these patterns of brain activity might eventually be possible to change through targeted interventions.
To investigate, the research team examined brain activity in adults aged 75 and older who represented opposite ends of the cognitive aging spectrum. One group had Alzheimer's disease, while the other consisted of super agers, older individuals whose memories remained comparable to those of people decades younger. Using the differences between these groups, the scientists created a scoring system to evaluate brain activity in cognitively healthy adults between 55 and 70.
The results revealed a striking connection between brain activity and future cognitive health. People whose brain patterns more closely resembled those of Alzheimer's patients were more likely to experience cognitive decline, accumulate amyloid-beta plaques, and receive an Alzheimer's diagnosis during follow-up periods extending up to 12 years. Those with activity patterns resembling super agers were more likely to maintain their cognitive abilities and avoid these outcomes.
Source: ScienceDaily - Neuroscience — Read the full article on the original site ↗