The very early Alzheimer’s symptoms do not include memory loss, but something else. Check the very first sign and act quickly!
Memory loss and cognitive impairment are the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. But a new study has found that decreases in brain glucose levels come earlier. This is one of the very early Alzheimer’s symptoms. The same team also believes they have discovered a way to stop these levels from falling. A finding like that could prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s and glucose levels
Although physicians have long known the association between the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and the declining glucose levels in the brain, for the first time in history, now a study has shown that these levels of glucose are a direct trigger for cognitive impairments associated with the disease. This is actually the first of the very early Alzheimer’s symptoms. According to a recent statement on the study, this may explain why diabetes, a condition in which glucose cannot enter cells, is a risk factor for dementia. Additionally, a protein known as P38 may be able to prevent this deprivation from occurring.
The lead researcher claims that at present there is a lot of evidence to suggest that P38 protein is association with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
For the study, the researchers deprived the mice of the glucose in order to observe the result. As might be expected, these mice showed signs of deterioration suggesting that the neural pathways in their brains had been broken. What’s more, the mice lacking glucose were be significantly worse at labyrinth memory tests. These mice also showed high levels of phosphorylated tau and dramatically increased the amount of cell death in the brain. These are two other indications of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study also identified P38 as a potential candidate for the development of a drug. This drug could prevent the onset of cognitive impairment caused by low glucose levels. According to research, this protein naturally appears in the body as a response to glucose deprivation. Future research will further investigate the role of P38 in memory impairment.
Preventing the very early Alzheimer’s symptoms
Preventing Alzheimer’s disease is an important goal for scientists around the world. Only this year there have been several strides in this effort. For example, in July 2016 a team from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, collaborated with a research team from the Institute of Molecular Medicine, and the University of California. They showed their efforts in creating a drug that could prevent the accumulation of this protein in the brain, the main hallmark of the disease. According to the research, these findings could lead to an Alzheimer’s vaccine in as little as five years.
In the same vein, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are hoping to create a pill. The pill, when taken may prevent the buildup of toxic molecules in the brain over time.
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