By Julie Bierach, KWMU
SAINT LOUIS, MO – Scientists in St. Louis and Milan, Italy, hoping to learn more about the link between brain injury and a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, have found changes in a protein that is believed to play a key role in the development of the disease.
Amyloid beta is a small protein that scientists say is a critical player in the development of Alzheimer's.
Co-author Dr. David Brody at Washington University says they were hoping to better understand the link between brain injury and Alzheimer's.
"It's been known for many years that moderate to severe traumatic brain injury increases the long-term risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and we're interested in understanding why that is and what we can do to prevent it from happening, or at least reduce the chances of it happening," said Brody, assistant professor of neurology at Washington University.
Through a technique called microdialysis, 18 patients had catheters placed in their brain to measure the protein.
"These were very sick patients, critically ill in the intensive care unit," said Brody. "And as they recovered, as their neurological status improved, amyloid beta levels rose. And when they, as sometimes happened, declined in their neurological status, got worse, their amyloid beta levels fell."
The results provide scientists important clues about the general origins of Alzheimer's.
Brody acknowledged that the study did not directly benefit the patients, but because the families of patients consented to participation, scientists had an important opportunity to learn about the protein and the connections between brain injury and Alzheimer's disease.
"Our ultimate goal is to develop new therapeutics that will improve outcomes following traumatic brain injury and reduce the long-term risk of the subsequent development of Alzheimer's disease," said Brody.
It's estimated that as many as 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. Today, it is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.
The results of the study are published in this week's Science.