Alzheimer's disease is a known dementia that creeps into its victims at middle to old age wherein their brain memory would fail them and they'd slowly forget the life that they had. Here are a recent study's findings that would surprise you: the gene that develops into the disease may show effects as early as childhood.
According to U.S. News and World Report, a new study published in the Neurology journal linked a variant of the gene APOE to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and effects start to show during childhood. When the gene variant called e4 exists in a person's brain, it means he/she has a higher-than-average risk of acquiring the memory-stealing disease. The effects of this gene may show in the person on his/her childhood.
The study's researchers led by neurologist, Dr. Linda Chang, used MRI brain scans of 1,200 children to see their brain's components. They found out that those children who had e4 gene variants developed more slowly in particular brain areas. These children also performed badly on memory tests and thinking skills.
An e4 variant is a rare APOE gene, only about 14 percent of the population has it. One copy of the gene variant would increase risks of Alzheimer's while two copies mean even higher risks (via U.S. News And World Report).
The research team acknowledged that the study would not have any practical use but it helps reinstate that Alzheimer's disease is developmental. It demands questions such as "When does Alzheimer's disease start to develop?"
According to Mayo Clinic, an Alzheimer's disease patient becomes aware of the dementia by noticing unusual difficulty in remembering things and organizing thoughts. People suffering from Alzheimer's repeat statements and questions without knowing they've asked it already, forget conversations without remembering them at all in the future, misplace possessions in illogical areas, get lost in familiar places like home.
As per another Mayo Clinic article, medication can help for some time in terms of the patient's memory. Cholinesterase inhibitors provide neurotransmitters to the brain that an Alzheimer's disease patient lacks of; and memantine slows the development of the disease. Regular exercise, high-calorie diet, and a supportive environment also helps Alzheimer's disease patients.
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