Amyloid plaque: depositphotos.com

In November, I will turn 84. According to statistics, between 78 and 84, some 13% (one in about 7.5 persons) already suffer from dementia, and between 84 and 89, that stat rises to one in five. For us seniors, dementia is perhaps the most feared negative health problem. As a result, I follow closely the progress of science in finding the causes of and cures for Alzheimer’s.

So far, results have been worse than disappointing. Dementia is characterized by buildup of plaque – a protein called amyloid-beta, or a-beta – that gums up the brain and messes up the trillions of synapses (connections) among our 86 billion neurons. Those connections give us memory, reason, logic and language. When they are messed up, it is like opening a laptop and ripping out the chips.

Today’s Science Daily cites a new study that offers hope. Here is the summary:

“Scientists [at University of California – Riverside] may have uncovered a hidden trigger behind Alzheimer’s disease. Instead of plaques being the root cause, amyloid beta appears to interfere with tau, a protein that helps keep neurons functioning properly.........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)