JCI insight: Early link between key proteins and Alzheimer's disease

In a recent study, scientists at the ULiège Swing Accelerator Research Center (CRC In vivo Imaging/GIGA) studied whether the first deposits of tau and β-amyloid proteins in the brains of healthy individuals between the ages of 50 and 70 were associated with higher levels of cortex excitability.
this, the authors combined different neuroimaging methods (magnetic resonance imaging, electron emission fault scanning) to express the number of tau and β-amyloid proteins in their first aggregation area.
, head of the laboratory, explains.
, the researchers used transcranial magnetic stimulation in combination with electro-encephalogram technology to measure the excitability of participants' cortical corticals in a non-invasive manner.
the results of this study showed that an increase in the number of brain-dry tau proteins, the main aggregation sites, was particularly associated with elevated cortical excitability levels, while the researchers did not observe a significant relationship between the β-amyloid protein content in the upper cortical layer.
these results suggest an early link between proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease, first observed in humans, and their effects on brain function.
authors believe that measuring excessive cortivity may be a useful marker for providing information about the progression of certain brain pathological processes associated with Alzheimer's disease, thus helping to detect early cognitive symptoms in the first place in the most vulnerable people.
source: First observation of the association between proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease Source: Maxime Van Egroo et al, Early Brainstem (18F) THK5351 uptake is linked to cortical hyperexcitability in healthyaging, slt; font-style: italic; "> JCI Insight (2020). DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.142514