The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that approximately 5.3 million Americans are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, one in three seniors will die from Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. Such staggering statistics may seem dismal, but there is hope on the horizon with recent research findings.
Researchers from the University of Southampton in England have been working with a chemical that reduces neuroinflammation in the brain. This chemical may help protect against the memory and behavioral changes associated with Alzheimer’s. Scientists have linked brain inflammation to Alzheimer’s disease suggesting there is chronic brain inflammation in Alzheimer’s sufferers.
How Brain Inflammation Plays a Part in Alzheimer’s
Researchers theorize that an overactive immune system causes chronic inflammation in the brain. Researchers suspect that the inflammation is a catalyst for the disease rather than the other way around. Scientists have linked brain inflammation to Alzheimer’s in several clinical studies. They have looked at the tissue of a healthy brain versus one afflicted by Alzheimer’s and found interesting results. The brains that suffered from Alzheimer’s showed high levels of immune cells (microglia). Furthermore, the concentration of these cells were greater as the disease increased in severity.
This suggests that there is chronic brain inflammation in Alzheimer’s sufferers. The molecules that regulate the number of immune cells clearly became more active as the severity of Alzheimer’s in the brains increased clustering around the amyloid plaques in the brain associated with the disease. The inflammation is believed to not be a result of the Alzheimer’s disease but a key driver of the disease, states a report done by the Huffington Post.
Drug Research on Brain Inflammation
The National Health Service (NHS) reports that mice suffering from symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s experienced improvement when given a drug with the chemical GW2580, which blocked the production of the microglial immune cells that caused brain inflammation. However, it did not diminish the prevalence of amyloid plaques. Research in the mice showed an improvement in the cognitive and behavioral symptoms relating to Alzheimer’s when fed GW2580 thereby inhibiting immune cell production and reducing the inflammation within the brain.
Controlling Brain Inflammation
Currently, researchers are very hopeful that controlling inflammation in the brain of Alzheimer’s sufferers, through the use of medication, diet and lifestyle changes, has the potential to significantly reduce memory loss caused by the disease, along with a variety of other Alzheimer’s symptoms.
David York Agency Can Help
At David York Agency, we understand the fears and challenges that Alzheimer’s disease can bring, not just for the person diagnosed, but for everyone in their life. We hope to provide families with the support and care they need during this particularly difficult time.
For more information about David York Agency’s qualified, compassionate caregivers, contact us at 718.376.7755. Call us for a free phone consultation to help you decide what services might be best to provide you and your loved one. We can give them the assistance they need. If you’d like to hear more from us, please like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or LinkedIn.
