The human brain can cope with the manifestations of Alzheimer's disease on its own
Last reviewed: 28.11.2021
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The human brain has the ability to independently trigger a mechanism that compensates for early changes triggered by Alzheimer's disease. To this conclusion came the specialists from the University of California. As it turned out, the brain can use auxiliary sources to preserve the mental function. However, such a mechanism can not be run by everyone.
A group of researchers examined 71 people who had no signs of mental dementia. When scanning the brain, it was found that 16 subjects have amyloid deposits in the brain, which are the first signals of Alzheimer's disease. In the course of the experiment, specialists asked the volunteers to carefully memorize a few pictures, at the same time scientists scanned their brain.
When people were asked to recall the pictures they showed, almost all showed a pretty good result. But people with amyloid deposits had higher cerebral activity, i.e. To remember a series of pictures their brain has spent more resources, which is an adaptation mechanism.
Currently, scientists can not yet explain whether the brain can maintain capacity, compensating for damage caused by the disease. Also, the specialists plan to find out why in some patients with amyloid deposits certain regions of the brain are more active. Experts do not exclude that, in general, the mechanism of damage compensation is more effective in people who have been engaged in mental work throughout their lives and actively trained the brain.
Development of senile dementia is afraid of more than half of people over 50 years old (only one in 10 fears cancerous tumors). The company Saga conducted a survey, which was attended by five hundred British elderly people. In the process of questioning the participants told what disease they are most afraid of. Almost 70% of participants feared the development of senile dementia, and about 10% scared cancerous tumors. Among other diseases, which were less frightening for the survey participants, were heart disease (about 4%), diabetes mellitus (about 1%).
Senile dementia is characterized by persistent decline in cognitive function, loss of previously acquired knowledge, skills, difficulty in mastering new information. Among the common symptoms of senile dementia are memory loss, difficulty with thinking, speech, etc.
The fact that elderly people are afraid of senile dementia is understandable, since this is the most common diagnosis at this age. In the UK, more than 800,000 people suffer from senile dementia.
Studies in this area continue and specialists do not give up hope of finding a new effective way to combat this terrible disease or significantly improve the quality of life of patients.
In a charitable society to help people with Alzheimer's disease noted that the fear of senile dementia may be due to the loss of their own personality. But many people make the diagnosis too late, because at the first signs a person is afraid to go to the doctor.