A study of the brains of people who have mental faculties intact from the 80 years brings into question previous research. The findings, made public in the 23 th national meeting of the Chemical Society American show changes linked to the decline of Alzheimer's brain and not a normal and inevitable part of aging.
A presentation of the 23 th national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS, for its acronym in English), the research team led by Changiz Geula, a scientist at Northwestern University in Chicago (USA) described the existence of elderly people with a very sharp memory and aging sunset, because they do not suffer from the so-called "knots" in the brain.
The nodes consist of an abnormal form of a protein called "tau" that damages and eventually kills the nerve cells. The knots, which are named by their twisted and gnarled appearance under the microscope, increase with age and peak concentration in people with Alzheimer's disease.
"This discovery is the pioneer and its implications are enormous. We have always assumed that the accumulation of knots is a progressive phenomenon that occurs during the normal aging process, "said Geula. "But now we have evidence that some people are immune to the formation of knots."
Healthy people develop a moderate amount of nodes, whereas in people with Alzheimer's found the highest concentrations. The evidence supports the presence of nodes that can influence cognitive performance, so that people with fewer nodes have higher yields, and people with a greater number appear to be normal for his age.
The findings are based on the study of nine brains of more than 80 years with exceptional aging that results obtained on memory tasks specific to those 50 years. Brains
immune to the deterioration
Scientists found that people with outstanding aging seem to be inserted into two categories: those that are almost immune to the formation of knots and with few knots. "Knots and other deposits called plaque build up more in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease," says the researcher.
According to experts, "a group of people with outstanding aging seems to prevent the formation of knots. Your brain is virtually clean, which does not happen in people with normal aging. The other group seems to have knots in an amount equal to or less than the normal elderly, but for some reason seems to be protected from its effects. "
The next step, in the words of Geula, is to determine the reason for this immunity. The environment, lifestyle and genetics may be key factors. For example, people with exceptional aging may have a genetic predisposition for it, while others may retain their mental function through a healthy diet or to continue being physically or mentally active.
"The chemistry, ultimately, is one of the keys to understanding what causes them to form the knots. If we understand the anatomical, pathological and molecular studies of the brain with higher yields, we could protect normal brains against memory loss associated with age, "concludes Geula.
Source: SINC
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