Alzheimer’s strips its sufferers of their memories and their independence; it robs families of precious time with loved ones who still know them. The disease has no cure. Unsurprisingly, many of us are keen on learning how we can prevent it.
Some brains have already figured that out. According to a new study from researchers in the Netherlands, certain brains are combatting Alzheimer’s by harnessing the protective power of their young cells, helping them survive damage from the disease.
Curiously, the brains of these individuals have all the biological hallmarks associated with Alzheimer’s, but no dementia. They demonstrate something researchers call “cognitive resilience.”
In the study, researchers looked at tissue from a brain bank, analyzing data from samples of brains with Alzheimer’s and without, as well as tissue from brains that showed physical signs of the disease but no dementia. The team focused on an area within the brain’s memory center, where “immature” neurons can still spawn.
Those whose brains demonstrated cognitive resilience — that is, possessed the pathology of Alzheimer’s but no dementia — did not have significantly higher numbers of immature neurons than those with the disease. This, researchers say, could mean that it’s more about how the cells act, rather than how many there are. The immature cells seem to trigger “programs” that help them last through damage, incurring less inflammation and preventing cell death. They might support surrounding tissue and help the brain continue functioning, too.
Further research avenues will look at how these immature neurons talk to other brain cells. For now, it’s heartening to know that some of our brains might know just what to do … even if the rest of us don’t yet.