Gene for Alzheimer's Risk May Affect Brain Early
Gene for Alzheimer's Risk May Affect Brain Early
May 18, 2011 -- Young adults who carry a so-called Alzheimer's risk gene show disruption in their brains as early as their 20s, according to new research.
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles used a special MRI scan that maps brain connections to examine 398 healthy young adults. Some carried the variant of the gene linked with Alzheimer's risk and some did not.
"The people who carry this gene have severely impaired wiring in most of their brain, even when they are young," says researcher Paul M. Thompson, PhD, professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine.
Even so, they don't notice symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as memory loss at this time, he tells WebMD. Following a healthy lifestyle early can offset the genetic risk, he says.
The study is published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Slideshow: When a Loved One Has Alzheimer's
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles used a special MRI scan that maps brain connections to examine 398 healthy young adults. Some carried the variant of the gene linked with Alzheimer's risk and some did not.
"The people who carry this gene have severely impaired wiring in most of their brain, even when they are young," says researcher Paul M. Thompson, PhD, professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine.
Even so, they don't notice symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as memory loss at this time, he tells WebMD. Following a healthy lifestyle early can offset the genetic risk, he says.
The study is published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Slideshow: When a Loved One Has Alzheimer's
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