Can Alzheimer’s Disease Be Reversed?

By CK Wilde for 3GenFamily Blog

The statistics are grim. As many as 5 million Americans are living with some form of dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most common form — destroying more and more brain cells over time until the person loses memory and the ability to function.  It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.  Studies have shown that 10 percent of men and women in their 60′s  and 36 percent of folks in their 80′s may be affected.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s right now. But, one may not be far off.

Natural Protein Made by the Brain

Recently, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, demonstrated that a natural protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) can prevent and treat Alzheimer’s in a variety of animal models.

Here’s what the researchers reported:

“In each case, when compared with control groups not treated with BDNF, the treated animals demonstrated significant improvement in the performance of a variety of learning and memory tests. Notably, the brains of the treated animals also exhibited restored BDNF gene expression, enhanced cell size, improved cell signaling, and activation of function in neurons that would otherwise have degenerated, compared to untreated animals. These benefits extended to the degenerating hippocampus where short-term memory is processed, one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage in Alzheimer’s disease” said Dr. Mark Tuszynski, professor of neurosciences at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and neurologist at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Health System.

“ . . .  BDNF acts directly on dying cells in specific memory circuits of the brain,” Tuszynski said. “In this series of studies, we have shown that BDNF targets the cortical cells themselves, preventing their death, stimulating their function, and improving learning and memory. Thus, BDNF treatment can potentially provide long-lasting protection by slowing, or even stopping disease progression in the cortical regions that receive treatment.”

“The protective and restorative effects of BDNF occurred independently of the build-up of amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brain to form plaques in Alzheimer’s disease.  Many current experimental treatments for Alzheimer’s disease target amyloid production, so the potential role of BDNF as an alternative protective intervention is of great potential interest,” said Tuszynski.

What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease?

We don’t really know what causes  this disease. Doctors and researchers have observed the build up of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid  between nerve cells and tangles of another protein fragment called tau within the nerve cell in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. It is thought that these protein fragments may block nerve impulses and disrupt functioning.

But, these protein fragments seem to occur in many people as their brains age. Until now there was no explanation for why some people don’t get Alzheimer’s while others do. BDNF may explain this mystery.

BDNF is normally produced throughout life in a portion of the brain that supports memory.  It is a complex molecule that protects existing nerve cells  and stimulates the growth of new nerve cells. Scientists have noticed that its production decreases in the presence of Alzheimer’s disease.

And, it is not just a factor in the brain. BDNF is found throughout the body. It is expressed in the retina, the central nervous system, motor neurons, the kidneys, and the prostate. So, the more we know about BDNF, the more likely we are to find answers to other major diseases, too.

Exercise for Your Mind

The exciting news is  animal studies have shown that you can boost levels of BDNF in the body with aerobic exercise. As long as the animals exercised, they continued to show increased levels of  BDNF.

This certainly corresponds with what I observed with my Dad. His memory was sharper and his ability to solve problems was better when he got regular exercise. His mental abilities shrank as his body became more frail. Researchers have noted this, too.

Here are the findings from a study that was recently reported in Neurology Journal:

“People with early Alzheimer’s disease who were less physically fit had four times more brain shrinkage when compared to normal older adults than those who were more physically fit, suggesting less brain shrinkage related to the Alzheimer’s disease process in those with higher fitness levels,” said study author Jeffrey M. Burns, MD, of the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

“People with early Alzheimer’s disease may be able to preserve their brain function for a longer period of time by exercising regularly and potentially reducing the amount of brain volume lost. Evidence shows decreasing brain volume is tied to poorer cognitive performance, so preserving more brain volume may translate into better cognitive performance,” Burns said.

This exercise study does not directly measure BDNF in the participants. But it does show the importance of exercise for slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. So if your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, help them get daily exercise. And if you share in those workouts, you’ll reduce your stress and strengthen your own brain and nervous system, too.

Smart Pill

Medications currently available for Alzheimer’s don’t work for everyone. It is estimated that the most commonly used drugs work for less than half of the people tested. And, for those who can successfully use these drugs, results are often very modest and, unfortunately, temporary.

So the search is on for better medications that can have more theraputic and longer-lasting effects. Researchers have found a new category of agents called ampakines.  Ampakines are a new class of compounds known to enhance attention span and alertness, and facilitate learning and memory.

Studies have shown that ampakines can increase BDNF in the brain. Professor Gary Lynch at the University of California, Irvine is currently conducting human clinical trials to determine if a particular type of ampakine, CX717, will reverse impairments in people with Alzheimer’s Disease.

If the results of this study are positive, we may see the beginning of more effective treatments that don’t just slow down the disease but actually reverse it.

That’s exciting!

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© 2009 CK Wilde. All Rights Reserved. Please feel free to link to this post but you must have prior written permission (please use the comments) to reproduce this post either whole or in part.