Alzheimer's disease affects the brain of twins in the same way

Alzheimer's disease is in fact not a disease with clearly described symptoms, but a complex of various symptoms and pathological changes. The changes occurring in the brain tissue can vary significantly from patient to patient, and the factor leading to the development of the disease in one person may be safe for another.

Researchers at the University of Southern California, working under the guidance of Professor Margaret Gatz, posthumously compared the state of the brain of twins suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The results obtained by them indicate that at the time of death they not only had the same pronounced progression of the disease, but also developed similar combinations of pathological changes in two or more unrelated regions of the brain.

This study was conducted by the authors as part of a long-term collaboration with the Swedish Gemini Registry dedicated to the study of the mechanisms of aging and cognition. They were given a rare opportunity to perform an autopsy of the brain of seven pairs of identical and fraternal twins who had been undergoing examinations and receiving diagnostic reports for many years. Among them was a pair of identical twins diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease who died within one year at the age of 98.

During the tissue analysis, the authors paid attention not only to the manifestations of Alzheimer's disease, but also to signs of other brain damage. In relation to the entire spectrum of neuropathological changes, the most pronounced similarity was revealed when studying the brains of identical twins.

According to the authors, the results of exposure to risk factors may accumulate, but do not lead to a clinical manifestation of pathology. The observations made indicate that Alzheimer's disease does not exclude the presence of other injuries. The study of such comorbidities in pairs of twins can reveal previously unknown risk factors for the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

Article by Iacono D. et al. Neuropathological assessment of dementia markers in identical and fraternal twins is published in the journal Brain Pathology.

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Futurity: After death, twins' brains reveal similar damage.

28.02.2014