Rare Type Of Dementia Linked To Protein Build-up In The Left Side Of Brain

A rare form of dementia that leads to the loss of language skills is linked with the left part of the brain, shows a study.

In an experiment by a team headed by Emily Rogalski at the Northwestern University, 32 patients diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) were examined and studied for the amyloid buildup in their brains through Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging. The toxic protein is linked with Alzheimer's disease.

 The experts found that 19 participants showed dense accumulations of amyloid that seemed to indicate that they would develop Alzheimer's. They were compared with 22 others diagnosed with the illness.

Those who had PPA seemed to show more amyloid build up on the left side of their brains, which is linked with language, contrasted to the right. Hence, the imaging showed that researchers could track the development of PPA as well as different forms of dementia by comparing the amyloid build-up.

"By understanding where these proteins accumulate first and over time, we can better understand the course of the disease and where to target treatment," said Rogalski, a research associate professor at Northwestern's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center (CNADC).

Adam Martersteck, a graduate student in Northwestern's neuroscience program, pointed out that the use of Amyloid PET Imaging "is very exciting for Alzheimer's research." This is the first study to use this imaging technique to study the disease.

"Not only can we tell if a person is likely or unlikely to have Alzheimer's disease causing their PPA, but we can see where it is in the brain," Martersteck said. "By understanding what the brain looks like in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's, we hope to be able to diagnose people earlier and with better accuracy."

The study's findings were published in the journal Annals of Neurology.