Breaking News in Dementia Research: New Study Reveals Why Behavior Changes

University of Michigan Researchers Discover Tau Protein’s Role in Disrupting Brain Network

A groundbreaking study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association sheds light on the mysterious link between dementia and behavioral changes. Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified the buildup of tau protein in the brain as a key culprit in disrupting the salience network, leading to altered behavior in early-stage dementia patients.

The Salience Network: A Crucial Brain Highway

The salience network connects various brain regions, enabling us to respond to external stimuli and internal thoughts. This complex system plays a vital role in processing emotions, decision-making, and understanding our surroundings.

Tau Protein: A Key Player in Dementia-Related Behavior Changes

Using advanced medical imaging, researchers studied 128 individuals in the early stages of dementia. They found a strong association between tau buildup, salience network disruption, and behavioral changes. The more tau disrupted the salience network, the more severe the behavioral symptoms.

Implications for Treatment and Intervention

This breakthrough study suggests that targeting the salience network with brain stimulation could help mitigate behavioral symptoms. Researchers propose exploring mild electrical current or magnetic fields applied from outside the skull to slow behavioral changes in people with early-stage dementia.

Study Highlights

• Tau protein buildup disrupts the salience network, leading to behavioral changes.
• Salience network disruption linked to severity of behavioral symptoms.
• Study identifies potential target for intervention: brain stimulation.
• Further research needed to explore cause-and-effect relationships.

Hope for Improved Treatment Options

Lead author Alexandru D. Iordan, Ph.D., notes, “This study links tau pathology to behavioral symptoms through dysfunction of the salience network… The more affected this network is, the more severe the behavioral symptoms.”

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Source

Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan. (2024, October 11). New Brain Study Reveals Why Dementia Alters Behavior.