Brain changes that lead to Alzheimer's Disease might be present in childhood, a new study suggests.
The study, reported in the journal Neurology, found that some healthy children with an Alzheimer-associated gene variant also had a smaller hippocampus. The hippocampus is a seahorse-shaped brain region involved in memory formation. Other brain regions in the cerebral cortex were also smaller, specifically those regions that help in recognizing objects and decision making.
The findings suggest that changes in brain structure which have been thought to be the result of Alzheimer's Disease may be present in childhood.
However, researchers had mixed results linking test scores to genetic traits. Children with smaller hippocampus regions fared worse on memory tests. However, those children with genes thought to protect people from Alzheimer's had the lowest scores on attention tests.
The study will spur new research on people from their youth to older ages.
Allyson Good curates senior living, health, and family content. She is formerly the Managing Editor of Active Life, a print newspaper published in 2016-2017 for seniors, choosing practical articles on health, money, safety, and everyday living for older readers. She is also an avid gardener and offers up Garden Hints and Tips on a regular basis.