by Robert Rooney and Jesse Greenberg*
Alzheimer's disease brain (note the enlarged ventricles, or holes in the middle)
Named after German physician Alois Alzheimer, Alzheimer’s disease is a terminal brain disorder that gets progressively worse over time. Alzheimer’s deteriorates and destroys brain cells, causing detrimental effects to memory, behavior and one’s thought process. A main characteristic of Alzheimer’s is the extensive development of “plaques and tangles.” Plaques are deposits of the protein beta-amyloid that accumulate in the spaces between nerve cells. Tangles are deposits of the protein tau that accumulate inside of nerve cells. Although most people develop some plaques and tangles over time, those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s tend to have a much larger build up of these proteins. The plaques and tangles are thought to impede interaction between nerve cells and interrupt cell activities necessary for survival.
Scientists are still not sure what exactly causes Alzheimer’s, but current research and evidence point to a few key risk factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, aging, heart disease, head injury, and genetic history. While lack of sleep is not considered a risk factor, recent studies suggest it may play a role.
One study performed by members of the Department of Neurology at Washington University, St. Louis showed that plaque levels increased significantly in mice when they were deprived of sleep. They also found a correlation between beta-amyloid levels and sleeplessness. The research team also studied a group of male volunteers and found similar correlations. They found increased levels of beta-amyloid during the time while the men were awake, with the highest peak level around the evening, but the protein levels decreased when the men slept. Due to the similarities between the results of the mice and the men, the researchers concluded that optimization of sleep time could potentially reduce aggregation of the beta-amyloid protein and slow the progression of AD.
Meanwhile, copper has also been getting a lot of attention from Alzheimer’s researchers. Over the past decade, the role of copper in Alzheimer’s disease has also been extensively explored, yet two conclusions are being drawn which only serve to cloud our understanding. The continuing exploration of the interesting relationship between copper and Alzheimer’s disease will hopefully yield an important breakthrough in the near future.
Two recent studies, one by Exley and another by Jiang, both seem to point to the conclusion that copper reduces plaque build-up in the brain. This plaque is more specifically a clumping of the amyloid beta, a peptide present in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. An earlier study from the Department of Psychiatry at the Saarland University Medical Center found lower levels of copper in post-mortem Alzheimer’s patients. Another study, by Bayer and Multhaup, found a positive correlation between copper levels and scores on an Alzheimer’s specific cognitive processing test. All these data might suggest that there is a relationship between copper deficiency and Alzheimer’s disease, but it is too soon to jump to that conclusion.
While the above studies seem to point to copper as a possible light at the end of the dark tunnel of Alzheimer’s Disease, there is a school of thought among other scientists that claims copper may be the cause of this darkness, not its remedy. The University of Rochester Medical Center’s research team describes how copper damages LRP, or low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein. LRP seems to be responsible for removing amyloid beta from the brain. If copper damages the LRP molecules, the result is the build up of amyloid beta plaque in the brain. Zlokovic performed a study testing the effects of copper on mice. The results are as follows: After ten weeks, the rats that were given water with copper had twice as much copper in their brains’ blood vessel cells and one third more amyloid beta than that of the control group. A similar study in 2003 on rabbits yielded strikingly similar results.
Until someone can put the pieces of this copper puzzle together, it is too soon to tell whether copper is a help or a hindrance in avoiding Alzheimer’s.
*Editor’s note: This is a combination of two articles written by the two authors. The fault for any awkward transition is mine.
References
Alzheimer’s Association, (2009). What is Alzheimer’s? Retrieved October 12, 2009, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp#Alzheimer
Alzheimer’s Association, (2009). Alzheimer’s disease risk factors. Retrieved December 5, 2009, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_causes_risk_factors.asp
Bhattacharya, S. (2003, 12 August). Copper link to Alzheimer’s disease. New Scientist. Retrieved October 4, 2009 from http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4045-copper-link-to-alzheimers-disease.htm
Case Western Reserve University (2005, October 4). Intake Of Dietary Copper Helps Alzheimer’s Patients. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 5, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051004084327.htm
Enersen, O. D. (1994-2009). Who Named It? Retrieved December 5, 2009, from http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/177.html
Hill, C. (2008, September 18) Neuropsychological Testing Used In The Evaluation Of Alzheimer’s Disease. About.com: Alzheimer’s Disease. Retrieved December 7, 2009 from http://alzheimers.about.com/od/diagnosisofalzheimers/tp/neuropsychtests.htm
Holtzman, D. (2009) Amyloid- Dynamics Are Regulated by Orexin and the Sleep-Wake Cycle. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1180962
Keele University (2009, October 13). Protective Role For Copper In Alzheimer’s Disease. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 5, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008133457.htm
University of Rochester Medical Center (2007, November 8). Copper Damages Protein That Defends Against Alzheimer’s. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071107074329.htm
As Alzheimer’s research continues to grow throughout the United States, it is clear that the population of American adults is finding more and more cases of Alzheimer’s in recent years. Much like any other disease Alzheimer’s is a somewhat treated disease, in which the patients are proscribed multiple forms of medication such as, cholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl D-aspartate (both medications attempt to delay symptoms from becoming worse for a period of time). In today’s economy these prescribed medications can be costly and almost unattainable for those who do not have a substantial income, but with the recent passage of the Health Care Reform Bill, the Association worked to ensure that the bills under consideration contained relevant provisions in addressing the challenges associated with Alzheimer’s. Several provisions would offer substantial benefits to those who suffer from the disease, as well as their caregivers.
Comment by Cebe Loomis — March 26, 2010 @ 1:35 pm
As the last commenter mentioned, the medicines used to slow the onset of Alzheimer’s are both costly and limited in their effectiveness. So, there has been a lot of research about alternative remedies for Alzheimer’s disease. Although none of these have yet been completely proven effective, one of them may potentially end up holding the solution to the problem of Alzheimer’s. One of these is Huperzine A, which is an extract from Chinese Club Moss. This is a common plant who’s rumored medical benefits go way back. There have only been a few studies done with Huperzine A, and most of them have been done in China, but so far the do show promising results about Huperzine A’s effectiveness in decreasing the effect of Alzheimer’s through inhibiting cholinesterase.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2731997/
Comment by Charlotte Gutfreund — April 7, 2010 @ 8:10 pm
As the previous two comments have addressed, the cost of medication can be extremely expensive and prove nearly impossible to obtain in today’s economy. But, there was a recent breakthrough in Alzheimer studies that is an alternative to medication that is very inexpensive. Scientists have people perform tasks and compare the length it took for completion of these tasks with atrophy of the hippocampus. They are then able to predict if the patient will develop Alzheimer’s. This method can prove exponentially important in the prevention of Alzheimers, even though it cannot cure it. It can prove useful for someone who cannot afford medicine in today’s economy to see if they will eventually get Alzheimer’s so that they can plan accordingly, whether that means saving up money for medicine or getting a better health care plan.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100405111207.htm
Comment by Casey Rice — April 11, 2010 @ 11:32 pm
As mentioned in the article above, the main known cause of Alzheimer’s disease is the build up of the protein beta-amyloid in between nerve cells. Scientists have long thought that the protein was just a “waste product” that the brain failed to get rid of, but new research done in Harvard Medical School has shown that the protein is most likely part of our brain’s normal defenses against invading bacteria. This conclusion is supported by the fact that there is a similarly structured protein that functions in the innate immune system. The discovery of the function of beta-amyloid drastically changes the approach that many researchers have taken in trying to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s by simply eliminating the protein from the brain altogether. If the beta-amyloid protein is essential to the brain in fighting off infection, then the consequences of eliminating it from those susceptible to Alzheimer’s could do more harm than good.
References: Gina Kolata. (2010, March 9). Infection Defense May Spur Alzheimer’s :[Science Desk]. New York Times (Late Edition (east Coast)), p. D.5. Retrieved April 23, 2010, from ProQuest National Newspapers Premier. (Document ID: 1978625781).
Comment by Elaine Cheung — April 22, 2010 @ 11:02 pm
Alzheimer’s is a debilitating disease which generally affects an older population. Yet more frightening, in as much as it’s ability to affect a larger cross section of the population, is Early-onset Alzheimer’s. While Alzheimer’s affects people after 60-65, early-onset Alzheimer’s may affect people as young as 30-35. With this in mind, the social cost of providing medication to such individuals can be significantly higher than an aging population. Although no cure has been developed, herbal alternatives such as Ginkgo biloba have proved useful in curbing the spread of the disease. Scientists believe that the anti-oxidants present in the plant help neutralize free-radicals in the body that are thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s. If this can be used in the development of a cure, this might be a tremendous breakthrough – at a low price.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginkgo-biloba-000247
Comment by Arjun Agarwala — April 26, 2010 @ 12:31 am
After reading this article, I decided to look up other causal factors of Alzeimer’s disease. One interesting causal factor that I found, was processed food. In a study conducted by researchers at Rhode Island Hospital, the researchers found a substantial correlation between increased levels of nitrates in the processed foods we eat with increased deaths by disease, including Alzheimer’s disease. The nitrates found in these foods, used to preserve color and flavor become highly reactive at the cellular level, resulting in gene expression alterations and DNA damage. This can result in the deterioration of the brain. Maybe this is why we forget that fast food and processed foods are slowly killing us.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156507.php
Comment by John Lee — May 3, 2010 @ 10:43 pm
Fortunately there is research going on (like stem cells) that may one day serve the cure this disease.
Comment by Estaminais — May 22, 2010 @ 4:03 pm
Oh my- to eat or avoid copper? I wonder if society is too concerned with alzheimer’s disease and dimentia. I know that I am susceptible whether or not I sleep or imbibe copper, considering that the disease runs in my family. It strikes me as normal that an elderly person might encounter memory loss, regardless of whether or not it is sad. I would be curious to read about early alzheimer’s as well.
Comment by Chelsea — April 20, 2012 @ 9:39 am
Since my grandfather began showing signs of dementia ten years ago, I have had a zealous interest in keeping up to date with Alzheimer’s disease research, something I may eventually hope to partake in. Studies such as the one above–in which causes and preventive measures currently are being determined–demonstrate how many environmental, not only genetic, factors can play into the development of the disease in individuals. In addition to the aforementioned study in which sleep-deprivation was found to correlate with an increase in beta amyloid levels, a study by Plassman et al. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11071494) showed that World War II Navy and Marine veterans, suffering from moderate and severe head trauma, had an increased chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease later on in their lives.
The above holistic treatment–recommended increases in copper intake–also helps illuminate an understanding of environmental factors that could help clear deleterious tau and beta-amyloid in the brain. A study reported on Science Daily on Feb. 5th, 2013 (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130205131629.htm), reported that active forms of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids increase the strength of macrophages in the brains of diseased patients, which serve to combat beta amyloid levels. While these findings aren’t preventive measures for Alzheimer’s patients, they do point to beneficial diets. It is very exciting to see how research is progressing in evaluating various environmental factors that can influence the causes and deterrents of this complex disease!
Comment by Lena Josephs — February 6, 2013 @ 11:45 pm
It seems that Alzheimer’s is becoming more and more prevalent, and a correlation between sleep deprivation and Alzheimer’s would say a great deal about our culture. Obviously much of this increase could be attributed to longer life expectancies (quality of life not necessarily guaranteed), however there are also cases of early onset Alzheimer’s. Our society is constantly moving and values work and responsibilities over health and sleep, and this lifestyle could be leading to increased rates of Alzheimer’s. It will be interesting to see where this research goes and if it can have any affect on the way we live our lives and if we will start giving sleep more importance.
Comment by Eliza Kellman — March 5, 2013 @ 10:15 pm