Alzheimer's News: Disrupted Sleep Could Be Risk Factor; Alzheimer's Eye Test
BOSTON (CBS) - A new study finds that tossing and turning could predispose some to Alzheimer's Disease. People with Alzheimer's often have sleep problems and disruptions in their circadian rhythms, but it has been unclear whether these disruptions are a cause or a symptom of the disease.
People with Alzheimer's have an abnormal buildup of protein clumps known as plaques in the brain. These protein deposits are normally cleared out by immune cells. Now a new study out of New York suggests the immune system clears this protein from the brain according to the body's internal clock, suggesting an interruption in one's biological clock could lead to more protein buildup and increase the risk for Alzheimer's.
More work needs to be done, but scientists are hoping this finding will lead to ways to treat and perhaps even delay the onset of Alzheimer's. In the meantime, we should all aim to get regular good quality sleep.
ALZHEIMER'S EYE TEST?
Researchers in New Zealand looked at the eyes of more than 800 middle-aged adults, specifically at the back of the eye or the retina. They found that a thinner layer of retinal nerves was associated with a greater decline in processing speed from childhood to adulthood, suggesting that nerve thickness could be an indicator of overall brain health.
More research is needed, but perhaps one-day people could be screened for retinal thinning as an early predictor of Alzheimer's Disease.