Alzheimer's Subtypes Could Affect Future Treatments, Researchers Find

A study by Mayo Clinic researchers published in JAMA Neurology analyzed a key region of the brain to find that patterns of Alzheimer's-related damage differed by subtype and age of manifestation, reports Medical Xpress . Examination of post-mortem brain tissue from more than 1,000 people with Alzheimer's looked at the cholinergic hub, which is the focus of the only treatments that effectively manage symptoms in certain sufferers. The team concentrated on neurofibrillary protein tangles, and observed more severe signs of disease in those with a subtype that chiefly affects the cortex rather than the hippocampus. This suggests persons with this subtype may exhibit symptoms related to behavior, language, or visual disturbances instead of memory loss. In addition, the researchers noted more Alzheimer's-related damage in people with young-onset Alzheimer's — presenting with symptoms before age 65 — versus those with later-age onset. The implication is that available therapies will be most impactful for people with young-onset Alzheimer's. The hippocampal-sparing subtype is believed to comprise more than 10 percent of Alzheimer's cases, but it is frequently misdiagnosed due to its younger onset and atypical symptoms.