Discovery of Distinct Phases
Recent studies reveal Alzheimer's disease progresses through two phases: an early, silent phase causing subtle brain damage before memory problems emerge, and a later, destructive phase coinciding with severe symptoms and cognitive decline.
The early phase is characterized by damage to inhibitory neurons, slow accumulation of protein plaques, and activation of the brain's immune system, setting the stage for the more pronounced damage in the second phase.
Implications for Understanding and Treating Alzheimer's
This new understanding challenges previous notions that Alzheimer's damage occurs in several stages of increasing severity, instead highlighting two distinct epochs of brain damage.
The research, which utilized advanced brain mapping and genetic analysis tools, offers hope for earlier diagnosis and treatment, fundamentally altering the approach to combating Alzheimer's disease.