Changes around blood vessels in the brain may hold clues about mental decline and dementia in the elderly, Scottish scientists said on Thursday.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have discovered that elderly patients have abnormal channels, which are known as enlarged perivascular spaces, in the brain which are rare in young, healthy adults.
“These findings mean that we should certainly be looking more closely at enlarged perivascular spaces as a cause of dementia and other mental decline in old age,” said Dr Alasdair MacLullich, who headed the research team.
“They raise the interesting possibilities that there may be substances in the blood, such as cholesterol or sugar levels, or even blood pressure itself, that may contribute to memory decline as people become older,” he added in a statement.
MacLullich and his colleagues measured the enlarged perivascular spaces in the brains of 100 healthy men and tested their cognitive ability.
Spotlight on blood vessels
The enlarged perivascular spaces, seen in brain scans of patients with illnesses such as diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, may indicate damage to brain tissue around blood vessels, according to the researchers.
In a report in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, they said men with more enlarged spaces around the blood vessels had lower mental ability.
Dementia is a global problem that affects about 18 million people, according to the World Health Organization. As the population ages the number of cases are expected to rise to 34 million in the next 25 years. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia.
“This puts a spotlight on blood vessels, so we are now working to find out how these changes around the brain’s blood vessel supply arise,” MacLullich added.
There is no cure for dementia but studies have shown that drugs may slow the process of cognitive decline. Elderly people are advised to keep active and alert and to exercise the brain as well as the body.
Recent studies showed that elderly people who take regular walks are less likely to suffer from dementia. Mental activities such as reading and doing crossword puzzles also help to slow mental decline.
