They reveal capillary permeability in the brain that promotes Alzheimer's disease

According to a study conducted in California, this is an indication of the onset of Alzheimer's disease, which suggests that blood capillary barrier in the brain, which becomes transparent with age, facilitates the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

A study published today highlights the importance of strengthening these capillaries to prevent harmful cells, pathogens, and other toxic substances from entering the brain, which in turn can delay or limit the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

The study was conducted by the Keck Medical School at the University of Southern California (USC), a five-year-old follow-up to 161 senior adults.

"We find that brain blood capillaries have permeability when people have moderate cognitive impairment," said one of the authors of the study, Berislav Zlokovic, director of USC Keck Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute.

He noted that these brain barrier filtrations occur independently of changes in (proteins) tau and amyloid that are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

The study showed that people with greater memory problems had the highest level of leakage in brain blood, regardless of whether the two proteins had unusual circumstances.

In healthy brain tissues, the cells that make blood vessels tense, they form a barrier that prevents loose cells, pathogens, metals and other substances harmful to the brain.

In contrast, "in some aging brains, this stiffness is lost, creating permeability in these tissues", which facilitates the passage of harmful cells to the brain.

"If the brain barrier does not work properly, there is a possibility of harm," added Arthur Toga, co-author of the report, and USC Keck, director of Stevens Institute of Informatics and Neuroscience.

Daniel Nation, Professor of Psychology at the US School of Arts and Sciences Dornsife and leading author of the study, said the finding shows "other independent factors" in older adult cognitive problems.

However, the study warns that more analysis is needed to better understand these brain leaks and the most appropriate way to prevent them.