20 Things To Know About Alzheimer's Disease

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Alzheimer's facts

( loss of the old synaptic connections far exceeds the formation of new ones )

Biomedical scientists at the University of California, Riverside have identified a new link between a protein called beta-arrestin and short-term memory that could open new doors for the therapeutic treatment of neurological disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease. Beta-arrestin is expressed in various cells of the body, including cells of the hippocampus, the region of the brain that is involved in learning and the formation of short-term memories. Beta-arrestin, the absence of which impairs normal learning in mice, is one of many "scaffolding proteins" -- proteins that support the connections between neurons in the brain.

As our brain develops, new connections called synapses are formed between neurons. In the hippocampus, the formation of synapses is a continuous process. As we learn something new, new connections are formed and some old ones become stronger through a process known as long-term potentiation (LTP). But because brains have only a limited capacity, other old connections must disassemble through a process known as long-term depression (LTD) in order for new synapses to form. Continue to read: sciencedaily.com

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2012/02/07/2047945/obama-to-seek-more-alzheimers.html#storylink=cpy

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