EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
Newswise — MINNEAPOLIS – A genetic variation in some people may be associated with cognitive decline that can’t be explained by deposits of two key proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid β and tau, according to a study published in the September 16, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The genetic variation leads to alterations in the metabolism of glutathione, an antioxidant, and may be associated with thinning of the cortex of the brain, the study says. The variation is found on the sixth chromosome.
Amyloid is a protein that forms into plaques, while tau is a protein that forms into tangles. Both are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease but also in the brains of older people with normal cognition.
Genetic…
