A new Alzheimer’s study found that impaired blood flow in the brain is correlated with the buildup of tau tangles, a hallmark indicator of cognitive decline.
The work, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that treatments targeting vascular health in the brain — as well as amyloid plaques and tau tangles — may be more effective in preserving memory and cognitive function than single-target therapies.
“This study confirms that we should carefully consider vascular health and associated risk factors — like high blood pressure, smoking and physical inactivity — in the course of Alzheimer’s prevention,” said Judy Pa, an associate professor of neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (INI) and the study’s senior author.
Researchers wanted to understand how restricted blood flow in the brain…
