Alzheimer’s “World First” Discovery: Blood Oxygen Levels Could Explain Why Memory Loss Is an Early Symptom

 

In a first for the world, researchers from the University of Sussex have recorded blood oxygen levels in the hippocampus and provided experimental proof for why the area, commonly referred to as "the brain's memory center", is susceptible to damage and degeneration, which is a precursor to Alzheimer's disease.  

New findings demonstrate how the brain's memory center operates at a "watershed", making it especially susceptible to damage. A study suggests that increasing blood flow in the hippocampus may be really effective at preventing damage. 

The scientists at the University of Sussex, led by Dr Catherine Hall from the School of Psychology and Sussex Neuroscience, investigated the activity of the brain and the flow of blood in the hippocampus of mice in an effort to comprehend the significance of this particular region. The researchers then used simulations to predict that hippocampal neurons closest to blood vessels only receive just enough oxygen to keep the cells functioning normally. 

According to Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Sussex, Dr Catherine Hall: 

These findings suggest that increasing blood flow in the hippocampus might be really effective at preventing damage from happening, which is an important step in the search for Alzheimer's preventative measures and treatments. 

If it is true that increasing blood flow in the hippocampus is important for protecting the brain from diseases like Alzheimer's, then it will support the importance of regular exercise and eating a low-cholesterol diet for long-term brain health even more

We believe that the hippocampus is located at a crossroads. Normally, it's fine, but when something else stops blood flow to the brain, oxygen levels in the hippocampus drop to the point where neurons can't work. We believe that this is probably why memory problems first appear in people with Alzheimer's disease—the hippocampus is unable to function properly due to the early decrease in blood flow. 

The same factors that increase your risk of a heart attack also increase your risk of dementia. This is due to the fact that our brains require sufficient blood flow to remove waste products like the beta amyloid proteins that accumulate in Alzheimer's disease and to provide energy in the form of oxygen and glucose so that brain cells can function properly. 

Now, we want to find out if the lower oxygen and blood flow in the hippocampus is what starts the buildup of beta-amyloid in Alzheimer's disease. To learn how to treat or prevent disease, it will be crucial to comprehend what causes early damage. 

According to Dr. Kira Shaw, a psychologist at the University of Sussex who carried out the primary experiments,

The hippocampus had lower oxygen and blood flow levels than the visual cortex, as we discovered. Additionally, the visual cortex experiences a significant increase in oxygen and blood flow when neurons are active. Neurons require energy from this. These responses, on the other hand, were much smaller in the hippocampus. 

The researchers likewise found that veins in the hippocampus contained fewer M RNA records (codes for making proteins) for proteins that shape vein expansion. In addition, the visual cortex and hippocampus had distinct shapes for the cells that dilate small blood vessels. 

Dr Shaw's conclusion was: "We believe that the hippocampus's blood vessels are less flexible than those in the visual cortex"