The aging brain malfunctions in complex ways, giving rise to a range of poorly categorized end states beyond the most prevalent, well known neurodegenerative conditions. As an example of research in this part of the field, scientists here discuss a form of age-related memory loss that they call limbic-predominant amnestic neurodegenerative syndrome. Interestingly, this condition appears to be associated with TDP-43 pathology, a comparatively recently discovered form of harmful protein aggregation in the aging brain that is now known to contribute to some forms of neurodegeneration.
Researchers have established new criteria for a memory-loss syndrome in older adults that specifically impacts the brain's limbic system. It can often be mistaken for Alzheimer's disease. Limbic-predominant Amnestic Neurodegenerative Syndrome, or LANS, progresses more slowly and has a better prognosis. Prior to the researchers developing clinical criteria the hallmarks of the syndrome could be confirmed only by examining brain tissue after a person's death. The proposed criteria provide a framework for neurologists and other experts to classify the condition in patients living with symptoms, offering a more precise diagnosis and potential treatments. They consider factors such as age, severity of memory impairment, brain scans, and biomarkers indicating the deposits of specific proteins in the brain.
"Historically, you might see someone in their 80s with memory problems and think they may have Alzheimer's disease, and that is often how it's being thought of today. With this paper, we are describing a different syndrome that happens much later in life. Often, the symptoms are restricted to memory and will not progress to impact other cognitive domains." Without signs of Alzheimer's disease, the researchers looked at the involvement of one possible culprit - a buildup of a protein called TDP-43 in the limbic system that scientists have found in the autopsied brain tissue of older adults. Researchers have classified the build-up of these protein deposits as limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, or LATE. These protein deposits could be associated with the newly defined memory loss syndrome, but there are also other likely causes and more research is needed.
Link: https://newsnetwork....n-older-adults/
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