The human brain is primarily made up of two parts: the outer ‘grey matter’, consisting of cell bodies, and inner ‘white matter’, composed of the axons, which are attached to the cell bodies and allow them to send messages to other parts of the brain and spinal cord. When looking at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, healthcare professionals often see damage to the white matter in the brains of elderly people, with and without dementia. Such regions of damage are called ‘white matter hyperintensities’
Until recently, the main cause of white matter hyperintensities was thought to be small vessel disease, which is caused by damage to the small blood vessels in and around the brain. However, we have found the main cause of white matter hyperintensities may actually come from the accumulation of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Our research aims to further understand the relationship between white matter hyperintensities and Alzheimer’s disease. By combining information from MRI scans with laboratory experiments on brain tissue taken from the Newcastle Brain and Tissue Resource, we have established a link with changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease and the development of white matter hyperintensities. We now aim to find out if the white matter damage found on MRI scans appears depending on the underlying cause: small vessel disease or Alzheimer’s disease.
We hope these findings may help in the diagnosis of dementia by MRI diagnostics, potentially allowing earlier and more appropriate treatments and improving the lives of people with dementia.
This project is lead by Dr Kirsty E. McAleese and funded by the Alzheimer’s Society.