Got Alzheimer's? Gnaw On Something

By Sam Bakken in News on Mar 10, 2005 11:38PM

Is grandma having more trouble remembering your name than usual or getting confused when you try to explain that you're her daughter's child? Has grandpa started tipping over tables at Baker's Square when the waitress tells him he can't apply his ten percent senior discount to the early dinner special (even though she tells him every week you go there)? Well, they may be staring Alzheimer's, blankly, in the face, but throwing them into a cage with some chew toys and a running wheel may stave it off for a little while.

In an article published in the newest issue of Cell, a biological research journal, a team of University of Chicago researchers claim exposing mice with Β-amyloid deposits to an "enriched environment" reduced the level of the abnormal protein, and deposits of it, in their brains. From what we can gather, Β-amyloid tangles around brain cells are a sort of "brain plaque" found in individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Researchers genetically engineered the mice by putting clumps of the protein around their brains similar to those associated with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Some of the mice were exposed to the "enriched environment" and others got shafted with a less stimulating environment. Compared to their less stimulated brethren, the enriched mice showed significantly lower levels of Β-amyloid. The researchers mentioned that intellectual as well as physical exertion could be the contributing factors. But they say a lot research is still needed to be sure.

We're sure got at least part of the science wrong so if you're feeling ambitious, you can read the article here and correct us in the comments.