Original title: Earliest accumulation of β-amyloid occurs within the default-mode network and concurrently affects brain connectivity
The researchers looked for the earliest signs of amyloid, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease. They found that it first builds up mainly in parts of the default-mode network, a set of brain regions that work together when the mind is at rest. At this early stage, connections within that network and with another network were weaker. The study found no link at that stage with brain shrinkage or reduced glucose use.
Imagine a group of friends who usually keep in touch through a few key people. If messages start piling up around those people, the group may find it harder to stay connected, even before anyone moves away or stops doing their usual activities. In this paper, the key people stand for certain brain regions, the pile-up stands for amyloid, and the weaker communication stands for reduced connections between brain networks.
The findings point to changes in brain connectivity at an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, before the study found brain shrinkage or reduced glucose use. That could help researchers understand what happens before symptoms are evident, though the abstract does not show that this pattern can predict an individual’s future.
The abstract does not establish that the findings predict Alzheimer’s disease for an individual, explain why amyloid starts in these regions, or show that the early connectivity changes cause later disease. It reports associations and does not describe treatment effects or whether the pattern applies beyond the studied cohorts.
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Earliest accumulation of β-amyloid occurs within the default-mode network and concurrently affects brain connectivity — Sebastian Palmqvist, Michael Schöll, Olof T. Strandberg et al. — Nature Communications — doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01150-x
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.