A study found multiple protein abnormalities in many older brains
Original source
Incidence of altered proteins in the aging brain: Implications for biological diagnostic markers. (opens in a new tab)Compass summarised this from the study's abstract.
Study details
- Studied in
- Human
Related topics
Researchers examined brain tissue from 1,825 deceased people and found Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological change in 64%. TDP-43 was among the proteins assessed, but the study did not report an ALS or motor neurone disease finding.
Why this matters
The results may be relevant to interpreting protein-based tests in older people, because multiple brain pathologies often occurred together. They do not establish an ALS/MND biomarker, diagnosis or treatment effect.
Limitations and context
This was a postmortem pathology study, not a clinical trial. Only 20% of participants had dementia, and the source does not provide an ALS/MND-specific analysis. The authors concluded that current tests cannot definitively distinguish the pathology causing cognitive impairment without postmortem assessment.