Accumulation of amyloid plaque in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease vary among different groups of patients.

‘Accumulation of amyloid plaque in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease vary among different groups of patients. This sheds light on different genetic differences among these patients that give rise to differing pathways.
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According to Hjärnfonden, the number of AD cases will increase by 70 percent in 50 years, partly because we are living longer and longer. 




Genetic differences in Alzheimer’s disease:
The PET camera and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, CSF, from the spinal cord are reliable methods for detecting pathological accumulations of amyloid in the brain. However, divergence in results exists among 20 percent of cases at the early stages of the disease.
The study among 867 participants with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's dementia, and healthy controls were done using PET imaging and CSF analyses. Documentation of the amyloid accumulation was made for 2 years in a subset of nearly 300 participants.
This led to the identification of two alternative pathways for the development of amyloid pathology in Alzheimer's disease.
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This sheds light on two different groups of patients, with different genetics and speed of amyloid plaque accumulation in the brain.
Facts on Alzheimer's disease:
- There are approximately 50 million people worldwide
- More than 5 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's
- An estimated 5.8 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's dementia in 2020
- Eighty percent are age 75 or older
- One in 10 people age 65 and older (10%) has Alzheimer's dementia