People who inherit Alzheimer’s disease may be more likely to get it from their mothers than their fathers, researchers say today.
A study which used brain scans found that people with mothers with the disease were more likely to show early signs of illness than those with fathers affected.
Researchers in Kansas, USA, studied some 53 people who were not thought to have dementia.
Ten of these reported having a father with Alzheimer’s and 11 a mother.
The brain scans showed twice as much shrinkage in the grey matter of the brain among those with mothers who had suffered from the condition – compared with the others.
The findings are reported in the journal Neurology.
Researcher Dr Robyn Honea, of Kansas University medical school, said: "Using 3D mapping methods, we were able to look at the different regions of the brain affected in people with maternal or paternal ties to Alzheimer’s disease.
"In people with a maternal family history of the disease, we found differences in the break-down processes in specific areas of the brain that are also affected by Alzheimer’s disease, leading to shrinkage.
"Understanding how the disease may be inherited could lead to better prevention and treatment strategies."
Neurology March 1 2011
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