Neurology journal finds toddlers with ‘dementia gene’ have smaller memories
- A gene variant called APOE4 has been linked to a higher risk of dementia
- Brain area responsible for memory was 5% smaller in children with gene
- Performed half as well in thinking and memory tests than those without it
- Doctors could identify which people are most at risk of developing disease
Rosie Taylor for the Daily Mail
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A ‘dementia gene’ can affect the brains of children as young as three years old, scientists have found.
Young children with an inherited gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease have smaller memory centres and do up to half as well in thinking and memory tests as those without it.
The discovery could enable doctors in future to identify which people are most at risk of developing the condition and intervene at an early stage.
An inherited gene – APOE4 – linked to Alzheimer’s can affect the brains of children as young as three as they have smaller memory centres making them perform worse in memory tests
For the study, published in the online journal Neurology, researchers carried out memory tests and brain scans on 1,187 children aged three to 20.
None of the participants had brain disorders or other problems that would affect their brain development, such as exposure to drugs in the womb.
The children were tested to see which version of the gene known as APOE they had.
One variant called APOE4 has been linked to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and can be passed on by one or both parents.
Scientists found that children with the APOE4 gene had differences in their brain development in areas often affected by Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those with other forms of the gene.
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The hippocampus – the part of the brain associated with memory – was around 5 per cent smaller in children with the APOE4 gene version.
Scans of children who had inherited APOE4 from both parents and who were younger than eight years old also showed the hippocampus was less structurally sound.
Younger children with the gene did worse in the memory and thinking skills tests, with those who had inherited the gene from both parents performing half as well in attention tests.
But this pattern disappeared once children aged past eight years old – when even those with two parents passing on the gene had normal test scores.
Dr Linda Chang, of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, said the results mirrored similar effects in elderly people who had the high-risk gene. These patients tended to have a smaller hippocampus which deteriorated more quickly.
She added: ‘Studying these genes in young children may ultimately give us early indications of who may be at risk for dementia in the future and possibly even help us develop ways to prevent the disease from occurring or to delay the start of the disease.’
The study only examined the children at one stage in their lives so it did not monitor whether the children’s memory worsened or went on to improve.
Although more than 1,000 children were involved, there were only 30 with the rarest gene combination where both parents had passed on APOE4.
The part of the brain associated with memory was around 5 per cent smaller in children with the gene
Commenting on the research, Dr Simon Ridley of Alzheimer’s Research UK said: ‘This research suggests that the APOE4 risk gene may have an impact on the brain from childhood, but as the study only presents one snap-shot in time, it’s hard to know how these brain differences in childhood may play out as these children develop during their lives.
‘It’s important to remember that the risk factors for Alzheimer’s are varied and complex, and are likely to act at different time points during of a person’s life.’
Ian Le Guillou, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said the results should be interpreted ‘cautiously’.
He said: ‘We would need to see these results replicated in a larger group, as well as having longer term follow-ups to better understand how the changes in the brain progress with age.
‘Everyone’s brain is slightly different and the trends found here could only be seen by taking the average across many people.
‘We cannot say who will go on to develop dementia and having the APOE4 gene does not mean that you will.’
While it is known people with the APOE4 gene are at increased risk of dementia, there is no guarantee they will develop it.
People can guard against the risk by keeping healthy – including exercising regularly, not smoking and keeping blood pressure in check.
Dementia affects around 850,000 people in the UK, with the figure expected to rise to one million by 2025.
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