Did you know that studying biomarkers has dramatically improved our understanding of brain changes that occur as we age, as well as those that occur in the earliest phases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other types of dementia?
Biomarkers are indirect indicators of an individual’s brain health that may provide evidence of a condition or disease, in a similar way to how a blood pressure reading provides insights about heart health. Increasingly, Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (JHADRC) investigators are using biomarkers to understand brain health. This is important because studies have shown that brain changes underlying AD begin years to decades before individuals show symptoms of dementia. The ultimate goals? To find new signs identifying those with memory loss, help identify those most likely to benefit from new treatments, and, ultimately, help find a cure for AD.
JHADRC Director Dr. Marilyn Albert commented, “When we see patients with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, we don’t say we will wait to treat you until you get congestive heart failure. Early treatments keep heart disease patients from getting worse, and it’s possible the same may be true for those who are in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s.”
Dr. Pettigrew, also with the JHADRC, asserted that, “There is increasing evidence that early intervention is the most effective time for treatment of memory loss. Measuring the earliest brain changes with biomarkers is an important first step.”
The BIOCARD Study is one example of many JHADRC projects using biomarkers, such as non-invasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, to obtain detailed pictures of the brain. These scans provide information about the brain’s structure and function, as well as dementia-related proteins that often accompany memory loss, such as amyloid and tau. Involving more than 400 research volunteers, some of whom have been enrolled for 25+ years, BIOCARD looks at brain changes over time to provide insight into changes that occur in aging and during the earliest phases of AD.
Another JHADRC imaging study recently measured serotonin, a chemical that regulates mood. PET scans revealed individuals with mild memory problems demonstrated lower serotonin levels in parts of the brain important for cognition; those with lower serotonin also performed worse on memory tests. These findings suggest serotonin levels may contribute to early stages of memory impairment, raising the exciting possibility that treating serotonin levels may help delay the progression of cognitive decline in some people.
Additional studies are also looking at biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (a fluid that surrounds the brain and spine), as these measures also provide information about a wide range of brain proteins that may be altered by age or AD.
Volunteer participants in brain biomarker studies are critical to memory and aging breakthroughs. Ongoing studies are looking for people who have no memory problems, as well as individuals experiencing mild memory changes. Join the search for a cure by calling 443-542-7489, visiting Alzresearch.org, or emailing jhadrc@jhmi.edu.
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