Living Alone in Older Age with Alzheimer's disease

One of the hallmark brain changes associated with Alzheimer's and other dementias is tau tangles. Tau tangles form when normal tau proteins become abnormally modified and clump together. These tangles can damage nerve cells leading to impaired brain function. Even though tangles are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, we do not fully understand what triggers their formation. Ismael Santa-Maria Perez, Ph.D., and colleagues believe that a contributing factor in tangle formation is a group of small molecules called microRNAs. MicroRNAs can interact with genes and can turn on and off the production of certain proteins. Dr. Santa-Maria Perez's group predicts that under normal circumstances, the tau protein is highly regulated by microRNAs and that abnormal regulation of tau protein production may promote tangles and the brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease.