Question: What is the biggest difference you've found so far between brain tissue which is affected by Alzheimer and brain tissue which is not? Different proteins? Structures? Any obvious physical differences? Also have found found a way yet of increasing the blood supply to the brain?

Rachel Harris answered on 8 Nov 2016:

These are all excellent questions!

There are many differences in between Alzheimer disease brain and a ‘normal’ aged brain. Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain, so the most obvious differences are that the brain is smaller – check out the my profile for a picture of an Alzheimer’s brain and a ‘normal’ aged brain.

Another big difference is that there are clumps of proteins in the Alzheimer’s brain that are not present in people without the disease. One of these proteins is called ‘amyloid’ and it forms clumps that form between the cells in the brain. New drugs for Alzheimer’s disease are trying to clear away this amyloid protein.

My work has found that the brain is trying to increase blood flow in the brain by making new blood vessels. However when we looked in the brain we found that the blood vessels aren’t being made. We’ve found that the amyloid clumps might be stopping this from happening.

Check out this animation if you want to learn more!

Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon voices thought-provoking dementia animation