The Mayo Clinic has recently issued a finding that the tau protein as the primary cause for memory loss usually seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Previously, most believed the toxic protein called Amyloid was the primary reason for cognitive decline and memory loss. Thus, most research has been focused on it since Amyloid growth is consistent with those who have Alzheimer’s Disease.
However, the Mayo Clinic, after examining 3,600 brains that were donated to science after death, determined that the tau protein that delivers messages and food through neurons may be a bigger problem. Changes in that protein destabilizes the neurons in the brain’s memory center (the hippocampus). Tau build-up kills the neurons and then spreads in the brain’s cortex. The study also did show a strong relationship between the growth of Amyloid with cognitive decline. However, Amyloid was not found in the vessels. Research of both toxic proteins is obviously still needed, but it would seem that stopping the destabilization of the tau protein should be of primary importance based on this study’s results.