The Appearance of Alzheimer's in the Brain By Dominic D'Agostino

Introduction• Dr. Dominic D'Agostino studied neuroscience and physiology at

the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and currently serves the University of South Florida as an assistant professor. There, Dr. Dominic D'Agostino researches therapies for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s diseases, as well as symptoms of these conditions, such as muscle wasting.

The brain tissue of an individual with Alzheimer’s disease features two distinct abnormalities that immediately draw a doctor's attention to the condition. The protein clumps of beta-amyloid, commonly referred to as plaques, have a number of negative effects on brain cells, notably the disruption of cellular communication. While the ultimate cause of Alzheimer's is still unknown, some researchers believe beta-amyloid may be one of the keys.

Alzheimer's in the Brain• Tangles, on the other hand, are the name given to masses of tau

proteins that become knotted together. In a healthy brain, cells rely on the internal support and transportation provided by a functioning tau network. For people with Alzheimer’s, however, these tangles affect and ultimately destroy this transport system. The loss of this system is one of the prime causes of cellular death throughout the brain in Alzheimer’s patients. The metabolic theory of neurodegeneration posits that a dysregulation of energy metabolism leads to aberrant protein folding and breakdown of beta-amyloid and tau. The processing of these proteins are intimately linked to metabolic homeostasis, suggesting that the Alzheimer's pathology (plaque formation) is a downstream epiphenomenon of impaired brain energy metabolism. Nutrition ketosis is a means to enhance brain energy metabolism through the ketogenic diet or ketone supplementation, and an ongoing study at the USF Byrd Alzheimer's Institute is investigating this metabolic therapy as a strategy.