Microplastics Linked to Vascular Dementia, Study Reveals
Vascular dementia is a condition that arises from issues with blood flow to the brain. It is one of the most common types of dementia, yet it remains less studied and understood compared to other forms like Alzheimer’s disease.
Elaine Bearer, a neuropathologist at the University of New Mexico, is working to change this. In a recent review, she has proposed new ways to categorize vascular dementia based on distinct biological changes in the brain. These categories are aimed at improving our understanding of the condition and guiding future research.
Bearer’s work highlights an important overlap between vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. She also suggests that her team’s innovative microscopy techniques could help uncover how microplastics, which have entered the body through various environmental sources, might be contributing to or worsening cases of vascular dementia.
“We have been flying blind,” says Bearer. “The various vascular pathologies have not been comprehensively defined, so we haven’t known what we’re treating. And we didn’t know that nano- and microplastics were in the picture, because we couldn’t see them.”
Through her research, Bearer analyzed both her own microscopic findings—published in a preprint—and studies by other scientists. Her focus was on the cerebral blood vessels of individuals who died with dementia. By examining the effects of chemical staining on these vessels, she identified several different disease processes that may contribute to vascular dementia.
These include the thickening of arteries, small amounts of bleeding, and tiny strokes that can damage neurons. The classifications she proposes are meant to serve as a foundation for future dementia research, helping scientists explore how damage to blood vessels relates to the progression of the disease.
Every time we gain a deeper understanding of a condition, it opens up new possibilities for developing effective treatments.
This research also has implications for Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the pathologies linked to vascular dementia, such as the presence of abnormal amyloid beta proteins, are also seen in Alzheimer’s. Investigating the relationship between these two conditions could provide valuable insights into how different forms of dementia begin and progress.
Tiny plastic fragments, which are prevalent in the environment, have also been found in the brain. While their health effects are still unclear, these pollutants may play a role in causing or exacerbating brain damage and disease.
“Nanoplastics in the brain represent a new player on the field of brain pathology,” says Bearer. “All our current thinking about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias needs to be revised in light of this discovery.”
“What I’m finding is that there’s a lot more plastics in [people with dementia] than in normal subjects. It seems to correlate with the degree and type of dementia.”
Although vascular dementia has been recognized since the late 19th century, much of the research has focused on other forms of dementia that are easier to identify and track. Now, Bearer’s new framework offers a more comprehensive approach to studying different types of dementia.
Each case of dementia has its unique characteristics, and exploring these differences could lead to a better understanding of why some people are more susceptible to brain diseases than others. This knowledge could also inform strategies for prevention and treatment.
“Describing the pathological changes in this comprehensive way is really new,” says Bearer.
The research has been published in the American Journal of Pathology.
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