Earlier this year, Nature published a paper on Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD) from researchers at the MCIN. The paper describes the discovery that, contrary to previous understanding, the first physiological sign of Alzheimer’s disease is a decrease in blood flow in the brain.
LOAD is a complex disease as it is not caused by one neurological mechanism, but is a result of several associated mechanisms in the brain. LOAD is a common cause of dementia in humans, and an understanding of the various mechanisms and their interactions is important to developing treatments.
The full paper can be seen on here
Further reading can be found here:
McGill Newsroom – “Big Data” study discovers earliest sign of Alzheimer’s
McGill Newsroom – Decoding Connectivity
Alzforum – LOAD of Data Place Vascular Malfunction as Earliest Event in Alzheimer’s
ICI Radio Canada – Le premier signe précurseur de l’alzheimer découvert grâce aux métadonnées (Français)