Jan. 2008 CVC UPBEAT - The MCW Cardiovascular Center is conducting research to see if there is a link between Alzheimer's disease and constriction of the blood vessels in the brain. Alzheimer's is a degenerative condition characterized by the formation of amyloid-β proteins (Aβ), which deposit in the brain as senile plaques. These deposits are generally recognized as the pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease that results in memory loss and cognitive deficits.
Ongoing studies conducted by David R. Harder, PhD, the Kohler Co. Professor of Cardiovascular Research and of Physiology; Debebe Gebremedhin, PhD, Associate Professor of Physiology; and graduate student Pallabi Sarkar, at the Cardiovascular Research Center, are attempting to determine if there is a link between cerebrovascular disorder and the progressing dementia of Alzheimer's disease. Their research has found that the peptide Aβ protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, induces profound constriction of the arteries of the brain. This profound constriction of cerebral arteries could be a potential cause of cerebrovascular disorder and changes in cerebral blood flow associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Specifically how the Aβ protein impacts the cerebral circulation is unknown. Investigators are now trying to identify the role of different proteins and molecules in blood vessel constriction in the brain caused by the Aβ protein to determine if there is a link to the degeneration of memory and Alzheimer's disease.