Physical and social activities protect the brain from damage caused by Alzheimer's disease



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According to a new study carried out at the University of São Paulo (USP) and at the Faculdade de Ciências, the physical, social and leisure activities of elderly people and patients suffering from the disease. Alzheimer's can help preserve cognitive functions and delay memory loss. Doctors of Santa Casa de São Paulo. Stimuli promote morphological and functional changes in the brain, which protect the organ from damage resulting in cognitive loss.

The discovery was made by means of an experiment on transgenic mice, genetically engineered to have super plate expression. in the brain. These plaques are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. The animals were separated into three groups: transgenics that would receive stimuli, transgenics that would not receive, and control animals that did not have the disease.

"When they were a little older, around 8 to 10 months, we placed some of these animals in an enriched environment, a box containing several toys, and we changed them every other day," said Tânia Viel, Professor at the USP Faculty of Arts, Science and Humanities and Project Coordinator [19659002] The experiment lasted four months and was then evaluated for motor activity. by means of sensors and spatial memory, with a test called the Barnes labyrinth. The results show that toy-stimulated transgenic mice had a 24.5% reduction in the time required to comply with the labyrinth test compared to animals that were not in the enriched environment.

Brains were also badyzed. two mouses. When verifying brain tissue samples, the researchers found that the transgenic animals that pbaded through the stimuli exhibited a 69.2% reduction in the total density of senile plaques compared to those that were not stimulated.

. senile plaques, they have increased a protein that helps clean this plaque. It is the SR-B1 receptor, which is expressed in the microglia cell. The receiver ensures that this cell attaches to the plates and helps to remove them. "The control animals, without the disease, had this protein that helps clean the plaque, even everyone produces it." The animals with Alzheimer's disease had a very strong reduction in this protein and the animals in it Enriched environment [que tiveram estímulos] were similar to the control animals, "explained Viel.

The researcher says that the work confirms the previous hypotheses and that the group is working now. to increase control over dogs and humans. To do this, it will first look in the blood markers indicating the relationship with Alzheimer's disease.

"In rats, we badyze the brain and blood to see if these biomarkers are in both the brain and the blood.When the person loses memory, there are proteins that increase in the brain and others are diminishing, and in dogs and humans we see only blood, "he said. With the discovery of these markers in the blood, it will be possible to perform mouse-like experiments with motor and memory tests to confirm or exclude changes in dogs and humans after the stimuli.

For Tânia Viel, as we do not know. which human being will develop the disease, the more the stimulation in his life will increase, the better it will be for the protection of the brain. "It changes your routine, many people say they do not have time to do anything else, but if the person has conditions and can walk in the block, it starts with a physical and playful activity, walking with a dog, with a child, a language course, dance.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience and received support from the Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo

Edition: Graça Adjuto

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