Cats with dementia share brain changes similar to humans with Alzheimer’s disease, offering a valuable model for studying the condition.
In a new study, researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK discovered a build-up of the toxic protein amyloid-beta in the brains of cats, one of the defining features of Alzheimer’s disease. Its other symptoms include confusion and sleep disruption.
The discovery published in the European Journal of Neuroscience has been hailed as a “perfect natural model for Alzheimer’s” by scientists who believe it will help them explore new treatments for humans.
The most prevalent cause of dementia in humans is Alzheimer’s disease. Many elderly cats get dementia, which causes behavioural abnormalities such increased vocalisation (or meowing), disorientation, and disturbed sleep, which are symptoms that are similar to those of Alzheimer’s disease.
Robert I. McGeachan, corresponding author, from the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the varsity, stated the findings offer a clearer picture of how amyloid beta may lead to age-related brain dysfunction and memory loss in cats.
According to him, “Scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease in the past have relied heavily on genetically modified rodent models. Rodents do not naturally develop dementia, and studying cats with dementia has the potential to advance knowledge and help develop treatments for both cats and people.”
The team had examined the brains of 25 cats of different ages after they had passed away, including those with signs of dementia, and reported a build-up of amyloid-beta within the synapses — connections between brain cells — of older cats and cats with dementia.
Synapses allow the flow of messages between brain cells and are vital to healthy brain function. Their loss strongly predicts reduced memory and thinking abilities in humans with Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease in the past have relied heavily on genetically modified rodent models. Rodents do not naturally develop dementia, and studying cats with dementia has the potential to advance knowledge and help develop treatments for both cats and people.
