Vascular dementia, a form of cognitive decline caused by disease in the brain’s small blood vessels, remains under-researched compared to Alzheimer’s disease, despite its widespread impact, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico have developed a model to better characterise and categorise different forms of vascular dementia, aiming to deepen understanding and pave the way for effective treatments.
While conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes are known risk factors, the study points to emerging contributors, including nano- and microplastics recently detected in human brains.
“We have been flying blind. 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,” said Elaine Bearer, Professor at the university.
Published in the American Journal of Pathology, the study identified ten disease processes contributing to vascular brain injury, often through oxygen or nutrient deficiency, blood serum leakage, inflammation, or impaired waste elimination. These mechanisms can lead to tiny strokes that damage neurons.
Bearer highlighted that new staining techniques and advanced microscopy now allow researchers to detect these subtle changes.
A growing concern is the health impact of plastics in the brain. “Nanoplastics in the brain represent a new player on the field of brain pathology,” Bearer said. “All our current thinking about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias needs to be revised in light of this discovery.”
According to the findings, demented individuals had higher plastic accumulation in brain tissue compared to healthy subjects, with levels correlating to both the severity and type of dementia, alongside increased inflammation.
-IANS