Alzheimer's and dementia can be treated with the help of cats; scientists have discovered a strong connection.

Research conducted by scientists at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom revealed that cats that suffer from dementia have a specific type of toxic protein accumulating in their brains.

Many people like to keep cats, but do you know that cats can now be used to treat Alzheimer's and dementia patients? Actually, a study was conducted recently. It revealed that the dementia disease in cats is very similar to the Alzheimer's disease in humans. In such a situation, scientists believe that cats can be very helpful in the treatment of Alzheimer's and dementia. Let's know what is the whole matter? 

The connection of cats to dementia and Alzheimer's

 

 

According to the information, this research has been done by scientists of the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. They observed that cats who have dementia have a special type of toxic protein deposited in their brains, which is called amyloid-beta. This protein is considered to be the main cause of Alzheimer's disease in humans. This study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience stated that there are many similarities between this disease of cats and humans.

Such symptoms are seen in cats

Scientists have observed that when old cats develop dementia, their behavior also changes. Due to this, they meow repeatedly. They appear to be in a state of confusion. At the same time, their sleep also gets interrupted repeatedly. All these symptoms are similar to Alzheimer's disease in humans. In such a situation, scientists feel that Alzheimer's disease can be understood well by studying cats. 

This work was done in research

For this study, scientists researched the brains of 25 dead cats. Some of these cats were suffering from dementia. They examined the brains of the cats with the help of a powerful microscope and found that there was a deposit of amyloid-beta protein in the brains of aged and dementia-stricken cats. This deposit was especially seen in the synapses. Synapses work to send messages between brain cells, which are very important for a healthy mind. When amyloid-beta gets deposited in them, they are unable to function properly. This reduces memory and thinking ability. The same problem is also seen in Alzheimer's disease.

What is synaptic pruning?

Another interesting thing came to light in the research. Scientists observed that there are some special cells in the brain like astrocytes and microglia. These cells eat the damaged synapses in the brain. This process is called synaptic pruning. This process is beneficial during the development of the brain because it keeps the brain clean and organized. On the other hand, this process increases in dementia, due to which even important synapses are destroyed. This has a bad effect on the functioning of the brain and memory.