Brain folds formed during foetal stage could affect onset of dementia

Researchers discovered that the brain folds that form during foetal development may have an impact on the age at which invididuals begin to suffer from frontotemporal dementia. In those suffering from Alzheimer's disease, this did not seem to have an impact on the illness.

the findings contribute to a dramatic increase in understanding of the disease. It was already known that genetics has a bearing on whether you will develop dementia, however, the link to how the brain develops in the foetal stage had not previously been made.

During this period, the brain is particularly sensitive to environmental factors. In the past, it was not possible to make connections between foetal development and diseases that affect the brain 60-70 years after birth. The findings may also be of relevance to other neurological disease.

In a study with 307 participants (27-87 years of age), of which 92 were suffering from Alzheimer's disease and 105 from frontotemporal dementia (also known as frontal lobe dementia) and a control group of 110 people.

Researchers concluded that some people are affected by frontotemporal cognitive disease due to a genetic mutation, however for the vast majority of people the cause is unknown, as are the factors that influence the progression of the disease. Their findings also indicate that variations in brain folds need to be taken into account when developing new treatments.