‘Spicing up’ dementia research
An ingredient in curry spice, testosterone supplements and retinal scans are reportedly tools being used by West Australian researchers to help battle, prevent or detect memory loss. Such cognitive loss as dementia, and the progressive decline in the ability to think and learn, will affect almost one million people by 2050.
An ingredient in curry spice, testosterone supplements and retinal scans are reportedly tools being used by West Australian researchers to help battle, prevent or detect memory loss.
Such cognitive loss as dementia, and the progressive decline in the ability to think and learn, will affect almost one million people by 2050, according to Alzheimer’s Australia – with the cost topping $80 billion by 2063.
McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation director, Ralph Martins, says a world-first trial would involve the ingestion of curcumin – an ingredient of the curry spice turmeric – and a powerful antioxidant that attacks beta-amyloid in the brain.
Beta-amyloid, a small protein, is believed to be the culprit in the onset of dementia by killing neurons and preventing them from setting down new memories.
In the study – to be conducted jointly with a US group – patients will be given a curcumin ‘pudding’ to eat over three to four days.
Curcumin binds to amyloid and the build-up can be detected in the retina, with a simple scan showing if the levels are indicative of pre-Alzheimer’s.
Brain scans will be used to validate the retinal findings.
Early diagnosis will enable prevention strategies to be swung into place for patients well before the brain is severely damaged.
The McCusker Foundation has received major funding for the trial – the first of its kind in the world – from the WA government, the federal government Cooperative Research Centres for Mental Health and private donors.
“The evidence is clearly showing now through our large Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle (AIBL) Study of Ageing that people who have got low testosterone have high levels of amyloid in their brain,” Professor Martins said.
“The ultimate question is: if you give them testosterone, can you bring amyloid down and can you prevent the onset of dementia and preserve memories?”
A preliminary study in Indonesia – designed and supervised by Professor Martins and his team at ECU – has shown a lot of promise for testosterone as a treatment.
