Scientists have identified areas of the brain that can contribute to mental decline and dementia when damaged by high blood pressure. Reported by the European Society of Cardiology.
High blood pressure is common and affects 30% of people worldwide. Doctors have long known that this contributes to dementia and impaired brain function. At the same time, scientists did not know exactly how it happened and what parts of the brain it damaged.
Tomas Guzik of the University of Edinburgh and his colleagues decided to find out. To do this, they used brain MRI data, genome analysis and data from human medical examinations from more than 30,000 participants in a British Biobank study. At the same time, during the genetic analysis, the Mendelian method of randomization was used, which allows you to find out whether the two facts are really related (genetic characteristics and state of the body) or if this is just a coincidence.
They found that changes in nine parts of the brain were associated with higher blood pressure and cognitive decline. These include the putamen, a circular structure located at the base of the anterior part of the brain that regulates movement and influences various types of learning. In addition, the anterior thalamic tract, anterior part of the corona radiata and anterior part of the inner capsule are affected. All these areas are somehow responsible for transmitting signals between different parts of the brain. While the thalamic pathway is involved in the planning of daily tasks, the other two areas are related to decision making and emotion management.
Changes in these areas led to reductions in the volume of brain tissue and the surface area of the cortex, as well as impaired connections between different parts of the brain and changes in activity indicators.
The authors hope their findings will help develop ways to prevent dementia.