Play and Exercise Protect Mouse Brain From Amyloid Buildup

摘要

As the population ages, finding ways to stave off the debilitating brain degeneration of Alzheimer's disease becomes ever more critical. New results with a mouse model of the condition now provide further support for the idea that "use it or lose it" applies as much to the mind as to the body. A leading explanation for Alzheimer's disease blames abnormal buildup of a small protein called p amyloid, which accumulates in pathological structures called plaques in patients' brains. Now, working with mice genetically engineered to produce similar P-amyloid plaques, a research team led by Sam Sisodia of the University of Chicago, Illinois, has found that the p-amyloid buildup can be greatly reduced by a lifestyle change: housing the animals in an enriched environment-one amply stocked with toys and exercise equipment-instead of in standard lab cages equipped with nothing more than food, water, and bedding material.