New research from Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences suggests that declining skeletal muscle health could be a potential early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. The study, conducted in collaboration with the University of Arkansas and funded by the National Institutes of Health, revealed a link between declining skeletal muscle health in Alzheimer’s patients and impaired peripheral nerve function.
Published in the journal Function, the findings of the study have significant implications for early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s or dementia. The researchers believe that Alzheimer’s is a systemic pathology affecting the entire body, not just the brain. They also found that the muscles of individuals with Alzheimer’s may respond differently to common interventions like exercise, indicating the need for personalized treatment approaches.
Lead researcher Joshua Drake, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, emphasized the importance of identifying early signs of Alzheimer’s before cognitive symptoms manifest. By measuring nerve function in peripheral limbs, researchers may be able to identify individuals at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The study builds on existing literature showing that individuals who later develop Alzheimer’s experience significant skeletal muscle loss before cognitive symptoms appear. This new research highlights the potential of monitoring skeletal muscle health as a way to detect Alzheimer’s in its early stages.
