Alzheimer’s disease is currently one of the most prevalent in the world, with more than 46 million people affected, so the study of dementia is one of the greatest challenges facing science, although it is already we have evolved a lot, much remains to be understood. and therefore new discoveries are inevitable. An example is the appearance of a new type of dementia, LATE.
Although several types of dementia are already known and it has been assumed that they can coexist with each other, there are some inconsistencies that are attracting the attention of scientists. For example, in patients with severe Alzheimer’s older than 80 years, cognitive decline may exceed expected. Apparently, this new type of dementia could explain these off-curve cases.
- The acronym LATE refers to age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy.
- LATE is linked to the protein TDP-43.
- Which has been observed and linked to other previously degenerative diseases.
- Such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobe degeneration.
- (FTLD).
TDP-43 is a protein that binds to DNA and RNA and performs multiple functions in the regulation of gene expression.
The proposed new dementia, LATE, occurs at an advanced age, especially in those over 80. For example, alzheimer’s disease diagnostic working groups have proposed the term with the intention of including other general TDP-43 proteinopathies that are also associated with cognitive decline. , including, for example, hippocampal sclerosis and its subtypes.
TDP-43 proteininopathy has been associated with progressive amnesic syndrome that has characteristics similar to Alzheimer’s disease, which, coupled with lack of knowledge and lack of evidence to diagnose proteinopathy, has led some scientists to claim that a high percentage of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s may in fact suffer from TARD.
Proteininopathy TDP-43 assumes the loss of its normal immunoreactivity, with the change of the cell cytoplasm and an abnormal accumulation of proteins.
Currently, changes in TDP-43 can only be observed by performing an autopsy of the brain after death, based on this type of study and its results, experts proposed a three-step evolution of the disease:
Like other dementias, TARDIVA dementia is also accompanied by an amnesiac syndrome that can progress and affect other cognitive areas, as well as affect the activities of daily life, however, there are some aspects that make this condition a slightly different model.
The lack of available evidence to date indicates that patients with pure TARD show a more gradual decrease than those with Alzheimer’s disease. Unsurprisingly, people with TARD and Alzheimer’s in comorability have a more severe and faster decline.
Those suffering from TARD have a more noticeable decrease in episodic memory, but also have severe symptoms in other functions, especially in later stages. For example, it seems that patients with good verbal fluency, despite their low ability to remember a list of words, have an increased risk of developing TARD.
It is too early to establish neuropsychological profiles and we do not have the necessary neuroimaging instruments to observe the evolution of live proteins, so we have no choice but to wait for future research to bring new biomarkers and indicators, as well as motors, autonomic. or neuropsychiatric characteristics.