Does the size of your brain predict the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease? One study released December 2011 in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, finds that smaller brain size has a high correlation with the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Technically, the researchers found that the thickness of regions of the cortex known to be vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease. The study was conducted among people in their mid-seventies who have not shown signs of memory loss.
Predicting who may be at a higher risk for the disease is important, as early detection may be an important step to slowing down or stopping the progression of memory loss and cognitive function.
Another marker, according to the press release, is abnormal levels of protein in cerebrospinal fluid. For more information on this study, click here.