A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the folds in the brain that form during the last stages of pregnancy may influence the age at which the disease begins..

Frontotemporal dementia begins relatively early compared to other forms of dementia. We still know relatively little about the causes of this disease.. Those who suffer from frontotemporal dementia usually experience an early onset, often while still in working age. In addition, the progression of the disease is rapid, and the median survival time after diagnosis is eight years.. Reported by MedicalXpress.

“There is no cure or treatment to slow the progression of the disease. Therefore, any new knowledge about this disease is valuable,” says Alexander Santillo, assistant professor of psychiatry at Lund University and consultant psychiatrist..

In a study of 307 participants (27-87 years old), of which 92 had Alzheimer's disease and 105 had frontotemporal dementia (also known as frontal lobe dementia), and a control group of 110 people, Alexander Santillo and colleagues examined the brains of patients with. They found that brain folds formed during fetal development may influence the age at which people start to have frontotemporal dementia.. In those who suffered from Alzheimer's, it did not appear to have an effect on the disease..

“The specific area we have studied is called the cingulate gyrus, located in the frontal lobe of the brain.. Study participants who had an extra crease in this region of the right hemisphere of the brain developed symptoms of frontotemporal dementia an average of 3 years later than people without this crease,” says Luke Harper, resident neurology doctoral student at Lund University and.

The researchers behind the study say the findings contribute to a dramatic increase in understanding of the disease.. It was already known that genetics is involved in whether you develop dementia, but the connection with how the brain develops during the fetal stage has not previously been established..

During this period, the brain is especially sensitive to environmental factors.. In the past, it was not possible to establish a link between fetal development and diseases that affect the brain 60-70 years after birth.. The findings may also be relevant to other neurological diseases.

.

“We know that some people suffer from frontotemporal cognitive disease due to a genetic mutation, but for the vast majority of people, the cause is unknown, as are the factors that influence the progression of the disease.. Our results also show that variations in brain folds need to be taken into account when developing new treatments.. However, our results must first be confirmed in other studies,” says Alexander Santillo..

medical-heal. en.