Dementia is still heavily researched, as more people want to uncover more about the disease. A new study revealed one important early sign of brain disease.

Neuroscientists from the University of Cambridge uncovered how a distinct neuropsychiatric condition is associated with the onset of dementia.

The research team have now linked apathy with an early warning sign of the brain disease.

Apathy is distinguished by a reduction in goal-orientated behaviour and motivational impairments.

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Data from 450 patients with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) were collected.

SVD is an age-related condition that is the leading cause of vascular dementia.

The theory goes that following SVD patients before the development of dementia would offer insight into the earliest pre-clinical signs of cognitive decline.

It was hypothesised that subjects with higher baseline apathy levels – or apathy levels that increased over time – were at a significantly higher risk for developing dementia.

The researchers noted that MRI studies have found SVD damages specific to white matter networks relating to motivation and healthy cognitive functions.

These findings suggest that as SVD progresses, an early stage of dementia can manifest in apathetic behaviour.

The authors noted: “This implies that apathy is not a risk factor for dementia per se, but rather an early symptom of white matter network damage.

“Indeed, recent theoretical work proposed that certain symptoms of apathy are synonymous with defined cognitive deficits.”

The researchers added: “If this is the case, then apathy may manifest early as a reduction in attention towards reward stimuli, then later, as an inability to learn or remember rewarding behaviours.”

As the study only followed SVD patients over five years, more lengthy data needs to be collected.

Mounting evidence would be able to strengthen the link between apathy and dementia.

As always, more scientists are collaborating to find out more about the brain disease.

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Lowering your risk of small vessel disease (SVD)

Professor Joanna Wardlaw at the University of Edinburgh explained a bit more about the condition.

“Altogether, the brain has about 400 miles of small vessels,” she begun. It’s when these vessels become damaged that small vessel disease occurs.

She explained: “If there isn’t enough oxygen and food getting into the brain, and rubbish isn’t being removed as efficiently as it should, then damage occurs.”

Risk factors for developing small vessel disease is high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, too much fat in the blood, lack of exercise and eating too much salt.

Professor Wardlaw commented: “Sometimes people think that it’s too late to change their habits once they get to ‘a certain age’. This isn’t true – it’s never too late.”

The body has wonderful capabilities to heal itself, as long as you take the action necessary to help it do so.

This involves leading a healthier lifestyle and taking prescribed medication for things such as high blood pressure.

A healthy body and mind will greatly reduce the risk of developing dementia.

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