Could Alzheimer’s Disease Be an Autoimmune Condition?

Could Alzheimer’s disease be an autoimmune condition? Find out here!

Finding a cure for Alzheimer’s has become as tangled as the tau threads long thought to be the root cause of the disease. But now, research workers may be drawing one step closer to unraveling the puzzle of Alzheimer’s, by using a different train of thought. New studies are leaning towards the potential of an inflammatory response in the brain, which poses the question: could Alzheimer’s disease be an autoimmune condition?

Crohn’s disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis sufferers know firsthand the impact of an overactive immune system. In a perfect world, our immunity protects us from bacteria, viruses, and other infections that need to be eradicated. Yet with an autoimmune disease, antibodies attack healthy, non-invasive cells, generating inflammation and other unwanted effects.

In earlier Alzheimer’s disease research, those notorious amyloid plaques have been the focus. Yet we also recognize that even in healthy brains, these plaques are in place and are thought to conduct some type of helpful purpose. The immune system concentrates on these plaques, destroying them and possibly healthy cells in the process: indicative of a possible autoimmune response.

This unconventional new method to studying and developing treatment possibilities for Alzheimer’s has won lead author of the research, Don Weaver, MD, PhD, of the Krembil Brain Institute, an Oskar Fischer Prize, which “recognizes innovative ideas in Alzheimer’s research that look beyond prevailing theories.”

For everyone else, it provides optimism that a cure for the illness that strikes so many could be around the corner. For the time being, turn to Hired Hands Homecare for skilled, creative, and compassionate dementia care services that help people with Alzheimer’s disease continue to live to their fullest potential in the homes they love. We are experienced in assisting those with dementia and the families who love them to better deal with some of the more troubling facets of the disease, like:

• Wandering and requesting to go “home”

• Agitation, aggression, and other strong and difficult emotions

• Increased discomfort in the late afternoon and overnight hours (sundowning)

• Repetitive behaviors and conversations

• Loss of memory

• And more

We will partner with your family to provide the right amount of care needed to ensure you have the breaks from caregiving you need for your own health and wellbeing. After all, providing care for a person with dementia is never a one-person endeavor, especially as the disease progresses. Taking time away for self-care and to recharge is extremely beneficial for you and your family as well as for the individual with dementia. A well-rested family caregiver is more patient and better equipped to offer the level of care a person with dementia needs and deserves.

Contact us at (866) 940-4343 for further helpful Alzheimer’s care resources, and to schedule a free in-home meeting to learn more about our specialized dementia care in Novato, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and throughout the Bay Area.