Mechanisms have been discovered that may explain the link between head injuries, concussions and the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
A team of scientists from Tufts University and Oxford University has identified mechanisms that reveal the connection between head injuries and the development of pathologies such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. They found that most people harbor latent viruses in their brains that can be activated after a blow, causing inflammation and damage that accumulates over months or even years.
Scientists placed a small 3D model of the human brain in a plastic shell that sat on a springy platform. Inside this polymer skull was a ball of living brain tissue floating in a warm salty solution, its neurons exchanging signals in the dark. The piston then hit the platform, bouncing it back and forth, causing the mini-brain to wobble.
A few days later, when the team examined the lesions, they discovered that part of the brain-like tissue had an underlying herpes virus infection. The impact of the piston, simulating a concussion, activated this virus. The tissue showed significant inflammation, newly formed plaques of sticky amyloid proteins, and dying neurons – typical signs of Alzheimer’s disease. At the same time, brain tissue recovered from the concussion without infection, showing only minor inflammation.
Scientists suggest that the results of their study indicate that concussion, which often occurs in athletes and military personnel, for example, can activate latent infections, which potentially contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease in adulthood. The results also suggest that antiviral drugs may be a potential method of early prevention after traumatic brain injury.