Research shows feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome develops similarly to dementia in humans
These findings are expected to support the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive diseases in cats and people.
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh, in conjunction with the University of California, has found that key proteins linked to cognitive diseases are found similarly in both cats and humans.
Elderly cats develop age-related behavioral and neuropathological changes that ultimately lead to cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS).
ß- amyloid and tau protein, two key proteins
These neuropathologies share similarities with those seen in the brain of humans with Alzheimer's disease, including extracellular accumulation of ß-amyloid (Aß) and intraneuronal deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, which are considered the two main hallmarks of the Alzheimer disease.
The study evaluated the presence and distribution of Aβ and tau hyperphosphorylation within the cat brain (n = 55 cats), and how the distribution of these proteins changes with age and the presence of CDS.
The research eventually found that the accumulation of tau proteins, and the region of the brain in which this occurs, are key indicators of the progress of dementia in cats and that the clinical signs developed in feline patients with CPS are similar to those of Alzheimer's disease in humans.
Improve diagnosis and treatment in cats and people
Therefore, this study demonstrates that the development of feline CDS functions in a similar way to dementia and it is hoped that these findings support the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive diseases in cats and humans by helping to understand the indicators of the disease. .
Comments
More news
Copyright © 2025 - All Rights Reserved
ISSN 2768-198X
List
Add
Please enter a comment