Karen Thompson

A recent study (1) revealed that Alzheimer’s patients have cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which is extremely deplete in free fatty acids compared to people in control groups who have much higher levels and do not suffer from Alzheimer’s. This means there is a drastic reduction in free fatty acids traversing the blood/brain barrier in Alzheimer’s patients. What is meant by blood/brain barrier is that compounds, such as fatty acids, which are required by the brain, have to make the precarious journey from other parts of the body, such as the liver, through the blood stream, into the CSF and on into the brain. Although this might initially appear to be a simple procedure, some compounds, such as fats, can be damaged or destroyed along the way, and, in the case of fats they can be oxidized by oxygen which renders them useless. This is often the reason why it is suggested that patients take antioxidants to provide support to essential elements and organs within the body. Additionally, research is also establishing the multiple roles cholesterol plays in the human body. The most important of these findings has been to identify just how essential cholesterol is to the effective functioning of the human brain. In fact, when it comes to cholesterol our brains utilize over 25% of the total amount contained in the body and this is primarily used to ensure that nerve signals are effectively transmitted. If we only consider these two basic functions we start to become aware that both saturated fats and cholesterol play an integral role in brain function whether that be related to either the gray matter (made up of neurons) of the brain and the white matter (the axons, or wiring which transmit signals). The axons (wiring) in the brain are no different to those in other parts of the body in that they are coated with a substance called myelin. If you visualize the axons as wires which run through rubber or plastic insulation cabling then this is pretty much an accurate picture of them. As with any electrical cabling, if the coating or insulation becomes damaged, then problems with the wiring underneath occurs. Initially it might simply short out and disrupt function of the appliance but eventually, if the problem is severe enough, then the wire itself burns out and the electrical signal is lost or the associated appliance is damaged. In Alzheimer’s patients the myelin or coating does become damaged and as a consequence so does the axon function underneath. Eventually, after increasing severity of problems, the brain or appliance can no longer function effectively. Yet this is still only part of the problem because as signals travel down the wiring or axons they are picked up at junctions by the neurons, the actual nerve or brain cells. The junctions where signals are picked up are referred to as synapses and it is here that chemicals known as neurotransmitters, such as dopamine or GABA, exert their influence by regulating how strong the actual signal strength is. When the axon is damaged so is the synapse and this disrupts not only the neuron’s signal but also the flow of the chemical neurotransmitters.