Can Alzheimer’s Be Treated with Antibiotics?

Physicians understand that if left untreated, bacterial infections may travel to the brain and damage neurons. With this in mind, researchers are finding bacterial invasions in the brain tissue and spinal fluid of seniors with Alzheimer’s disease. These findings suggest that the neuron damage associated with AD may be the result of bacterial infections that creep into the brain via the bloodstream. If these findings are accurate, antibiotics could play an important role in cracking the Alzheimer’s code. The following information provided by Dayton Home Care Assistance will clarify these findings and explain what they mean for the future of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers from Switzerland’s International Research Center discovered that 90 percent of Swiss people who have Alzheimer’s experience systemic Borrelia burgdorferi infections, which are bacteria known to cause lyme disease. Once the organisms enter the brain through the cerebral cortex, they construct matrix formations and colonize in structures that resemble plaques. White blood cells then arrive to fight the invasion and become trapped in the plaques before inflammation associated with AD begins.
The team from this study also found that during the process, neurons create the amyloid-beta proteins that are associated with Alzheimer’s. Scientists additionally learned that the amyloid-beta proteins are the neurons’ act of self-defense in the presence of pathogens. However, along with the inflammatory processes, the proteins cause brain cell damage. The damage inflicted upon the neurons interferes with normal communication, which causes dementia symptoms. 
In lieu of these findings, the team surmised that if affected individuals received the appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of the infection, there is a good chance that the infection might be curtailed in time to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. They also suggested that physicians prescribe prophylactic antibiotic therapy for individuals who have a family history of Alzheimer’s or in patients testing positive for the Apo-E4 lipoprotein. The researchers also highly recommend antibiotic therapy for individuals who show signs of the early stages of Alzheimer’s. 

In laboratories in the U.S. and other parts of the world, a number of researchers are finding chlamydia, salmonella, yeast and other common bacteria in Alzheimer’s patient’s postmortem tissues. This information could prove to be significant among the scientific community, but until a concrete solution is found, seniors with Alzheimer’s have other resources to turn to. At Home Care Assistance, our Cognitive Therapeutics Method helps seniors with cognitive disorders develop activities-based routines to sharpen mental function and acuity, and it is included in our Dayton Alzheimer’s care services at no additional cost to clients. To schedule a free in-home consultation, call a knowledgeable Care Manager today at 937.353.7997.