RESEARCHERS have shown for the first time that malfunctioning mitochondria, the cell’s energy generators, may directly cause cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases.

By creating a new tool that temporarily boosts mitochondrial activity in the brain, scientists restored memory performance in mouse models of dementia.

The discovery hints that energy failure inside neurons could happen before brain cells die, potentially offering a new target for future Alzheimer’s treatments.

In a study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers from Inserm and the University of Bordeaux at the NeuroCentre Magendie, working with scientists at the Universite de Moncton in Canada, reported a major step forward in understanding dementia.

Their results showed a direct cause-and-effect link between faulty mitochondrial activity and cognitive symptoms associated with neurodegenerative disease.

Brain Energy and Memory LossThe team created a highly specific tool that allowed them to temporarily increase mitochondrial activity in animal models of neurodegenerative disease.

When they boosted the brain’s energy machinery, memory problems improved. Although the findings are still early and were observed in animal models, they point to an intriguing possibility: mitochondria may not simply break down after brain disease begins. Instead, their failure may help drive the symptoms that appear as dementia develops. That idea could reshape how scientists think about future treatments.

If brain cell energy failure contributes to memory loss, then restoring mitochondrial function may one day become a strategy for slowing or reducing symptoms. SOURCE: ANI