Does Alzheimer’s Run In Your Family? It Doesn’t Have To!

Alzheimer’s is caused by the build-up of amyloid plaque in the brain. Most genetic predispositions to Alzheimer’s only increase that accumulation of plaque a little bit. That means that following healthy lifestyle routines might be able to reduce the plaques and offset the increase caused by the gene.

For example, deep sleep actually washes away the toxic build-up that causes Alzheimer’s. Good sleep hygiene gives this natural restoration its best chance to work.

Exciting new research has produced rich evidence that lights that flicker at a rate of 40 times per second (40Hz) can mobilize special immune cells, microglia, that purge amyloid beta plaque from the brain. This treatment is so noninvasive and unobtrusive that it can be used to promote brain health for people who already have Alzheimer’s symptoms, as well as for people whose cognitive function is optimal.

Other ways of offsetting a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s are lifestyle habits that we know are good for the health of our whole body: a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise, for example. Avoiding obesity and smoking and preventing high blood pressure also have protective effects on the brain.

But one of the most interesting and surprising ways to prevent Alzheimer’s symptoms, even if you’re genetically predisposed to the disease, is the subject of a TED talk by Lisa Genova. She is a neuroscientist who is also the author of Still Alice, a novel about early-onset Alzheimer’s. She talks about the famous “Nun Study,” which followed a group of elderly nuns over many years to understand Alzheimer’s disease better. The study revealed something surprising: some nuns whose autopsies showed heavy build-up of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in their brains had no cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s when they were alive.

How can this be? The answer is thought to have to do with “cognitive reserve,” which means a highly developed back-up system in the brain. Learning actually creates new neural connections. If there’s only one way to get to the town library, and the road is blocked by a fallen tree, you just can’t get to the library. But if there are several alternate routes, you can take a detour. By leading an active intellectual life in which you’re constantly learning new things, you can create alternative cognitive pathways. Learning strengthens neural connections and creates new ones, so that apparently even with full-blown evidence of Alzheimer’s, thinking is not impaired.

Genes feel like fate—something that can’t be changed. It isn’t so.

Lisa Genova cautions that this is not just a matter of doing crossword puzzles, which focus more on information retrieval than on learning. It’s not just a matter of using your brain—it’s about creating new connections by learning new things.

It strikes me that all the advice I’ve researched for preventing the development of cognitive impairment, even if you’re genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, recommends actions that are meant to be integrated into daily life: diet and exercise, 40Hz lights, like Beacon40, that work in the background as you go about your day, good sleep habits, and a mindset that promotes intellectual exploration. Those of us who have a family history of Alzheimer’s can cultivate these habits instead of feeling helpless about our fate.