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Protein leads to problems with executive thinking skills | A high level of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood, leads to brain changes that are linked to problems with executive thinking skills, according to a new study. For the study, scientists examined
447 stroke and dementia-free people with an average age of 63. Participants underwent
MRI brain scans such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a technique that measures
water molecule movements in the brain. They also completed tests that measured
verbal memory, word fluency and executive function, the process in the brain that
allows for planning, decision making and selection of appropriate behaviour. The
study found that higher levels of CRP led to worse performance in executive function.
Higher levels of the protein also affected the frontal lobe of the brain, where
some motor functions take place. Motor skills, however, were not measured in the
study. Other areas of cognition, such as memory and language skills, showed no
association with CRP. Overall, the average time to complete a test of executive
function was 85 seconds. Those with the highest levels of CRP took an average
of seven seconds longer to complete the test than those with the lowest levels
of the protein. The brain changes measured with DTI were equivalent to 12 years
of aging for those with the highest levels of CRP compared to those with the lowest
levels. "The use of aspirin and statin drugs as well as physical activity and
controlling weight can help lower CRP levels in the body, but our analyses did
not consider whether therapy would be effective or not," said study author Dr.
Heike Wersching, with the University of Munster in Germany. The study is published
in the latest issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy
of Neurology.
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