We usually associate dementia with humans, but cats can develop feline dementia, or cognitive dysfunction, as they get older, too.
The symptoms of dementia in cats, like confusion and sleep problems, mirror those experienced by humans.
Increased vocalization, particularly meowing, is also common in cats with dementia, as is a change in appetite.
A new study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience has found that the brains of cats with dementia change in a similar way to those of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. This may help us to better study dementia in humans, the researchers have said.
Scientists found a build-up of the toxic protein amyloid-beta in the brains of cats with dementia, something also found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. This helps us learn how the protein leads to age-related brain dysfunction and memory loss in cats.
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh examined the brains of 25 cats after they’d died, including cats who’d shown signs of feline dementia. They found build-ups of amyloid-beta within the synapses, connections between brain cells, of senior cats and cats with dementia.
They also discovered that astrocytes and microglia, both support cells found in the brain, ‘ate’ the synapses affected. Known as synaptic pruning, the process is important when the brain is developing but can contribute to synapse loss in dementia.
Synapses allow messages to travel between brain cells and are important when it comes to keeping the brain healthy. When they’re affected, it’s likely to lead to memory and cognitive issues.
The findings will help us both understand and learn to manage dementia in cats, but dementia in humans, too. Previously, scientists have had to rely on rodent models, but rodents don’t naturally develop dementia. So, studying cats who’ve died with dementia could aid research and help develop treatments.
Dr Robert McGeachan, study lead from the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said: "Dementia is a devastating disease – whether it affects humans, cats, or dogs. Our findings highlight the striking similarities between feline dementia and Alzheimer's disease in people.
“This opens the door to exploring whether promising new treatments for human Alzheimer's disease could also help our aging pets.”
Professor Danièlle Gunn-Moore, Personal Chair of Feline Medicine at the same vet school, added: "Feline dementia is so distressing for the cat and for its person. It is by undertaking studies like this that we will understand how best to treat them. This will be wonderful for the cats, their owners, people with Alzheimer's and their loved ones. Feline dementia is the perfect natural model for Alzheimer's, everyone benefits."
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