In 2007, James Watson eyed his genome for the very first time. Through more than 50 years of scientific and technological advancement, Watson saw the chemical structure he once helped unravel now fused into a personal genetic landscape laid out before him.

Yet there was a small stretch of nucleic acids on chromosome 19 that he preferred to leave uncovered, a region that coded the apolipoprotein E gene. APOE, as it’s called, has been a telling genetic landmark of Alzheimer’s risk, strongly correlated to the disease since the early 90s. Watson’s grandmother suffered from Alzheimer’s, and without any reasonable treatments or suitable preventive strategies, the father of DNA decided the information was too volatile, its revelation creating more potential harm than good.

Watson’s apprehension was warranted. Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease have consistently failed, sometimes miserably. But as we learn more and more about the brain, it has become apparent that genetics alone rarely dictate the course of disease. Instead, brain disorders result from a complex interaction of our genes and the environments to which we’re exposed. And now, a recent wave of research has unveiled another player in the genesis of neurodegenerative disease: stress.

While scientists have already catalogued the effect  of our surroundings and environment on psychological conditions – including depression and anxiety disorders – new studies suggest that stress may also figure into the complex equation that determines if someone will develop a neurodegenerative disease or not. Because stress can be mitigated through lifestyle changes, people may finally gain some control over these devastating, and feared, illnesses.

Since Alois Alzheimer first noted his clinical findings of “presenile dementia” in a patient at the turn of the twentieth century, doctors have continually observed that the disease tends to run through families. But it wasn’t until the early 90s, when a team led by Margaret Pericak-Vance, then a researcher at Duke University Medical School, uncovered the genetic link to Alzheimer’s Disease. By extracting DNA from circulating lymphoblasts, Pericak-Vance and colleagues were able to correlate Alzheimer’s Disease to variations of the APOE gene on chromosome 19.

Around the same time, another group of researchers at Duke University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, led by Brenda Plassman, started a series of experiments to see if non-genetic factors contributed to Alzheimer’s. They wondered: could a person’s environment also affect whether or not they’d acquire the disease?

4 Comments

1. 1. tetrahedral 01:16 PM 2/1/11

   Having recently developed Parkinson's I have been reading up on brain function, and this article dovetails nicely with other information. I hope that parents, teachers and administrators read this article because the stress that many students experience from parental pressures, academic standards and peer bullying or ostracism are likely having long term consequences for the students and for society.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. JDahiya 06:04 AM 2/21/11

   Thank you for the article. Positive news on gloomy conditions, at long last.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

3. 3. OBagle 08:13 PM 4/30/11

   That corticosteroids as well as adrenaline wreak damage on all organs of the body is obvious. Their purpose is to initiate the emergency response protocols which allow us to defend against or escape from imminent danger by activating the body's "afterburner" mechanisms. However, since Jurassic times, the survival of most land animals rarely depends on their remaining in constant 24/7 "battle mode", which by very definition, cannot possibly be done without damaging DNA. The human body, having evolved the intelligence to foresee and avoid mortal threat, thus is individually responsible for the amount of stress that it encounters. There can be no denying that a wanted criminal or a common denizen of a resource poor civilization suffers far greater stress than, say, the average Canadian. Highly educated and experienced people tend to handle conflicts without resorting to stressful confrontation or short-sighted solutions, and not surprisingly, suffer lower rates of dementia (resulting purely from neurological damage through stress induced corticosteroid exposure). Confinement in a restricted space, literally or figuratively, if known to be a major source of stress, should be outlawed. Zoos, full-time employment, neckties, government by the "ignorant and emotionally unstable" masses and marriage included.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

4. 4. exodus88 04:56 PM 7/13/11

   Harmony with yourself is the answer to the problems of the mind and body that many suffer from in this society, to train yourself in positive thinking will help to clear the mind and body and bring about a state of harmony. Also compassion for others, be it be organic or inorganic matter.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this