Cats develop dementia similarly to humans, study finds
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh carried out post-mortem examinations on the brains of 25 cats, all of which had exhibited symptoms of feline dementia.
Symptoms can include confusion, disrupted sleep cycles, more frequent vocalisation, and missing the litter box, according to the study, which was published in the European Journal of Neuroscience.
Using powerful microscopy images, the researchers found an accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques in the cats' brains. These plaques are a toxic protein that affect the brain's ability to communicate messages and remember things, and they are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
"Our findings highlight the striking similarities between feline dementia and Alzheimer's disease in people," said Robert McGeachan, the study's lead author and a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh's veterinary school.
"Because cats naturally develop these brain changes, they may also offer a more accurate model of the disease than traditional laboratory animals, ultimately benefiting both species and their caregivers,' McGeachan added.
Typically, scientists study dementia with genetically modified rodents, which don't naturally develop the syndrome.
Feline dementia, however, is the "perfect natural model for Alzheimer's," said Danièlle Gunn-Moore, a feline medicine professor at the school.
The development could help lead to a more advanced understanding of how the disease progresses, and the creation of new treatments in the future, the researchers said.
"Feline dementia is so distressing for the cat and for its person," Gunn-Moore said. "It is by undertaking studies like this that we will understand how best to treat them".
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing to an estimated 60 per cent to 70 per cent of cases.
While there is currently no known cure, medications can help some people manage symptoms.
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