United States: Safeguarding muscle sturdiness could help to decrease the rates of dementia, a recent investigation suggests. Co-senior author Marilyn Albert, professor of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University, opined that men and women with lesser skeletal muscle mass are 60% likelier to be diagnosed with dementia aspects regardless of other risk factors, as reported by HealthDay.
Skeletal muscle forms one-third of the body weight, and people experience muscle loss as they age; this has invoked concerns over the influence of this loss on brain function.
Temporalis Muscle as a Marker
As part of the effort to study the connection between muscular atrophy and cognitive dysfunction, the temporalis muscle, responsible for jaw motion, was analyzed. “It is possible to use the size of temporalis muscle as the method provides an opportunity to evaluate other aspects of the skeletal muscle,” noted Dr Kamyar Moradi, a post-doctoral research fellow in radiology at the John Hopkins.
Researchers studied MRI images of 619 patients with the average age of 77, thereby classifying the patients into groups according to the size of their temporalis muscles.
Findings: Muscle Atrophy Linked to Cognitive Decline
The study found a strong association between smaller temporalis muscles and higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease, memory issues, reduced daily functioning, and decreased brain volume. Smaller muscles in the jaw were used as a proxy for overall skeletal muscle decline, emphasizing their importance as an early indicator of risk.
While the findings highlight a significant correlation, they do not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between muscle atrophy and dementia.
Practical Steps for Prevention
Dr. Shadpour Demehri, a co-senior author and professor of radiology at Johns Hopkins, stressed the importance of early intervention. “Recognizing muscle loss can encourage individuals to adopt exercise, diet, and other strategies to slow the process,” Demehri explained, as reported by HealthDay.
Study Limitations
The data have been made available at a medical conference but have not been reported in the scientific literature in print. However more closure research is required to corroborate these findings and identify real change based interventions.
