IS ALZHEIMER’S the result of a burnt-out brain? Healthy young adults carrying a gene variant that is a major risk factor for the disease seem to have extra activity in brain regions related to memory, even when their brains are at rest.
The gene APOE codes for a protein thought to help create, maintain and repair neuronal connections. One variant, epsilon 4, is considered the biggest risk factor for getting Alzheimer’s, increasing your risk by up to four times if you have one copy and up to 12 if you have two. It is not known exactly how epsilon…
