Larger heads may protect against Alzheimer’s disease: Study

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJul 13 2010

Dr Ananya Mandal, MD

A larger head may be offer natural protection against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease say researchers in a study conducted on 270 patients and published in the journal Neurology. The scientists from the Munich University have found that people with Alzheimer's with the largest craniums had better memory and thinking skills than patients with smaller skulls. A larger brain also means a greater brain reserves to buffer against dementia-related brain cell death say researchers.

These 270 participants came from research registries or specialist memory clinics in the US, Canada, Germany and Greece. They were initially given memory and cognitive skill tests. Thereafter a brain scan assessed the degree of their disease and simple tape measure of their head was also taken. The results showed that larger heads among patients were linked to better performance in tests even with the same degree of the disease as those with smaller heads. Specifically, for every 1% of brain cell death, an additional centimetre of head size was associated with a 6% greater score on the memory tests. The main determinant of head size is genetics. But good nutrition in prenatal and early childhood may also contribute to a larger head. In fact the brain reaches 93% of its final size by within the first six years of life and poor nutrition can significantly affect this growth.

Dr Robert Perneczky, lead researcher said, “Improving prenatal and early life conditions could significantly increase brain reserve, which could have an impact on the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or the severity of symptoms of the disease.” Study co-author Lindsay Farrer, chief of the genetics program at Boston University School of Medicine emphasized that early detection of the disease was the key to better outcome. “The prevailing view is that most of the drugs that are out there aren't working because they're being given to people when what's happening in the brain is too far along,” he said.

However Alzheimer’s disease experts like Dr Simon Ridley, head of research for the Alzheimer's Research Trust agree that the disease is very complex and depends on more factors than we know. He emphasized that, “…we should look after our brain from day one.” “Research is the only answer to dementia. We must invest in research now to deliver the treatments needed to avert the coming dementia crisis,” he signed off.