Can Alzheimer’s Disease Be Transmitted? Understanding the Facts
Explore whether Alzheimer’s disease can spread between individuals and the rare circumstances linked to past medical treatments. Learn how Alzheimer’s differs from dementia and what current research reveals.
Alzheimer’s disease is not contagious and cannot be transmitted through normal social contact.
Nonetheless, recent scientific studies have uncovered rare cases where Alzheimer’s-related proteins might have been inadvertently transferred through outdated medical procedures.
This mode of transmission is unlike infectious diseases caused by viruses or bacteria, as it relates to specific medical interventions no longer in use.
Is Alzheimer’s Disease Contagious?
Alzheimer’s disease itself does not spread from one person to another. However, research has indicated that certain individuals who received cadaver-derived human growth hormone (c-hGH) treatments during childhood developed iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (iCJD) due to contamination with infectious prions.
In these hormone preparations, scientists detected amyloid-beta and tau proteins—hallmarks of Alzheimer’s pathology.
Furthermore, studies demonstrated that amyloid-beta could be transmitted experimentally in animal models, but there is no evidence supporting natural person-to-person transmission of these proteins in everyday life.
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease Versus Dementia
Dementia is a broad term describing cognitive decline affecting memory, thinking, and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent form of dementia, characterized by progressive brain cell degeneration.
Typically, Alzheimer’s affects individuals over 65 years of age, though early-onset cases can occur.
It is important to note that neither Alzheimer’s nor other dementia types are inevitable parts of aging.
For a deeper understanding of dementia varieties, refer to our comprehensive guide on the subject.
Additional Topics to Explore
- Stages and Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Key Causes and Risk Factors of Alzheimer’s
- Differentiating Dementia from Alzheimer’s Disease
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