Dolphins show hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, new study suggests

The findings may also provide a possible answer to unexplained strandings of dolphins along the coast, researchers said.

Alzheimer’s disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder that mostly affects older humans, with symptoms such as memory loss, forgetfulness and confusion.

According to a study published December 13 in the European Journal of Neuroscience, researchers in Scotland conducted postmortem studies on the brains of 22 odontocetes, or toothed whales, making their findings more detailed compared with others, the authors said.

«It’s more in depth and breadth as it looks at larger numbers of animals from several different species of cetaceans known to be aged for the species (older in age),» Mark Dagleish, coauthor and a senior clinician in anatomic pathology from the University of Glasgow, told CNN on Tuesday.

The study looked at specimens from five species: Risso’s dolphins, long-finned pilot whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises and bottlenose dolphins. Of the 22 studied, 18 were aged specimens.

«Critically, (it) examined the whole brains to provide lesion (abnormality) profiles using more markers of Alzheimer’s disease,» Dagleish added, with the same techniques used for human tissues.

Findings showed that three aged dolphins — a long-finned pilot whale, a white-beaked dolphin and a bottlenose dolphin — presented brain changes, or lesions, associated with Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

Tara Spires-Jones, another study coauthor, said in a statement this week that researchers «were fascinated to see brain changes in aged dolphins similar to those in human (aging) and Alzheimer’s disease.»

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