Cats Develop Dementia In a Similar Way To Humans (bbc.com)
- Reference: 0178661862
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/08/13/0733245/cats-develop-dementia-in-a-similar-way-to-humans
- Source link: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce93rn5g848o
> Experts at the University of Edinburgh carried out a post-mortem brain examination on 25 cats which had symptoms of dementia in life, including confusion, sleep disruption and an increase in vocalization. They found a build-up of amyloid-beta, a toxic protein and one of the defining features of Alzheimer's disease. The discovery has been [1]hailed as a "perfect natural model for Alzheimer's " by scientists who believe it will help them explore new treatments for humans.
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> Dr Robert McGeachan, study lead from the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said: "Dementia is a devastating disease -- whether it affects humans, cats, or dogs. Our findings highlight the striking similarities between feline dementia and Alzheimer's disease in people. This opens the door to exploring whether promising new treatments for human Alzheimer's disease could also help our ageing pets." [...]
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> Previously, researchers have studied genetically-modified rodents, although the species does not naturally suffer from dementia. "Because cats naturally develop these brain changes, they may also offer a more accurate model of the disease than traditional laboratory animals, ultimately benefiting both species and their caregivers," Dr McGeachan said. [...] Prof Danielle Gunn-Moore, an expert in feline medicine at the vet school, said the discovery could also help to understand and manage feline dementia.
The findings have been [2]published in the European Journal of Neuroscience .
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce93rn5g848o
[2] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejn.70180
My cat went this way (Score:5, Informative)
She spent her days as a silent black shadow, leaping from a hidden corner into your lap without a word being spoken. In her final year she'd just sit in the middle of the room, peer into space, and then howl loudly and repeatedly. It was heartbreaking.
Re: My cat went this way (Score:2)
I don't mean to be a dick, I have a 15 year old girl myself, but how long did you let her live in that state?
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We had her put down at 21 because of other overwhelming health issues. It never occurred to me to have her put down because she wasn't the cat she used to be. She was clearly away with the fairies for the last 18 months. It bothers me now that with hindsight it might have been kinder.
Re: (Score:3)
I would not let it bother you. Cats are members of the family but they are not people. I am not saying that to belittle your cat or your feels for it. i myself love cats. I am saying to remind you they don't experience the world the same way we do.
A human feels shame and is embarrassed if they can't remember your name. A cat, probably not. I know at least one of my elderly cats probably had some degree of dementia. They are creatures of habit, a cat spends 16 years eating dinner at 7pm and suddenly i
So now they're going to be raising cats... (Score:4)
... to be dissected as research subjects?
Did a dog conduct this study?
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Anyone else think maybe we shouldn't be experimenting on animals? I've read a lot of studies too often how they're treated sounds inhumane. The mice get shipped in a fedex box, bounced around so much it traumatized the animals and messes up one study. Who knows maybe many of them? [1]https://youtu.be/DOXTxpEZ_yw?t... [youtu.be] I don't feel strongly for or against mice, but it seems like basic morality is absent sometimes in science.
[1] https://youtu.be/DOXTxpEZ_yw?t=845
you are why Trump won - you like untested drugs? (Score:2)
> Anyone else think maybe we shouldn't be experimenting on animals? I've read a lot of studies too often how they're treated sounds inhumane. The mice get shipped in a fedex box, bounced around so much it traumatized the animals and messes up one study. Who knows maybe many of them? [1]https://youtu.be/DOXTxpEZ_yw?t... [youtu.be] I don't feel strongly for or against mice, but it seems like basic morality is absent sometimes in science.
Did you think about this before you typed this? Either they test medicine on animals or they test it on you. Your statement lacks basic common sense. You didn't say "should they test on Animals more ethically?" Cruelty is cruelty, but if it requires being cruel to a rat, rabbit, or even a cat or dog vs a child, I am fine with it. That's fucking common sense. Is it gross? Yeah!!!! Should they be more cruel than they need to be?...absolutely not, but...what's even more cruel than vivsecting an elderl
[1] https://youtu.be/DOXTxpEZ_yw?t=845
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> what's even more cruel than vivsecting an elderly cat after it's death?
Anyone who talks about vivisecting an animal after its death shouldn't be lecturing anyone on common sense. And if that didn't make sense to you, you should consult a dictionary.
Re: you are why Trump won - you like untested drug (Score:2)
Maron really said that? Wow talk about pot calling kettle black. I've listened to Maron for 10+ years and he's turned into one of those cunty liberals in the last 5 years.
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> The mice get shipped in a fedex box, bounced around so much it traumatized the animals and messes up one study.
And yet these same animal rights activists reccommend that we all use public transportation.
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> Anyone else think maybe we shouldn't be experimenting on animals?
Personally, I'd rather we had a perfect model of something that wasn't an animal or a human to experiment on.
We don't.
Is it humane to know there is a cure for something, animal or human, and decide not to seek a cure? To let them suffer with it?
> I've read a lot of studies too often how they're treated sounds inhumane.
Setting a broken limb causes immense pain. Should we force people and animals to live with unset, unhealed broken bones? Some forms of cancer eat away at the body, also causing unimaginable pain with currently no hope for a cure. Yet many jurisdictions do not recogni
Nicely done getting ahead of the protests (Score:1)
"See, _science_ says we gotta torture cats to benefit _them_ and humans. It's all good. Or are you AGAINST SCIENCE AND HUMANS SUFFERING ALZHEIMERS!?"
Biology, not a science. If it were the focus long ago would have been in establishing first principles and doing the math so that simulation would be possible. As it is real scientists might begin their careers taking apart watches to see how they work eventually learning the physics and math behind how the world works. Biologists begin by taking apart livi
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Biology is at least two orders of magnitude more complex than watch assembly. I'm not sure what fantasy world you live in, in which you think that manual math simulations can be executed efficiently by any of the technology we've had for the past 600 years.
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> Biology is at least two orders of magnitude more complex than watch assembly. I'm not sure what fantasy world you live in, in which you think that manual math simulations can be executed efficiently by any of the technology we've had for the past 600 years.
[1]Obligatory xkcd. [xkcd.com]
[1] https://xkcd.com/1605
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Kepler comes to mind, but that was not biology.
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They couldn't simulate anything until very recently. Although I'll admit, I feel the same about broader use of tests and test results in health care. It doesn't have to be "clinical" to be useful.
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> If it were the focus long ago would have been in establishing first principles and doing the math so that simulation would be possible.
[1]Here [wikipedia.org] is a list of unsolved physics problems unsuited to current mathematical modeling.
"I, at any rate, am convinced that [God] does not throw dice" Albert Einstein
“Not only does God play dice but... he sometimes throws them where they cannot be seen.” Stephen Hawking
"And they are loaded." - Me.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unsolved_problems_in_physics
Lithium deficiency (Score:2)
Just 3 days ago the headlines were telling us it dementia was caused by lithium deficiency and could be cured with supplements. [1]https://www.nature.com/article... [nature.com]
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09335-x
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I see you have no reading comprehension of even the abstract you quoted. I'll quote it here for you but please note that it does saying nothing about curing dementia with Li supplements, it merely points out this might be promising avenue to attack the problem:
The earliest molecular changes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are poorly understood1,2,3,4,5. Here we show that endogenous lithium (Li) is dynamically regulated in the brain and contributes to cognitive preservation during ageing. Of the metals we
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> it does saying nothing about curing dementia with Li supplements
And yet, it does state that lithium injection treatments seem to be effective in reversing the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Not sure what important distinction you're trying to make here.
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>> it does saying nothing about curing dementia with Li supplements
> And yet, it does state that lithium injection treatments seem to be effective in reversing the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Not sure what important distinction you're trying to make here.
Just a guess, but they may be referring to the distinction between a cure and a " potential approach " to treatment and prevention by preventing what " may be an early event in the pathogenesis of AD."
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Now all we need to do is to figure out how to [1]give a cat a lithium pill [nih.gov].
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC372253/
they're all crazy (Score:2)
Science confirms the crazy cat lady and her cats are all crazy.
Nature vs Environment (Score:2)
From TFA:
The discovery has been hailed as a "perfect natural model for Alzheimer's"
and
"Because cats naturally develop these brain changes, they may also offer a more accurate model of the disease..."
It may be a "natural model", in that cats develop the same disease in a manner similar to that of humans. But I question the "naturally develop these brain changes" assertion.
Given the well-known association of diet and lifestyle with the development of human dementia - and given that most domestic cat food
meets the bar (Score:3, Insightful)
Cat for president 2028!
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Only if they're over 80 (in cat years).
Re:meets the bar (Score:5, Funny)
When my cat gets a sudden urge to annex Greenland and Canada, I guess I'll know it's full onset dementia.
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I know several ways to get rid of the monarchy in Canada. The easiest way would be for the Government of Canada to just say it wanted to do so. Done and done. Lots of other former commonwealth countries have done so, I believe the most recent is Barbados if you're curious. We keep it because it's cheaper than getting rid of it, and because constitutional monarchy works well for us.
Our Prime Minister is the head of government and runs things as they see fit, and while the King is our legal head of state, the
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Your cat hasn't claimed your computer keyboard as it's soverein territory yet?
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Biden stated he won't run again.
Re:meets the bar (Score:5, Insightful)
And even if he did, he had the quiet and slightly confused version rather than the lashing out version. Plus he surrounded himself with skilled and knowledgable people who could take over if he was making really bad mistakes in his decisions - can you really say the same for the current president?
Re: (Score:2)
Uh what? You don't remember video of him cursing at Union Workers who asked him the wrong questions? He was agitated quite often.