New study substantiates amyloid hypothesis

Failed drug trials have led to questions about whether the amyloid hypothesis, the leading theory on the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, might be wrong.

A study from the Center for Vital Longevity at The University of Texas at Dallas has reinforced the theory, however, by showing that the amount of amyloid plaques in a person's brain predicts the rate at which his or her cognition will decline in the next four years.

The study, published in JAMA Neurology, was funded by the US National Institute on Aging and Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of US pharma major Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY).