Study shows cats develop Alzheimer’s disease in a similar way to humans
A study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience has shown that cats develop Alzheimer’s disease in a similar way to humans.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh carried out post-mortem brain examinations on twenty-five cats which had symptoms of dementia in life, including confusion, sleep disruption and an increase in vocalisation.
The post-mortems found the cats had a build-up of amyloid-beta, a known feature in Alzheimer’s disease in humans.
Dr Robert McGeachan, study lead from the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, says:
“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.”
You can read the study here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejn.70180
Please note: The BBC have reported the following from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA):
“The animal rights campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the study appeared to have been conducted in a ‘respectful, non-invasive way’ on the brains of cats that already died. However, it said it would oppose any research that involved future experiments on live cats.”