2003 Investigator-Initiated Research Grant

Some epidemiological studies have found that people who take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. One possible explanation for this finding is that cholesterol plays a role in promoting Alzheimer’s, and links have been found between cholesterol regulation and the production of beta-amyloid, the protein fragment that is the prime suspect in the death of brain cells in the disease. Studies in mice have shown that statins can reduce beta-amyloid levels. However, it is not clear whether this reduction helps protect the memory and reasoning abilities that are damaged by Alzheimer’s. Also, there is some question whether rodents are an appropriate model for studies of statins, since their response to statins differs significantly from the human response.

Elizabeth Head, PhD, and colleagues are studying whether statins can improve memory and reasoning in aging dogs. Dogs, like humans, develop higher levels of beta-amyloid as they age, and experience declines in cognitive processes. Most importantly, their physiological responses to statins appear to be closer to those of humans. Finding that statins can protect cognitive functions in dogs would support the notion that statins can help protect people against Alzheimer’s disease.