Closing in on 25 years since the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks, WTC responders continue to suffer long-term effects from their exposures at Ground Zero. One issue of possible growing concern is signs of early dementia in responders. The results of a new brain imaging study led by researchers at Stony Brook Medicine indicates a link between WTC exposure duration and the presence of amyloid in the brain.

Amyloid is a protein in the body that can form abnormal deposits in tissues and organs. These deposits can build up, cause a condition called amyloidosis, and are associated with numerous diseases, one of which is Alzheimer’s disease. Many Alzheimer’s patients have high levels of amyloid in areas of the brain.

Clouston stressed the study showed that WTC responders who were exposed for a lengthy period of time and who did not wear masks at Ground Zero had notable evidence of amyloid in the olfactory regions of the brain.

Source:

Exposure duration and cerebral amyloidosis in the olfactory cortex of World Trade Center responders: A positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging study

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13872877241302350