Posted March 13, 2012 Idaho State University researchers in the
Bearden Vascular Health Laboratory are finding clues on how to
block the effects of a chemical in the brain that contributes to
dementia and strokes. Shawn Bearden, an associate professor of
physiology in the ISU Department of Biological Sciences, said
that his laboratory has documented that the drug, memantine, can
counter the effects that the chemical homocysteine has in
disrupting the blood-brain barrier. Disruption of this barrier
is believed to contribute to vascular cognitive impairment
diseases such as dementia and stroke. In brief, molecules in the
bloodstream can cause leakiness in tiny blood vessels of the
brain. Normally, our brains have a tight barrier from the blood
because elements in the blood can be toxic to the brain. It has
also been shown that people who have an abnormally high level of
homocysteine, which can result from vitamin deficiencies as well
as genetic differences, have a higher risk of stroke and
dementia. Bearden tes