Even subtle loneliness could betray early onset Alzheimer's

In this Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, photo, Brian Cottle carries a handful of leaves around his house in Pierpont, Mo. Cottle spent four hours carrying leaves from one side of the yard to the other. This obsessive behavior is one of the symptoms of early onset Alzheimer's. (Kayla Wolf/Missourian via AP) (AP)

Scientists have discovered a link between the levels of amyloid plaque in the brains of otherwise healthy seniors and feelings of loneliness, and the connection is strong enough to suggest possible screening.

Reporting in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers say that among the 43 women and 36 men they examined, all of whom were healthy and showing no signs of Alzheimer's, people with high levels of amyloid plaque in their cortex were 7.5 times more likely to be classified as feeling lonely, even after accounting for possible contributing factors such as social activity, depression, and anxiety.

The sticky amyloid plaques are, along with tau tangles, the top signs of Alzheimer's, and can be seen as much as decades before symptoms set in.

And while the study doesn't prove cause-and-effect, as UPI reports, it hints at an elevated risk of Alzheimer's among healthy seniors who report feelings of loneliness.

"People who are starting to accumulate amyloid may not be as well-functioning in terms of perceiving, understanding or responding to social stimuli or interactions," says lead researcher Dr. Nancy Donovan. So while loneliness doesn't necessarily lead to dementia, it can be a sign of it, suggesting a potential build-up of amyloid plaque in the part of the brain that plays a key role in memory, attention, and perception.

(Could Alzheimer's be detectable as early as childhood?)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Even Subtle Loneliness Could Betray Early Onset Alzheimer's