Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Weird Neurological Science

Spanish researchers have found evidence that brains of those with Alzheimer's contain fungi whereas those not so afflicted do not. RealClearScience posts a summary of the findings along with some questions that must be answered before we decide we're certain we've found a cause.

The usual cautions/caveats apply with regard to correlational findings. For example, it may be that having Alzheimer's makes one susceptible to fungal infection of the brain. Rather than fungus being a cause it may be an consequence of the disease.

These findings are extremely tentative, but clearly suggestive, and should be followed up. For those who like reading the original science, the source is listed as:
Diana Pisa, Ruth Alonso, Alberto Rábano, Izaskun Rodal & Luis Carrasco. "Different Brain Regions are Infected with Fungi in Alzheimer's Disease." Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 15015. Published online: 15-October-2015. doi:10.1038/srep15015
As Instapundit Glenn Reynolds is fond of saying in such matters, "Faster, please."