The youngsters also had been tested for variants of a gene associated with Alzheimer’s risk, known as apolipoprotein E, or the APOE gene. Each person has two copies of the APOE gene, one inherited from each parent. Photo: Amanda Shell/University of HawaiiChanges in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease can be seen as early as childhood in people with a heightened genetic risk, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology. Research on Alzheimer’s has largely focused on the characteristic proteins that build up in the brain in old age, but experimental drugs meant to target those symptoms have been disappointing. ENLARGE A brain scan of an 8-year-old child shown in a control room of a University of Hawaii research center in Honolulu.

Source: Wall Street Journal July 13, 2016 19:52 UTC