alzheimers news-do they make your brain shrink

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-DO THEY MAKE YOUR BRAIN SHRINK

the drug i take in monthly infusions is called aduhelm or aducanumab
it is an anti amyloid drug in that it removes amyloid from the brain
doing so seems to slow down cognitive decline

other ones are leqembi or lecanemab and donanemab
the first is approved for use and is waiting finally approval from the fda
the second should get fda approval for use in july
my drug aduhelm is already approved for use in early alzheimers


bmcimaging
this is a ct scan of an aging brain
the dark butterfly looking area is the ventricles that hold cerebrospinal fluid
the gray areas are the white and gray matter of the brain
as one ages the brain shrinks and the volume of the ventricles increase

now enter the anti amyloid antibodies
they go into the brain and remove amyloid plaques so after several months of infusions there is no measurable amyloid plaques seen on amyloid pet scans

it seems though that there is an increase in the fluid in the ventricles and a shrinkage of the white and gray matter of the brain
normally when this happens there is a drop off in memory scores 

however 
what is noticed with the anti amyloid drugs like mine is that even though its noticed there is shrinkage of the brain white and gray matter there is an improvement in memory decline

the theory of one researcher is that the amyloid plaques all being removed from the brain makes the shrinkage seen in the white and gray matter in us treated patients

it may not be a bad thing
or will it be

here is an article linked here where different alzheimers researchers weigh it on this

for me i have had a lot of mri scans of the brain
i have one scheduled in 6 weeks
there has been no increase in the volume of my ventricles and no noticeable shrinkage of my white and gray matter

i will have an amyloid pet scan also in 6 weeks to see if my amyloid plaques are all gone 
i also will have a tau protein scan to see if my tau has increased or been reduced

some researchers think the shrinkage is caused by aria or microbleeds as the drug removes the amyloid plaques
others dont agree

so normally brain shrinkage is not a good thing but in my case and others on these anti amyloid drugs it may not be a bad thing

so
it seems they can make your brain shrink
this may not be a bad thing
maybe

the organicgreen doctor