Dementia in cats mimics human Alzheimer’s, researchers find – CTV
August 20, 2025
A new study has found that humans and cats develop dementia in similar ways, offering what scientists say are new opportunities to research conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
The study by a team of U.K. neurological and veterinary researchers examined the brains of 25 cats donated to science after their deaths, including eight that previously showed signs of cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), also known as feline dementia.
Brain scans of older and CDS-affected cats showed the build-up of amyloid-beta, a misfolded protein commonly associated with Alzheimer’s. Researchers say the protein can cause damage to the synapses that carry information through the brain.
Once overloaded with excess protein, synapses become inflamed and even destroyed in an immune response called “synaptic pruning,” which ultimately worsens dementia.
Amyloid-beta build-up in the feline brain samples “mirror(ed)” conditions seen in Alzheimer’s patients, the study found, suggesting that parallel research into treatments could benefit both species.
Read more: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/dementia-in-cats-mimics-human-alzheimers-researchers-find/
