Scientists have established a link between Alzheimer's and epilepsy that could lead to more effective treatment of patients with both diseases. Specialists, including academics from Aberdeen University, have discovered that a protein found in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers also plays a role in epilepsy.

The discovery may alter which drugs are given to those patients.

The chemical, beta-amyloid, affects cognitive abilities in Alzheimer's patients. It has now been discovered that it also makes nerve cells more sensitive and excitable. This prevents them from communicating properly with each other and leads to seizures.

It was previously known that between 7 per cent and 21 per cent of patients with Alzheimer's disease can experience epileptic seizures, but the connection between the two conditions had not been understood.

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said the new development “explains some of the link between Alzheimer's and epilepsy, adding a piece to the puzzle of what is happening in the brain during dementia”.

She added: “By understanding what is happening in the brain, researchers can work towards effective treatments that are so desperately needed by the 700,000 people in the UK with dementia.”

The research, reported today in the Journal of Neuroscience, is the first major finding of a EU-funded international collaboration looking at the molecular mechanisms behind memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. The whole project, which began in 2004 and involves seven countries, received about £2.8million. The University of Aberdeen was also given £200,000 from the Alzheimer's Research Trust for three years of work.

Tibor Harkany, a neurobiologist at the university and one of the lead authors on the research, said: “We have shown for the first time the actual cellular process that links epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. Our findings could lead to a rethink of the type of drugs given to patients.

“Some drugs used in the treatment of memory impairment can unfortunately lower a patient's seizure threshold, while anti-epileptic drugs can impair the already compromised cognitive functions of Alzheimer's patients. It may be that we need to look for new drugs that treat both diseases at the same time.”

There are about 33,550 people in Scotland living with Alzheimer's, which progressively destroys brain cells and their connections. Most are over 70 years old. Dementia, which can be caused by the disease, affects about 62,000 Scots.

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