And is there a consensus here as to what it means that brain volumes declined in the resveratrol group? To me, this sounds ominous rather than encouraging.
I would like to hear from somebody with clinical training as to why the researchers sound so noncommittal about this result. I have always seen decline in brain volume discussed as if it were a prima facie indication of neurodegeneration, but I am a lay person so this view could be oversimplified.
I don't have clinical training but my understanding is that neurodegeneraton is accompanied by brain inflammation:
Immunology. 2010 Feb; 129(2): 154–169.
Inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases
Sandra Amor,1,2 Fabiola Puentes,2 David Baker,2 and Paul van der Valk1
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Neurodegeneration, the slow and progressive dysfunction and loss of neurons and axons in the central nervous system, is the primary pathological feature of acute and chronic neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, neurotropic viral infections, stroke, paraneoplastic disorders, traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis. Despite different triggering events, a common feature is chronic immune activation, in particular of microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system. Apart from the pathogenic role of immune responses, emerging evidence indicates that immune responses are also critical for neuroregeneration. Here, we review the impact of innate and adaptive immune responses on the central nervous system in autoimmune, viral and other neurodegenerative disorders, and discuss their contribution to either damage or repair. We also discuss potential therapies aimed at the immune responses within the central nervous system. A better understanding of the interaction between the immune and nervous systems will be crucial to either target pathogenic responses, or augment the beneficial effects of immune responses as a strategy to intervene in chronic neurodegenerative diseases.
Neurodegeneration, the slow and progressive dysfunction and loss of neurons and axons in the central nervous system, is the primary pathological feature of acute and chronic neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, neurotropic viral infections, stroke, paraneoplastic disorders, traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis. Despite different triggering events, a common feature is chronic immune activation, in particular of microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system. Apart from the pathogenic role of immune responses, emerging evidence indicates that immune responses are also critical for neuroregeneration. Here, we review the impact of innate and adaptive immune responses on the central nervous system in autoimmune, viral and other neurodegenerative disorders, and discuss their contribution to either damage or repair. We also discuss potential therapies aimed at the immune responses within the central nervous system. A better understanding of the interaction between the immune and nervous systems will be crucial to either target pathogenic responses, or augment the beneficial effects of immune responses as a strategy to intervene in chronic neurodegenerative diseases.
In this paper they mention that brain inflammation may potentially cause increases in brain volume size:
Arch Neurol. 2012 Jan;69(1):82-8. doi: 10.1001/archneurol.2011.674.
Impact of inflammation on brain volume in multiple sclerosis.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To study changes in brain volume measured monthly in patients treated for relapsing multiple sclerosis due to loss of tissue and the appearance of inflammation.
DESIGN AND PATIENTS:
The results from T2/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery axial images from 13 consecutive monthly 3-T brain magnetic resonance imaging tests conducted on 74 patients diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in the BECOME study were used to calculate whole brain volumes using automated software analysis tools. The patients had been randomized to receive treatment with interferon beta-1b or glatiramer acetate. Ongoing inflammation was studied by counting the number of combined active lesions and measuring the volume of gadolinium enhancement. A mixed-effects model was used to analyze brain volumes over time.
RESULTS:
There was a significant decrease in brain volume over time but there was no difference in its rate of change by age, sex, frequency of ongoing inflammation, multiple sclerosis type, or randomized treatment assignment. The mean rate of brain volume change per month from multivariable models was -1.1 cm(3) (95% CI, -1.5 to -0.6) and during times of magnetic resonance imaging activity, it increased transiently by an average of 1.2 cm(3)/lesion (95% CI, 0.7 to 1.7) and 7.1 cm(3)/1 cm(3 )of gadolinium volume. In a model with both measures, combined active lesions were independent predictors of brain volume but gadolinium volume was not.
CONCLUSION:
Two major changes in brain volume occur in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis, a steady decrease likely due to tissue loss with overlapping transient increases due to the appearance of inflammation.
Note that the study in the original post was performed on people with Alzheimer's. Its likely they have some level of brain inflammation. If Resveratrol relieves brain inflammation it actually makes sense that you would see a small decrease in brain volume.
Edited by geo12the, 21 October 2015 - 05:56 PM.