Many cases of dementia may arise from non-inherited DNA ‘spelling mistakes’

Spontaneous errors in our DNA that arise as cells divide and reproduce could be the cause of the vast majority of dementia cases according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications by researchers at the University of Cambridge. The findings suggest that for many people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, the roots of their condition will trace back to their time as an embryo developing in the womb. In common neurodegenerative diseases, toxic proteins build up in the brain, destroying brain cells and damaging brain regions, leading to symptoms including personality changes, memory loss