“A venture into the epigenetics of aging and Alzheimer’s Disease”

This dissertation examines the epigenetic factors involved in normal aging and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike genetic factors, epigenetic factors can be affected by various environmental influences and behavioural patterns such as physical and mental activity, diet, social interaction and stress. Therefore, these factors are thought to play an important role in the development of diseases that are not entirely genetic, such as the common sporadic form of Alzheimer’s disease. The results show that the development of Alzheimer’s disease is associated with other global and gene-specific epigenetic changes than those in normal aging, some of which are detectable in the brain and blood. The discovery of epigenetic indicators in blood prior to the development of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease in particular may provide new opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment of this disease.