A physical model for dementia

TL;DR

This paper introduces a physics-based probabilistic model of dementia development, explaining its irreversibility and aging-related emergence, fitted to experimental neuroimaging data to better understand the disorder's general behavior.

Contribution

It presents a novel physical, first-principles-based probabilistic model for dementia, linking aging processes to disease progression.

Findings

Model fits experimental neuroimaging data

Dementia arises as a consequence of aging

Dementia is explained as an irreversible process

Abstract

Aging associated brain decline often result in some kind of dementia. Even when this is a complex brain disorder a physical model can be used in order to describe its general behavior. This model is based in first principles. A probabilistic model for the development of dementia is obtained and fitted to some experimental data obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. It is explained how dementia appears as a consequence of aging and why it is irreversible.