Writing Assignment #1 September 2, 2020

Alzheimer and Aluminum Connection

Makenna Grieco

For many years, researchers have proposed the hypothesis that excessive amounts of
aluminum concentration in the brain tissue could be connected to Alzheimer’s Disease. In large
amounts, aluminum is considered neurotoxic and can cause degeneration in the brain tissue.
There still is a debate today whether or not aluminum intoxication plays a role in human
neurodegenerative disease. The Aluminum Hypothesis has been deserted over the years by
many researchers but has a small interest due to the growing attraction of the public.
The research article Aluminum in human brain tissue: how much is too much? addresses
the topic by stating that living in the “aluminum age” it is impossible to not be exposed to
aluminum. The article then begins with numerous unanswered questions of how aluminum
affects the brain tissue. The authors then stated the fact that aluminum does not benefit the
brain tissue and is neurotoxic in abundant amounts. The main portion of the article addressed
the results of a 60 human brain study, where the aluminum content in brain tissue was found.
The data set included 30 of the brain donors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the other 30
donors were controls. One of the main results was that 41 out of 60 brains were found to have
significant amounts of aluminum in the brain tissue. Later in the article, the researchers
explained other subsequent studies where 11 out of the 12 brains diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
had significant amounts of aluminum in their brain tissue. One of the last statements in the
article states that aluminum in brain tissue is an intoxication, but further research is needed to
establish the link between aluminum and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s
disease1.
The literature review article Is the Aluminum Hypothesis Dead? discusses how most
scientists and researchers have lost interest in the connection but the general public expresses
some interest. The review continues and implies that scientists losing interest is an
exaggeration and although the connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s is not widely
studied, there is still research going on today. The general public is interested because there is a
successful business promoting and selling aluminum-free cookware with the selling point of a
way for people to avoid developing Alzheimer’s. The main part of the review begins with what
the Aluminum Hypothesis is and how it is based off of three main findings. The hypothesis
began in 1965 where aluminum salts were introduced into the brain tissue of rats where
neurofibrillary changes were similar to those found in the brains of those diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s. That second finding was the connection made that dialysis encephalopathy is
caused by aluminum, but there is no connection to Alzheimer’s. The third finding is that as
people age, they increase their levels of aluminum in their brains. Much later in the review, it is
expressed that although there have been many hypotheses linking aluminum to be a cause of
Alzheimer’s Disease, they do not provide enough evidence to classify aluminum as a causation.
The review also states that the primary way to eliminate aluminum from the body is through
the kidneys, which caused many patients with high amounts of aluminum to have renal
insufficiency. But since their brain aluminum concentration is well above the normal amount,
there is still the question of the involvement of aluminum in the development of Alzheimer’s
Disease. In the conclusion of the review, there is still the question of why the Aluminum
Hypothesis is still a theory that is of much interest to the general public. The history provides
relevant background and information, but more research needs to be done to establish the
relationship between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease2.
The case study Elevated brain aluminum and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in an
individual occupationally exposed to aluminum: a case report addresses a 66-year old Caucasian
man who died with Alzheimer’s disease had excessive amounts aluminum in his brain. The man
was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 58 and the cause was declared through aluminum
exposure in his job. In the past 10 years, he worked with a material used to insulate nuclear fuel
and the space industries. He was exposed to aluminum dust daily for 8 years. During his work,
he complained of headaches, tiredness, and mouth ulcers. Later he developed memory
problems and suffered from depression. Upon request of his family, his brain tissue was sent
for testing. The data collected revealed his brain tissue had three times more aluminum than
the average individual. The case later states that it is impossible to conclude that the high
amounts of aluminum were the main cause of the patient’s development of Alzheimer’s
disease, but they were a contributor3.
The research article and case study presented similar information about the connection
between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease because they both stated results found from
studies. The research article went in a lot more depth and had more information because the
researchers included information from more than one patient’s brain tissue. The case study just
focused on one man and connections were drawn that concluded his exposure to aluminum
caused him to develop early-onset Alzheimer’s that rapidly progressed. The literature review
was the most different of the three because it addressed everything that has been said about
the connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s, from where it began to where it is now.

References
1. Exley C, Mold MJ. Aluminium in human brain tissue: how much is too much? Journal of
Biological Inorganic Chemistry. 2019;24(8):1279-1282.
2. Lidsky TI. Is the Aluminum Hypothesis dead?. J Occup Environ Med. 2014;56(5 Suppl):S73-
S79. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000000063
3. Exley, C., Vickers, T. Elevated brain aluminium and early onset Alzheimer’s disease in an
individual occupationally exposed to aluminium: a case report. J Med Case Reports 8, 41 (2014).
https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-1947-8-41