Dolphins show Alzheimer's signs linked to toxic blooms

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Scientists found Alzheimer's-like pathology in stranded dolphins, including amyloid plaques and tau tangles.
The study suggests dolphins with Alzheimer's may get confused at sea, similar to humans with dementia.
Neurodegeneration may not be unique to humans and could affect other animals.
Cyanobacteria in polluted waters may be linked to these brain changes in dolphins.
Dolphins in Florida's Indian River Lagoon (IRL) showed brain damage from toxic algal blooms.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) release toxins that accumulate in the food chain, affecting dolphins and potentially humans.
Dolphin brains contained 2,900 times more neurotoxin DABA during HAB seasons compared to non-bloom periods.
DABA causes hyperirritability, tremors, and convulsions by overstimulating brain cells.
Dolphins exhibited 536 altered genes, indicating disrupted GABAergic synapses and increased Alzheimer's risk factors.
Lower levels of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) were found in dolphins stranded during bloom seasons, leading to brain overexcitation.
Hearing loss in dolphins was linked to 2,4-DAB exposure, similar to how hearing loss is a risk factor for Alzheimer's in humans.
Climate change intensifies HABs, increasing neurological risks for dolphins and potentially humans.
The study was published in the journal Communications Biology.

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