Following on from the evidence that Alzheimer’s brains show higher levels of metals such as iron, copper, and zinc, a mouse study has found that amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s-like brains with significant neurodegeneration have about 25% more copper than those with little neurodegeneration. This is consistent with a human study showing very high levels of copper in Alzheimer’s plaques.

Iron, though doubled in Alzheimer’s brains compared to controls, was not significantly different as a function of neurodegeneration, and zinc showed very little difference.

The findings suggest that the cellular control of copper is altered in some way in Alzheimer’s brains, while the increase in oxidized iron suggests it might be useful as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-08/ip-elo082113.php

[3555] Bourassa, M. W., Leskovjan A. C., Tappero R. V., Farquhar E. R., Colton C. A., Van Nostrand W. E., et al.
(2013).  Elevated copper in the amyloid plaques and iron in the cortex are observed in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease that exhibit neurodegeneration.
Biomedical Spectroscopy and Imaging. 2(2), 129 - 139.