Burns says that build up of beta amyloid occurs in a second wave of damage that follows immediate 'necrotic' death of nerve cells after traumatic brain injury, said a GUMC release.

Tissues become necrotic or gangrenous if the blood supply to a limb is cut off. This secondary injury can last months, if not years, resulting in large holes within brain tissue.

At the 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, scientists will show that deactivating these pathways, in part by using a class of Alzheimer's drugs undergoing tests, protected animals against motor and cognitive deficits.