Alzheimer related genes show accelerated evolution

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of unknown cause with complex genetic and environmental traits. Here, we show that gene structures of loci, that show AD-associated changes in their expression, evolve faster than the genome at large. This phylogenetic trait of AD suggests a critical pathogenetic role of recent adaptive evolution of human brain and might have far reaching consequences with respect to the appropriateness of model systems and the development of disease-modifying strategies.