Neuroscientists probe idea that neuronal pruning may contribute to degenerative disorder.

The Alzheimer's research community is buzzing about a theory suggesting that a close relative of the beta-amyloid protein, and not necessarily beta-amyloid itself — the long-standing suspect — may be a major culprit in the disease.

The theory holds that an amyloid-related mechanism that prunes neuronal connections in the brain in the fast-growth phase of early life may be triggered by ageing-related processes in later life to cause the neuronal withering of Alzheimer's disease