An international team of researchers, led by scientists at Aberdeen University in Scotland, discovered a link between Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy.

Study leader Tibor Harkany said the researchers discovered that the beta-amyloid protein — a key component of the plaques that clog the brain of an Alzheimer’s patient — causes cells to short-circuit and fire too many electrical signals, the Scotsman reported.

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The overly sensitive nerve cells lose their ability to communicate coherently with other nerve cells, making Alzheimer’s patients more susceptible to seizures, the researchers said.

It’s estimated that one-third of Alzheimer’s patients suffer from some degree of epilepsy, the researcher said.

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