New study suggests stranded dolphins could have dementia

By Stephen Beech

Stranded dolphins may have dementia, suggests a new study.

The marine mammals could be suffering from a form of Alzheimer’s disease when they get washed up on beaches, according to scientists.

They say the debilitating condition may be triggered by naturally occurring cyanobacterial toxins, which may also cause dementia in humans.

Finding a beached dolphin or whale is one of the most distressing occurrences for nature lovers

Researchers have been trying to work out why marine mammals become stranded on shore in the first place.

A group of American scientists have come up with an unusual hypothesis: just as adult humans with dementia are sometimes found wandering far from their home, perhaps dolphins become similarly disoriented by suffering from a form of Alzheim