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Neurons may live for decades with neurofibrillary tangles
R Morsch1, W Simon, P D Coleman
1Alzheimer Disease Center and the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York 14642, USA.
Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology
|February 24, 1999
Summary
Alzheimer disease (AD) neurons with neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) survive for approximately 20 years. NFT may not be the sole cause of neuron death in AD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pathology
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are a key pathological hallmark of Alzheimer disease (AD).
- The survival time of neurons harboring NFT in AD is not well understood.
- NFT formation is widely believed to lead to neuronal death.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model the degeneration of CA1 hippocampal neurons and NFT formation in Alzheimer disease.
- To estimate the survival duration of neurons containing NFT.
- To investigate the role of NFT in neuronal death in AD.
Main Methods:
- Utilized quantitative data on neuron loss and NFT formation over disease duration.
- Developed a computer program to model CA1 hippocampal neuron degeneration and NFT development.
- Simulated various neuron survival times with NFT and adjusted model assumptions.
Main Results:
- CA1 hippocampal neurons can survive with NFT for approximately 20 years.
- The study suggests NFT may not be essential for the death of CA1 hippocampal neurons in AD.
Conclusions:
- Neurons in the CA1 hippocampus can persist for about two decades while containing neurofibrillary tangles.
- The findings challenge the notion that neurofibrillary tangles are obligatory for neuronal demise in Alzheimer disease.