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Progressive supranuclear palsy with dementia: cortical pathology
E H Bigio1, D F Brown, C L White
1Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas 75235-9072, USA.
Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology
|April 28, 1999
Summary
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) with dementia shows more severe cortical tau pathology than PSP without cognitive impairment. This suggests tau accumulation in the cortex is key to PSP-related dementia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropathology
- Dementia Research
Background:
- Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is frequently associated with dementia.
- Cortical pathology is known in PSP, but its direct correlation with dementia is not well-established.
- The role of tau pathology in PSP-related cognitive decline requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cortical tau pathology and cognitive impairment in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
- To compare tau pathology distribution in the cortex and subcortex between PSP patients with and without dementia.
Main Methods:
- Comparative neuropathological analysis of brain tissue from PSP patients.
- Quantification of tau pathology in cortical and subcortical regions.
- Grouping patients based on the presence or absence of cognitive deficits.
Main Results:
- Subcortical tau pathology was similar in PSP patients with and without dementia.
- Cortical tau pathology was significantly more severe in PSP patients with cognitive deficits (moderate) compared to those without (minimal).
Conclusions:
- Cortical tau accumulation is strongly associated with dementia in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
- Neurofibrillary tau pathology in cortical neurons and glia appears central to the pathogenesis of dementia in PSP.