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Published on: March 31, 2015
Novel method to quantify neuropil threads in brains from elders with or without cognitive impairment
T W Mitchell1, J Nissanov, L Y Han
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
Summary
Neuropathological alterations, including tau pathology, are common in aging and dementia. This study introduces a new method to quantify neuropil threads, aiding research into cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropathology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Neuritic pathologies, affecting dendrites and axons, are present in normal aging and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Neuropil threads (NTs) represent a significant component (85-90%) of tau pathology in the cortex, but their precise contribution to cognitive decline has been unclear due to a lack of quantitative methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a quantitative strategy for measuring the burden of tau-rich neuropil threads (NTs).
- To assess NTs in the entorhinal and perirhinal cortex of aging brains with and without cognitive impairment, including AD dementia.
Main Methods:
- Combined quantitative fractionation and advanced image analysis techniques.
- Developed a novel strategy for precise measurement of tau-rich NTs in specific brain regions.
Main Results:
- Successfully devised a quantitative imaging strategy to measure the burden of tau-rich neuropil threads.
- Applied this novel strategy to analyze NTs in the entorhinal and perirhinal cortex of elderly individuals across a spectrum of cognitive function.
Conclusions:
- The developed quantitative imaging technique is effective for measuring neuropil thread burden.
- This methodology will be instrumental in correlating neuritic lesions with behavioral changes in Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders.
