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Decreasing myelin density reflected increasing white matter pathology in Alzheimer's disease--a neuropathological

Martin Sjöbeck1, Mattias Haglund, Elisabet Englund

  • 1Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. martin.sjobeck@med.lu.se

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
|September 16, 2005
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Quantitative measures reveal significant myelin loss in Alzheimer's disease (AD) with white matter disease (WMD). This objective assessment of myelin reduction in AD neuropathology may aid clinical diagnostics and brain imaging.

Area of Science:

  • Neuropathology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Alzheimer's Disease Research

Background:

  • White matter disease (WMD) is a common finding in Alzheimer's disease (AD), characterized by myelin loss, axonal damage, and astrocytosis.
  • Quantitative studies on myelin loss in AD are limited, necessitating the development of objective measurement methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a quantitative method for assessing myelin density in AD.
  • To compare myelin content across varying WMD severity, age, cortical AD pathology, and brain regions.

Main Methods:

  • An in-house image analysis technique quantified myelin optical density (OD) using Luxol Fast Blue staining on whole brain sections from 16 AD cases.
  • OD values were compared based on WMD severity (mild, moderate, severe) and correlated with age and cortical AD pathology.

Main Results:

  • Increasing WMD severity correlated with a statistically significant reduction in myelin OD.
  • No correlation was found between myelin OD, age, or overall cortical AD pathology.
  • Myelin OD was significantly lower in frontoparietal white matter compared to occipital white matter.

Conclusions:

  • Myelin loss is a significant morphological feature of AD with WMD, quantifiable in neuropathological specimens.
  • Objective quantitative measures of myelin loss can be obtained.
  • These quantitative findings may support clinical diagnostics and neuroimaging applications in AD.

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