Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
07:44
Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
Published on: October 6, 2017
Is Alzheimer's disease a synaptic disorder?
Massimiliano Pomponi1, Pietro Bria, Massimo Pomponi
1Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine A. Gemelli, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, Italy. m.pomponi@rm.unicatt.it
Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|March 13, 2008
Summary
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is crucial for preventing Alzheimer's disease (AD) by maintaining synaptic health. Ensuring adequate DHA intake may slow AD progression and preserve cognitive function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by memory loss, linked to synaptic function.
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a key lipid in synaptic membranes, influencing neurotransmitter receptor activity.
- Membrane fluidity, affected by lipids like DHA, critically impacts synaptic function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the neuroprotective role of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
- To present a conceptual framework for DHA's role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on DHA's neuroprotective effects.
- Analysis of DHA's role in synaptic function and AD pathogenesis.
Main Results:
- DHA levels are reduced in the brains and plasma of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.
- Aspirin administration promotes the generation of neuroprotective DHA-derived mediators.
- A conceptual framework highlights DHA's potential in preventing AD.
Conclusions:
- Sufficient dietary intake of neuroprotective DHA may impede Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression.
- Maintaining synaptic reserves from early development is essential for cognitive health.
- The potential role of aspirin in conjunction with DHA warrants further investigation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:23Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...
01:26Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a continually advancing neurodegenerative disorder, distinguished by escalating memory loss, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia. The disease unfolds in three stages: preclinical, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. Its onset is insidious, and the progression gradual, with the cause not well explained by other disorders.
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
01:29Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...
01:22Dementia l: Introduction
Dementia is an acquired, progressive syndrome characterized by a decline in multiple cognitive domains severe enough to impair daily functioning and reduce independence. Although memory loss is a central feature, the diagnosis requires additional deficits involving language, executive function, visuospatial skills, judgment, calculation, or abstract reasoning. These cognitive impairments reflect underlying neurodegenerative or vascular processes that gradually disrupt neuronal networks...
01:22Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is pathologically identified by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of tau protein. AD pharmacotherapy aims to manage cognitive symptoms, delay disease progression, and treat behavioral symptoms. The treatment is primarily symptomatic and palliative, with no definitive disease-modifying therapy available. Cholinesterase inhibitors, including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne), are...
01:29Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters
When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of specific...