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Hippocampal neurofibrillary tangle changes and aggressive behaviour in dementia.
Mitchell K P Lai1, Christopher P Chen, Tony Hope
1Memory, Aging and Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Singapore. mitchell.lai@dementia-research.org
Neuroreport
|October 5, 2010
Summary
Neurofibrillary tangle load in the hippocampus is linked to aggression in dementia patients. This finding suggests a specific pathological mechanism contributing to challenging neuropsychiatric behaviors in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropathology
- Geriatric Psychiatry
Background:
- Neuropsychiatric behaviors are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias.
- The neurodegenerative process is believed to cause these behaviors.
- The specific link between hippocampal changes and aggression remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between hippocampal neuropathology and aggressive behaviors in dementia patients.
- To determine if specific pathological markers correlate with aggression severity and chronicity.
Main Methods:
- Postmortem hippocampal tissue from dementia patients was analyzed.
- Semiquantitative measurements assessed cell loss, atrophy, neuritic plaques, and neurofibrillary tangle load.
- Patients were prospectively assessed for neuropsychiatric behaviors, including aggression.
Main Results:
- Increased neurofibrillary tangle load in the hippocampus was significantly associated with increased severity of aggressive behaviors.
- Higher tangle load also correlated with the presence of chronic aggression.
- Other hippocampal neuropathological variables, such as cell loss and plaque load, did not show a significant association with aggression.
Conclusions:
- Neurofibrillary tangle accumulation in the hippocampus appears to be a key pathological factor contributing to aggressive behaviors in dementia.
- This suggests a specific pathogenic pathway linking tau pathology in the hippocampus to aggression.
- Findings highlight the importance of understanding specific neuropathological correlates of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia.
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