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Neuropathological correlates of cerebral multimorbidity
Johannes Attems1, Kurt Jellinger
1Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, NE4 5PL Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. j.attems@ncl.ac.uk
Current Alzheimer Research
|May 1, 2013
Summary
Neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly often involve multiple protein pathologies, not just one. Quantitative studies are needed to understand this cerebral multimorbidity and find new therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Neuropathology
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Gerontology
Background:
- Age-associated neurodegenerative diseases feature protein misfolding and aggregation.
- Current classification relies on semiquantitative assessment of hallmark proteins like amyloid-beta (Aβ), tau, and alpha-synuclein (α-syn).
- Elderly brains often exhibit multiple pathologies, complicating diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the complexity of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases.
- To emphasize the need for quantitative approaches in assessing neuropathological lesions.
- To underscore the importance of understanding cerebral multimorbidity for therapeutic development.
Main Methods:
- Review of neuropathological hallmarks in neurodegenerative diseases.
- Analysis of co-morpathologies in elderly brains, including non-demented individuals.
- Consideration of clinical-pathological correlations in dementia.
Main Results:
- Neurodegenerative diseases are frequently characterized by multiple co-existing pathologies.
- The threshold for overt dementia is ill-defined due to multimorbidity.
- Animal studies suggest interactions between Aβ, tau, and α-syn in promoting aggregation.
Conclusions:
- Dementia in the aged often results from a multimorbid central nervous system condition.
- Quantitative clinico-pathological studies are essential to unravel cerebral multimorbidity.
- Identifying targets for age-associated neurodegeneration requires a comprehensive understanding of these interactions.
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