The role of neuroinflammation in dementias

The molecular mechanism of neuronal loss and synaptic damage in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD) is poorly understood and could differ among different types of neurodegenerative processes. However, the presence of neuroinflammation is a common feature of dementia. In this setting, reactive microgliosis, oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction are associated with the pathogenesis of all types of neurodegenerative dementia. Moreover, an increased body of evidence suggests that microglia may play a central role in AD progression. In this paper, we review the scientific literature on neuroinflammation related to the most common neurodegenerative dementias (AD, PDD, FTD and LBD) focussing on the possible molecular mechanisms and the available clinical evidence. Furthermore, we discuss the neuroimaging techniques that are currently used for the study of neuroinflammation in human brain.