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Updated: Oct 18, 2025

An Alternative Approach to Study Primary Events in Neurodegeneration Using Ex Vivo Rat Brain Slices
Published on: April 11, 2018
Network activity changes in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease: the role of aging and early entorhinal cortex
Sharay E Setti1,2, Miranda N Reed3,4
1Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Auburn University, 720 South Donahue, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
Abstract:
The greatest risk factor for development of the deadly neurodegenerative disorder known as Alzheimer's disease (AD) is advancing age. Currently unknown is what mediates the impact of advanced age on development of AD. Also unknown is what impact activity alterations in the entorhinal cortex (EC) has on the spread of AD pathology such as pathological tau through the brain as AD progresses. This review focuses on evidence in the literature that describes how one potential age-related change, that of glutamate-mediated increases in neuronal activity, may ultimately increase the risk of developing AD and promote the spread of tau pathology in AD-affected brains from the EC to later regions such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. A better understanding of these detrimental alterations may allow for earlier detection of AD, offering a better prognosis for affected individuals.
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