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Related Concept Videos

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer 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...
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction01:29

Alzheimer 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...
Cognitive Development During Adulthood01:30

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
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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...
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview01:26

Alzheimer'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...
Role of Hippocampus in Memory01:19

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The hippocampus, a critical brain structure, plays an essential role in memory processing, particularly in the formation and retrieval of memory. This small, seahorse-shaped region is located within the medial temporal lobe, with one hippocampus in each brain hemisphere. Experimental studies involving lesions in the hippocampi of rats have demonstrated significant impairments in tasks such as object recognition and maze navigation, indicating the hippocampus involvement in both recognition and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease
06:23

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Published on: October 13, 2016

Hypothalamic microstructure and function are associated with mild cognitive impairment in aging.

Minne Sun1, Xin Zhao2, Kemeng Gao3

  • 1Division of Geriatric Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.

Brain Research Bulletin
|May 7, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Early Alzheimer's disease shows distinct hypothalamic changes, with microstructural damage in specific regions linked to cognitive decline. These findings highlight the hypothalamus as a key area for understanding preclinical Alzheimer's disease progression.

Keywords:
Cognitive reserveDiffusion tensor imagingHypothalamusMild cognitive impairmentSex dimorphism

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Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
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A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
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A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: January 11, 2020

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Last Updated: May 8, 2026

The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease
06:23

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Published on: October 13, 2016

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
14:57

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology

Published on: March 23, 2011

A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
12:18

A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: January 11, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurodegeneration
  • Alzheimer's Disease Research

Background:

  • The hypothalamus, a vital neuroendocrine center, has poorly understood vulnerabilities in early Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • Preclinical stages of AD, specifically mild cognitive impairment (MCI), require detailed investigation of hypothalamic structural changes.
  • Understanding these changes is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention in AD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate macroscopic and microstructural alterations in hypothalamic subregions in MCI patients.
  • To correlate these structural changes with cognitive and functional decline.
  • To identify potential imaging biomarkers for early AD detection.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 92 participants (47 MCI, 45 healthy controls).
  • 3T multimodal MRI including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD).
  • Automated hypothalamic subregion segmentation and statistical analyses to assess structural changes and clinical correlations.

Main Results:

  • Hypothalamic alterations in MCI exhibited spatial heterogeneity and sexual dimorphism.
  • MCI patients showed reduced FA in the left anterior-inferior subregion and microstructural disruption in the left tubular-superior subregion.
  • Microstructural disruption correlated with lower MMSE scores and higher ADL scores; higher education was linked to preserved posterior hypothalamic microstructure.

Conclusions:

  • Hypothalamic degeneration in MCI is heterogeneous and sex-specific.
  • Localized microstructural disruption, particularly in the left tubular-superior subregion, serves as a sensitive biomarker for early cognitive and functional impairment.
  • Findings support the hypothalamus as a critical region for early AD-related changes.