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Year:
2001
| Volume: 9
| Issue: 3
| Pages: 195-199
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Erratum: Review Article |
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NEUROPATHOLOGICAL HALLMARKS OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Dubravka CVETKOVIC-DOZIC, Milica SKENDER-GAZIBARA, Slobodan DOZIC |
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DOI:
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Abstract: |
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common progressive chronic neurodegenerative disorder and one of the leading causes of dementia. It is characterized by cortical amiloidogenesis, loss of neurones particularly in those regions associated with cogni- tive functions and cortical atrophy. Neuropathological hallmarks include neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), neuritic plaques, neuropil threads, Hirano's bodies, granulovacuolar bodies and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. To demonstrate these changes it is necessary to perform special stains such as silver stains (von Brownmzhl, Bielschowsky) immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. NFT, the major pathological hallmark of AD, consists of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein, which is neurotoxic and can cause the neuronal death. NFTs show characteristic regional and laminar distribution affecting pyramidal neurones of hippocampus, parahippocampus, amygdala, neocortex and some subcortical neurones. NFTs are characteristic but not specific findings of AD as they can be found in some other chronic brain diseases. Because of that the diagnosis of AD must be based on correlation between clinical features (dementia) and neuropathological findings (NFTs density and distribution). As the possible causes of AD evaluated are some risk factors, neurotransmitter abnormalities, decreased cytochrome oxidase and genetic mutations. An increasing number of genetic loci are determined on different chromosomes. Their mutations account for the development of different clinical forms of AD. |
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Key words:
Alzheimer's disease; Neurofibrillary tangles; Brain Diseases+etiology+morphology |
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