Abstract
Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with interrelated molecular, physiological, anatomical, biomarker, and cognitive dimensions. Methods: This article reviews the biological changes (genetic, molecular, and cellular) underlying AD and their correlation with the clinical syndrome. Results: Dementia associated with AD is related to the aberrant production, processing, and clearance of beta-amyloid and tau. Beta-amyloid deposition in brain follows a distinct spatial progression starting in the basal neocortex, spreading throughout the hippocampus, and eventually spreading to the rest of the cortex. The spread of tau pathology through neural networks leads to a distinct and consistent spatial progression of neurofibrillary tangles, beginning in the transentorhinal and hippocampal region and spreading superolaterally to the primary areas of the neocortex. Synaptic dysfunction and cell death is shown by progressive loss of cerebral metabolic rate for glucose and progressive brain atrophy. Decreases in synapse number in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus correlate with declining cognitive function. Amyloid changes are detectable in cerebrospinal fluid and with amyloid imaging up to 20 years prior to the onset of symptoms. Structural atrophy may be detectable via magnetic resonance imaging up to 10 years before clinical signs appear. Conclusion: This review highlights the progression of biological changes underlying AD and their association with the clinical syndrome. Many changes occur before overt symptoms are evident and biomarkers provide a means to detect AD pathology even in patients without symptoms.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, anatomical, biomarker, cognition, molecular, neurobiology, physiological.
Current Alzheimer Research
Title:Neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease: Integrated Molecular, Physiological, Anatomical, Biomarker, and Cognitive Dimensions
Volume: 12 Issue: 8
Author(s): Joel Raskin, Jeffrey Cummings, John Hardy, Kory Schuh and Robert A. Dean
Affiliation:
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, anatomical, biomarker, cognition, molecular, neurobiology, physiological.
Abstract: Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with interrelated molecular, physiological, anatomical, biomarker, and cognitive dimensions. Methods: This article reviews the biological changes (genetic, molecular, and cellular) underlying AD and their correlation with the clinical syndrome. Results: Dementia associated with AD is related to the aberrant production, processing, and clearance of beta-amyloid and tau. Beta-amyloid deposition in brain follows a distinct spatial progression starting in the basal neocortex, spreading throughout the hippocampus, and eventually spreading to the rest of the cortex. The spread of tau pathology through neural networks leads to a distinct and consistent spatial progression of neurofibrillary tangles, beginning in the transentorhinal and hippocampal region and spreading superolaterally to the primary areas of the neocortex. Synaptic dysfunction and cell death is shown by progressive loss of cerebral metabolic rate for glucose and progressive brain atrophy. Decreases in synapse number in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus correlate with declining cognitive function. Amyloid changes are detectable in cerebrospinal fluid and with amyloid imaging up to 20 years prior to the onset of symptoms. Structural atrophy may be detectable via magnetic resonance imaging up to 10 years before clinical signs appear. Conclusion: This review highlights the progression of biological changes underlying AD and their association with the clinical syndrome. Many changes occur before overt symptoms are evident and biomarkers provide a means to detect AD pathology even in patients without symptoms.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Raskin Joel, Cummings Jeffrey, Hardy John, Schuh Kory and Dean A. Robert, Neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease: Integrated Molecular, Physiological, Anatomical, Biomarker, and Cognitive Dimensions, Current Alzheimer Research 2015; 12 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1567205012666150701103107
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1567205012666150701103107 |
Print ISSN 1567-2050 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5828 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
New Advances in the Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Alzheimer's Disease
Aims and Scope: Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant global health challenge, with an increasing prevalence that demands concerted efforts to advance our understanding and strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. This thematic issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research and innovative approaches from multidisciplinary perspectives to address ...read more
Current updates on the Role of Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Neuroinflammation is an invariable hallmark of chronic and acute neurodegenerative disorders and has long been considered a potential drug target for Alzheimer?s disease (AD) and dementia. Significant evidence of inflammatory processes as a feature of AD is provided by the presence of inflammatory markers in plasma, CSF and postmortem brain ...read more
Deep Learning for Advancing Alzheimer's Disease Research
Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant global health challenge, with an increasing number of individuals affected yearly. Deep learning, a subfield of artificial intelligence, has shown immense potential in various domains, including healthcare. This thematic issue of Current Alzheimer Research explores the application of deep learning techniques in advancing our ...read more
Diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers of dementia
Dementia affects 18 million people worldwide. Dementia is a syndrome of symptoms caused by brain disease, usually chronic or progressive, clinically characterized by multiple impairments of higher cortical functions such as memory, thinking, orientation, and learning. In addition, in the course of dementia, cognitive deficits are observed, which often hinder ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Identification and Temporal Characterization of Features Associated with the Conversion from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer’s Disease
Current Alzheimer Research Integration of Internet of Things with Quantum Dots: A State-of-the-art of Medicine
Current Pharmaceutical Design Recent Advances in the Discovery of α1-Adrenoceptor Agonists
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Agonism of Peroxisome Proliferator Receptor-Gamma may have Therapeutic Potential for Neuroinflammation and Parkinsons Disease
Current Neuropharmacology Modeling Rett Syndrome Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets What Can Imaging Reveal about Obesity and the Brain?
Current Alzheimer Research Long-Term Effects of Intracerebroventricular Streptozotocin Treatment on Adult Neurogenesis in the Rat Hippocampus
Current Alzheimer Research Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress and Immune-inflammatory Pathways in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Current Neuropharmacology Therapeutic Targeting of the Endoplasmic Reticulum in Alzheimers Disease
Current Alzheimer Research Development of Effective Therapeutics Targeting the GABAA Receptor: Naturally Occurring Alternatives
Current Pharmaceutical Design Mild Cognitive Impairment: At the Crossroad of Neurodegeneration and Vascular Dysfunction
Current Alzheimer Research Antiphospholipid Syndrome as a Neurological Disease
Current Rheumatology Reviews miR-132 Down-regulates Methyl CpG Binding Protein 2 (MeCP2) During Cognitive Dysfunction Following Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion
Current Neurovascular Research Editorial [Hot Topic: Exploring the Links between Obesity and Alzheimers Disease (Guest Editor: Suzana S. Petanceska) ]
Current Alzheimer Research NF-κB, a Potential Therapeutic Target for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Relevance of Aβ 1-42 Intrahippocampal Injection as An Animal Model of Inflamed Alzheimers Disease Brain
Current Alzheimer Research Detour Cum Distance Matrix Based Topological Descriptors for QSAR/QSPR Part-II: Application in Drug Discovery Process
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Neurotrophins - From Pathophysiology to Treatment in Alzheimers Disease
Current Alzheimer Research Plasma Metabolic Profiling of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease Using Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Treating High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C): Quantity Versus Quality
Current Pharmaceutical Design