Neurodegenerative dementia and Parkinsonism (original) (raw)

The Significance of α-Synuclein, Amyloid-β and Tau Pathologies in Parkinson's Disease Progression and Related Dementia

Neurodegenerative Diseases, 2013

Background: Dementia is one of the milestones of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), with its neuropathological substrate still being a matter of debate, particularly regarding its potential mechanistic implications. Objective: The aim of this study was to review the relative importance of Lewy-related α-synuclein and Alzheimer's tau and amyloid-β (Aβ) pathologies in disease progression and dementia in PD. Methods: We reviewed studies conducted at the Queen Square Brain Bank, Institute of Neurology, University College London, using large PD cohorts. Results: Cortical Lewy- and Alzheimer-type pathologies are associated with milestones of poorer prognosis and with non-tremor predominance, which have been, in turn, linked to dementia. The combination of these pathologies is the most robust neuropathological substrate of PD-related dementia, with cortical Aβ burden determining a faster progression to dementia. Conclusion: The shared relevance of these pathologies in PD progressio...

Neuronal response in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease: the effect of toxic proteins on intracellular pathways

BMC neuroscience, 2015

Accumulation of protein aggregates is the leading cause of cellular dysfunction in neurodegenerative disorders. Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease, Prion disease and motor disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, present with a similar pattern of progressive neuronal death, nervous system deterioration and cognitive impairment. The common characteristic is an unusual misfolding of proteins which is believed to cause protein deposition and trigger degenerative signals in the neurons. A similar clinical presentation seen in many neurodegenerative disorders suggests the possibility of shared neuronal responses in different disorders. Despite the difference in core elements of deposits in each neurodegenerative disorder, the cascade of neuronal reactions such as activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta, mitogen-activated protein kinases, cell cycle re-entry and oxidative stress leading to a progressive neurodegeneration are ...