Biochemical and pathological background for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

Biochemical and pathological background for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Etsuro Matsubara

Department of Neurology, Institute of Brain Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine

In Alzheimer's disease, the steady-state level of Aß is controlled by the generation of Aß from its precursor, the degradation of Aß within the brain, and transport of Aß out of the brain. The imbalance among three metabolic pathways results in excessive accumulation and deposition of Aß in the brain, which may trigger a complex downstream cascade (e.g., primary amyloid plaque formation or secondary tauopathy and neurodegeneration) leading to memory loss or dementia in AD. Recently, a workgroup of the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association proposed a framework for preclinical AD which is based on amyloid imaging, biomarkers, and cognitive decline. We herein focus on and reviewed the biochemical and pathological background underlying pre-MCI or prodromal AD to assess these guidelines

Address correspondence to Dr. Etsuro Matsubara, Department of Neurology, Institute of Brain Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine (5 Zaifu, Hirosaki, 036-8562 Aomori, Japan)