Argyrophilic grain disease:clinical and pathological characteristics

Osamu Yokota^1,2), Tomoko Miki^1,2), Takashi Haraguchi³⁾, Hideki Ishizu⁴⁾, Seishi Terada²⁾, Norihito Yamada²⁾

¹⁾Department of Psychiatry, Kinoko Espoir Hospital
²⁾Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences
³⁾Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Minami-Okayama Medical Center
⁴⁾Department of Psychiatry, Zikei Institute of Psychiatry

Argyrophilic grain disease （AGD） is a common age-related limbic tauopathy.　Argyrophilic grains, the cytopathological hallmarks of this disease, develop in the ambient gyrus and amygdala, followed by the hippocampus and temporo-frontal cortex.　In parallel to the progression of AGD, neuronal tau accumulation, granular fuzzy astrocytes, and a few tufted astrocytes may occur in the amygdala, other subcortical nuclei, and neocortex.　Dementia is a major clinical presentation, and psychosis, bipolar disorder, and depression are also potentially related to AGD.　AGD can influence clinical pictures of various neurodegenerative diseases as a copathology, being also associated with suspected non-Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology （SNAP）.

Address correspondence to Dr. Osamu Yokota, Department of Psychiatry, Kinoko Espoir Hospital （2908 Higashi-ohto, Kasaoka 714-0071, Japan）