Cited by 305Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

β-amyloid deposition and other measures of neuropathology predict cognitive status in Alzheimer's disease

Cummings, Brian J., Pike, Christian J., Shankle, Rodman, Cotman, Carl W.·1996·Neurobiology of Aging

Abstract

The relationship between progressive cognitive decline and underlying neuropathology associated with Alzheimer s disease (AD) is a key issue in defining the mechanisms responsible for functional loss. This has been a subject of much controversy, with separate studies comparing various clinical and neuropathological indices in AD. Further, it is difficult to compare studies with differences in histochemical staining protocols, brain regions examined, and data quantification criteria. There are many difficulties in designing a clinical-pathological correlative study involving AD patients. It is necessary to control for several key parameters. For example, a broad range of cognitively impaired subjects is needed, as well as short postmortem delays, brief intervals between cognitive testing and death, and the most sensitive detection and quantification techniques. In this study, we carefully controlled for each of these parameters to determine if there is a relationship between global cognitive dysfunction and multiple neuropathological indices. We selected 20 individuals representing a broad range of cognitive ability from normal to severely impaired based on the MMSE, Blessed IMC, and CDR. We counted plaque number, NFT number, dystrophic neurite number, and the relative extent of thioflavine positive plaques and neuritic involvement within plaques. We also quantified cortical area occupied by beta-amyloid immunoreactivity (A beta Load) and PHF-1 positive neuropil threads and tangles (PHF Load) using computer-based image analysis. Interestingly, we found that most pathologic measures correlated highly with the severity of dementia. However, the strongest predictor of premortem cognitive dysfunction on all three cognitive measures was the relative area of entorhinal cortex occupied by beta-amyloid deposition. In conclusion, our data show that in a carefully controlled correlative study, a variety of neuropathological variables are strongly correlated with cognitive impairment. Plaque related variables may be as strongly related to cognitive dysfunction as other established measures, including synapse loss, cell death and tau hyperphosphorylation, although no correlative study can demonstrate causality.

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Crossref · 10.1016/s0197-4580(96)00170-4

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  • Numerous studies have documented a strong link between neocortical NFTs and cognitive loss.

    “On the other hand, numerous studies have documented a strong link between neocortical NFTs and cognitive loss[26, 46, 48, 97, 123, 160, 169].”

    From Alzheimer's disease: experimental models and reality (2017) · cites this paper as [26]

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Authors
Cummings, B. J., Pike, C. J., Shankle, R., & Cotman, C. W.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • University of California, Irvine (US)
Corresponding author
Cummings, Brian J.
Venue
Neurobiology of Aging
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
1996-11
Volume
17
Issue
6
Pages
921-933
ISSN
0197-4580 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1965670935
Cited by
305
References
100
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 9
FWCI
8.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Neurobiology of Aging (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01ag013007-05)
  • University of California, Irvine
  • National Institute on Aging (AG-13007, AG 00538, P50-AG05142, P50AG005142)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta deposition, neuropathology, cognitive impairment, dementia severity, amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, entorhinal cortex, neuropil threads, PHF1, dystrophic neurites, clinicopathological correlation, postmortem delay
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Brain, Cell Count, Female, Fluorescent Dyes, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Immunohistochemistry, Male, Thiazoles, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Neurofibrillary Tangles, Entorhinal Cortex, Neurobehavioral Manifestations, Benzothiazoles, Plaque, Amyloid

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