Cited by 504Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Synaptic degeneration in Alzheimer disease

Tzioras, Makis, McGeachan, Robert I., Durrant, Claire S., Spires-Jones, Tara L.·2023·Nature Reviews Neurology

Abstract

Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive decline in older individuals accompanied by the presence of two pathological protein aggregates - amyloid-β and phosphorylated tau - in the brain. The disease results in brain atrophy caused by neuronal loss and synapse degeneration. Synaptic loss strongly correlates with cognitive decline in both humans and animal models of AD. Indeed, evidence suggests that soluble forms of amyloid-β and tau can cause synaptotoxicity and spread through neural circuits. These pathological changes are accompanied by an altered phenotype in the glial cells of the brain - one hypothesis is that glia excessively ingest synapses and modulate the trans-synaptic spread of pathology. To date, effective therapies for the treatment or prevention of AD are lacking, but understanding how synaptic degeneration occurs will be essential for the development of new interventions. Here, we highlight the mechanisms through which synapses degenerate in the AD brain, and discuss key questions that still need to be answered. We also cover the ways in which our understanding of the mechanisms of synaptic degeneration is leading to new therapeutic approaches for AD.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41582-022-00749-z

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65 of 65 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Synapse degeneration is widely observed across multiple neurodegenerative diseases and is increasingly recognized as a central cause of dementia.

    “Synapses are the hub of neuron communications, and their degeneration is widely observed across multiple neurodegenerative diseases and increasingly recognized as a central cause of dementia 2,4,5,8,16 .”

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Authors
Tzioras, M., McGeachan, R. I., Durrant, C. S., & Spires-Jones, T. L.
Affiliations
UK Dementia Research Institute (GB)
Venue
Nature Reviews Neurology
Published
2022-12-13
Volume
19
Issue
1
Pages
19-38
ISSN
  • 1759-4758 (ISSN-L)
  • 1759-4766
OpenAlex
W4311242262
Cited by
504
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 134 · 2025: 164 · 2024: 147 · 2023: 59
FWCI
12.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature Reviews Neurology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Medical Research Council (MR/V00610X/1)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, synaptic degeneration, synaptotoxicity, amyloid-beta, tau phosphorylation, glial cells, cognitive decline
MeSH terms
Aged, Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Brain, Humans, Synapses, Amyloid beta-Peptides, tau Proteins

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