scholarly journals Alois Alzheimer and vascular brain disease: Arteriosclerotic atrophy of the brain

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliasz Engelhardt ◽  
Lea T. Grinberg

Alois Alzheimer is best known for his description of neurofibrillary changes in brain neurons of a demented patient, identifying a novel disease, soon named after him by Kraepelin. However, the range of his studies was broad, including vascular brain diseases, published between 1894 and 1902. Alzheimer described the clinical picture of Arteriosclerotic atrophy of the brain, differentiating it from other similar disorders. He stated that autopsy allowed pathological distinction between arteriosclerosis and syphilis, thereby achieving some of his objectives of segregating disorders and separating them from syphilis. His studies contributed greatly to establishing the key information on vascular brain diseases, predating the present state of knowledge on the issue, while providing early descriptions of what would be later regarded as the dimensional presentation of the now called "Vascular cognitive impairment", constituted by a spectrum that includes a stage of "Vascular cognitive impairment not dementia" and another of "Vascular dementia".

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-310
Author(s):  
Eliasz Engelhardt ◽  
Lea T. Grinberg

Alois Alzheimer is best known for his description of the pre-senile neurodegenerative disease named after him. However, his previous interest in vascular brain diseases, underlying cognitive and behavioral changes, was very strong. Besides describing the Arteriosclerotic atrophy of the brain and the arteriosclerotic subtype of Senile dementia which he viewed as main forms of vascular brain diseases, he also identified and described a series of conditions he considered subforms. These may be divided, as suggested by the authors of the present paper, into 3 groups: gliosis and sclerosis, subcortical atrophies, and apoplectic. The subforms of the three groups present characteristic neuropathological features and clinical, cognitive and behavioral manifestations. These provide the basis, together with part of the main forms, for the contemporary condition known as Vascular Cognitive Impairment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliasz Engelhardt ◽  
Lea T. Grinberg

Alois Alzheimer is best known for his description of a novel disease, subsequently named after him. However, his wide range of interests also included vascular brain diseases. He described Senile dementia, a highly heterogeneous condition, and was able not only to distinguish it from syphilitic brain disease, but also to discriminate two clinicopathological subtypes, that may be labeled a "arteriosclerotic subtype", comparable to the present clinicopathological continuum of "Vascular cognitive impairment", and another as a "neurodegenerative subtype", characterized by primary [cortical] ganglion cell [nerve cells] degeneration, possibly foreshadowing a peculiar presenile disease that he was to describe some years later and would carry his name. He also considered the possibility of a senile presentation of this disease subtype, which was described by Oskar Fischer a short time later. Considering the clinicopathological overlapping features of the "arteriosclerotic subtype" of Senile dementia with Arteriosclerotic atrophy of the brain, it might be possible to consider that both represent a single condition.


Author(s):  
Amteshwar Singh Jaggi

Aim: The aim of the present study is to explore the neuroprotective effects of remote ischemic preconditioning in long term cognitive impairment after global cerebral ischemia induced-vascular dementia in mice. Material and methods: The mice were subjected to global cerebral ischemia by occluding the bilateral common carotid arteries for 12 minutes followed by the 24 hours of the reperfusion. The remote ischemic preconditioning stimulus was delivered in the form of 4 cycles of ischemia/reperfusion for 5 minutes each. The cerebral ischemic injury induced-long term cognitive impairment-related learning and memory alterations was assessed using morris water maze, the motor performances of the animals were evaluated using rota-rod test and neurological severity score. The cerebral infract size of the brain were quantified using triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Results: Global cerebral ischemia causes long term memory impairment, decreases motor performances and increases the brain infract size in animals. The delivery of remote ischemic preconditioning stimulus significantly abolished the long-term cognitive impairment and ameliorates the motor performances as well as cerebral infract size in brain. Conclusion: The remote ischemic preconditioning mediates neuro protection against global cerebral ischemic injury induced long-term cognitive impairment.


Author(s):  
Nidhi Tiwari ◽  
Jyoti Upadhyay ◽  
Mohd Nazam Ansari ◽  
Syed Shadab Raza ◽  
Wasim Ahmad ◽  
...  

: Vascular dementia (VaD) occurs due to cerebrovascular insufficiency, which leads to decreased blood circulation to the brain, thereby resulting in mental disabilities. The main causes of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) are severe hypoperfusion, stroke, hypertension, large vessel disease (cortical), small vessel disease (subcortical VaD), strategic infarct, hemorrhage (microbleed), cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA),which leads to decreased cerebrovascular perfusion. Many metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, and hyperhomocysteinemia are also related to VaD. The rodent experimental models provide a better prospective for the investigation of the molecular mechanism of new drugs. A plethora of experimental models are available that mimic the pathological conditions and lead to VaD. This review article updates the current knowledge on the basis of VaD, risk factors, pathophysiology, mechanism, advantages, limitations, and the modification of various available rodent experimental models.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpita Chakraborty ◽  
Samir Kumar Praharaj ◽  
R. V. Krishnananda Prabhu ◽  
M. Mukhyaprana Prabhu

AbstractBackgroundMore than half portion of the brain is formed by lipids. They play critical roles in maintaining the brain's structural and functional components. Any dysregulation in these brain lipids can lead to cognitive dysfunction which are associated with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, vascular dementia etc. Studies have linked lipids with cognitive impairment. But not much has been studied about the complex brain lipids which might play a pivotal role in cognitive impairment. This review aims to highlight the lipidomic profiles in patients with cognitive dysfunction.ResultsForty-five articles were reviewed. These studies show alterations in complex lipids such as sphingolipids, phospholipids, glycolipids and sterols in brain in various neurological disorders such as vascular dementia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. However, the classes of fatty acids in these lipids involved are different across studies.ConclusionsThere is a need for targeted lipidomics analysis, specifically including sphingolipids in patients with neurodegenerative disorders so as to improve diagnostics as well as management of these disorders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaki Ueno ◽  
Yoichi Chiba ◽  
Ryuta Murakami ◽  
Koichi Matsumoto ◽  
Ryuji Fujihara ◽  
...  

The entry of blood-borne macromolecular substances into the brain parenchyma from cerebral vessels is blocked by the blood–brain barrier (BBB) function. Accordingly, increased permeability of the vessels induced by insult noted in patients suffering from vascular dementia likely contributes to the cognitive impairment. On the other hand, blood-borne substances can enter extracellular spaces of the brain via endothelial cells at specific sites without the BBB, and can move to brain parenchyma, such as the hippocampus and periventricular areas, adjacent to specific sites, indicating the contribution of increased permeability of vessels in the specific sites to brain function. It is necessary to consider influx and efflux of interstitial fluid (ISF) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in considering effects of brain transfer of intravascular substances on brain function. Two pathways of ISF and CSF are recently being established. One is the intramural peri-arterial drainage (IPAD) pathway of ISF. The other is the glymphatic system of CSF. Dysfunction of the two pathways could also contribute to brain dysfunction. We review the effects of several kinds of insult on vascular permeability and the failure of fluid clearance on the brain function.


2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (S1) ◽  
pp. 277-281
Author(s):  
Peter Whitehouse

The development of new drugs to treat vascular dementia and other conditions in which cognitive impairment is due at least in part to vascular pathology will require future interaction among academic, industry, and government regulatory clinicians and scientists. This article offers the author's perspective on the positive involvement of the Food and Drug Administration in development of conceptual frameworks and practical approaches to treatment of conditions characterized by vascular burden of the brain.


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