Novel method to quantify neuropil threads in brains from elders with or without cognitive impairment

Authors

T. W. Mitchell, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
J. Nissanov, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
L. Y. Han, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
E. J. Mufson, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
J. A. Schneider, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
E. J. Cochran, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
D. A. Bennett, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
V. M.Y. Lee, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
J. Q. Trojanowski, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
S. E. Arnold, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Pathological alterations in dendrites and axons (i.e., neuritic pathologies) occur in the normal aging brain as well as in brains from elders with mild cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative dementia. These alterations may correlate with clinical measures of cognitive abilities, but the contribution of neuropil threads (NTs), which constitute 85-90% of cortical tau pathology, has not been clear because of the lack of quantitative methodologies. We combined quantitative fractionation and image analysis to devise a strategy for measuring the burden of tau-rich NTs in the entorhinal and perirhinal cortex of brains from elders with and without cognitive impairment, including dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). On the basis of data presented here using this novel strategy, we conclude that this quantitative imaging technique will facilitate efforts to determine the behavioral correlations of neuritic lesions in AD and other brain disorders.

Keywords

Alzheimer's disease, Entorhinal cortex, Image analysis, Neurodegenerative disease, Neurofibrillary tangles, Neuropil threads, Stereology, Tau

Publication Date

1-1-2000

Publication Title

Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry

ISSN

00221554

Volume

48

Issue

12

First Page

1627

Last Page

1637

PubMed ID

11101631

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1177/002215540004801206

Recommended Citation

Mitchell, T. W.; Nissanov, J.; Han, L. Y.; Mufson, E. J.; Schneider, J. A.; Cochran, E. J.; Bennett, D. A.; Lee, V. M.Y.; Trojanowski, J. Q.; and Arnold, S. E., "Novel method to quantify neuropil threads in brains from elders with or without cognitive impairment" (2000). Translational Neuroscience. 1907.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neurobiology/1907