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Neuropathological findings and staging in dementia

Brunnström, Hans LU orcid (2011) In Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series 2011:35.
Abstract
Dementia is a clinical syndrome with the development of impairment in multiple cognitive functions (including memory), severe enough to interfere with activities of daily living, as the main symptom. There are a large number of disorders that can lead to dementia, and neuropathological examination after death is necessary to determine the underlying cause with certainty. The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate neuropathological findings in patients with dementia and neuropathological staging of dementia disorders, the main potential gain being increased epidemiological knowledge and improved neuropathological dementia diagnostics.

We could confirm the generally accepted opinion that on a neuropathological basis,... (More)
Dementia is a clinical syndrome with the development of impairment in multiple cognitive functions (including memory), severe enough to interfere with activities of daily living, as the main symptom. There are a large number of disorders that can lead to dementia, and neuropathological examination after death is necessary to determine the underlying cause with certainty. The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate neuropathological findings in patients with dementia and neuropathological staging of dementia disorders, the main potential gain being increased epidemiological knowledge and improved neuropathological dementia diagnostics.

We could confirm the generally accepted opinion that on a neuropathological basis, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common dementia disorder, followed by vascular dementia (VaD) and mixed AD+VaD. Also, in a significant number of patients, the clinical dementia subtype diagnosis does not correspond with the neuropathological findings. Furthermore, degeneration of the nucleus locus coeruleus, often seen already macroscopically, generally indicates the diagnoses Lewy body disease (LBD) or AD among the demented, while a preserved locus coeruleus occurs mainly in VaD and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Moreover, various neuropathological staging systems for AD differ in procedure and targeted pathology, and the choice of system affects the judgement of Alzheimer pathology and hence the final diagnosis. Also, various neuropathological LBD staging systems differ in applicability and to some extent in the judgment of Lewy-related pathology. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • Prof Esiri, Margaret, University of Oxford
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Alzheimer disease, concordance, dementia, diagnostics, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, grading, Lewy body disease, locus coeruleus, neuropathology, prevalence, staging, vascular dementia
in
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
volume
2011:35
pages
120 pages
publisher
Dept of Pathology
defense location
Patologiska klinikens föreläsningssal
defense date
2011-05-06 13:00:00
ISSN
1652-8220
ISBN
978-91-86671-83-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Pathology, (Lund) (013030000)
id
3e1acfcd-8e65-44a9-b36b-63004c5792d4 (old id 1882978)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:05:13
date last changed
2019-05-28 02:21:14
@phdthesis{3e1acfcd-8e65-44a9-b36b-63004c5792d4,
  abstract     = {{Dementia is a clinical syndrome with the development of impairment in multiple cognitive functions (including memory), severe enough to interfere with activities of daily living, as the main symptom. There are a large number of disorders that can lead to dementia, and neuropathological examination after death is necessary to determine the underlying cause with certainty. The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate neuropathological findings in patients with dementia and neuropathological staging of dementia disorders, the main potential gain being increased epidemiological knowledge and improved neuropathological dementia diagnostics. <br/><br>
We could confirm the generally accepted opinion that on a neuropathological basis, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common dementia disorder, followed by vascular dementia (VaD) and mixed AD+VaD. Also, in a significant number of patients, the clinical dementia subtype diagnosis does not correspond with the neuropathological findings. Furthermore, degeneration of the nucleus locus coeruleus, often seen already macroscopically, generally indicates the diagnoses Lewy body disease (LBD) or AD among the demented, while a preserved locus coeruleus occurs mainly in VaD and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Moreover, various neuropathological staging systems for AD differ in procedure and targeted pathology, and the choice of system affects the judgement of Alzheimer pathology and hence the final diagnosis. Also, various neuropathological LBD staging systems differ in applicability and to some extent in the judgment of Lewy-related pathology.}},
  author       = {{Brunnström, Hans}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-86671-83-9}},
  issn         = {{1652-8220}},
  keywords     = {{Alzheimer disease; concordance; dementia; diagnostics; frontotemporal lobar degeneration; grading; Lewy body disease; locus coeruleus; neuropathology; prevalence; staging; vascular dementia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Dept of Pathology}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series}},
  title        = {{Neuropathological findings and staging in dementia}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3149348/1882987.pdf}},
  volume       = {{2011:35}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}