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A cortical microvascular structure in vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration and nondemented controls : a sign of angiogenesis due to brain ischaemia?

Ek Olofsson, H. LU orcid and Englund, E. LU orcid (2019) In Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 45(6). p.557-569
Abstract

Aims: We observed a microvascular structure in the cerebral cortex that has not, to our knowledge, been previously described. We have termed the structure a ‘raspberry’, referring to its appearance under a bright-field microscope. We hypothesized that raspberries form through angiogenesis due to some form of brain ischaemia or hypoperfusion. The aims of this study were to quantify raspberry frequency within the cerebral cortex according to diagnosis (vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration and nondemented controls) and brain regions (frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital cortices, regardless of diagnosis). Materials and methods: In each of 10 age-matched subjects per group, a 20-mm section of the... (More)

Aims: We observed a microvascular structure in the cerebral cortex that has not, to our knowledge, been previously described. We have termed the structure a ‘raspberry’, referring to its appearance under a bright-field microscope. We hypothesized that raspberries form through angiogenesis due to some form of brain ischaemia or hypoperfusion. The aims of this study were to quantify raspberry frequency within the cerebral cortex according to diagnosis (vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration and nondemented controls) and brain regions (frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital cortices, regardless of diagnosis). Materials and methods: In each of 10 age-matched subjects per group, a 20-mm section of the cerebral cortex was examined in haematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections of the frontal, temporal and parietal, and/or occipital lobes. Tests were performed to validate the haematoxylin-and-eosin-based identification of relative differences between the groups, and to investigate inter-rater variability. Results: Raspberry frequency was highest in subjects with vascular dementia, followed by those with frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Alzheimer's disease and last, nondemented controls. The frequency of raspberries in subjects with vascular dementia differed from that of all other groups at a statistically significant level. In the cerebral lobes, there was a statistically significant difference between the frontal and occipital cortices. Conclusions: We believe the results support the hypothesis that raspberries are a sign of angiogenesis in the adult brain. It is pertinent to discuss possible proangiogenic stimuli, including brain ischaemia (such as mild hypoperfusion due to a combination of small vessel disease and transient hypotension), neuroinflammation and protein pathology.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Alzheimer's disease, brain ischaemia, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, neovascularization, pathologic, neovascularization, physiologic, vascular dementia
in
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology
volume
45
issue
6
pages
557 - 569
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85065657379
  • pmid:30957900
ISSN
0305-1846
DOI
10.1111/nan.12552
project
A new type of microvascular formation in the cerebral cortex – is there a link to cerebral hypoperfusion?
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2a7cba7c-26db-4f38-8a4b-95e97f009ed4
date added to LUP
2019-06-04 15:03:24
date last changed
2024-04-16 09:34:33
@article{2a7cba7c-26db-4f38-8a4b-95e97f009ed4,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aims: We observed a microvascular structure in the cerebral cortex that has not, to our knowledge, been previously described. We have termed the structure a ‘raspberry’, referring to its appearance under a bright-field microscope. We hypothesized that raspberries form through angiogenesis due to some form of brain ischaemia or hypoperfusion. The aims of this study were to quantify raspberry frequency within the cerebral cortex according to diagnosis (vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration and nondemented controls) and brain regions (frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital cortices, regardless of diagnosis). Materials and methods: In each of 10 age-matched subjects per group, a 20-mm section of the cerebral cortex was examined in haematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections of the frontal, temporal and parietal, and/or occipital lobes. Tests were performed to validate the haematoxylin-and-eosin-based identification of relative differences between the groups, and to investigate inter-rater variability. Results: Raspberry frequency was highest in subjects with vascular dementia, followed by those with frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Alzheimer's disease and last, nondemented controls. The frequency of raspberries in subjects with vascular dementia differed from that of all other groups at a statistically significant level. In the cerebral lobes, there was a statistically significant difference between the frontal and occipital cortices. Conclusions: We believe the results support the hypothesis that raspberries are a sign of angiogenesis in the adult brain. It is pertinent to discuss possible proangiogenic stimuli, including brain ischaemia (such as mild hypoperfusion due to a combination of small vessel disease and transient hypotension), neuroinflammation and protein pathology.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ek Olofsson, H. and Englund, E.}},
  issn         = {{0305-1846}},
  keywords     = {{Alzheimer's disease; brain ischaemia; frontotemporal lobar degeneration; neovascularization, pathologic; neovascularization, physiologic; vascular dementia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{557--569}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology}},
  title        = {{A cortical microvascular structure in vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration and nondemented controls : a sign of angiogenesis due to brain ischaemia?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nan.12552}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/nan.12552}},
  volume       = {{45}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}