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The need to unify neuropathological assessments of vascular alterations in the ageing brain Multicentre survey by the BrainNet Europe consortium

Alafuzoff, Irina ; Gelpi, Ellen ; Al-Sarraj, Safa ; Arzberger, Thomas ; Attems, Johannes ; Bodi, Istvan ; Bogdanovic, Nenad ; Budka, Herbert ; Bugiani, Orso and Englund, Elisabet LU orcid , et al. (2012) In Experimental Gerontology 47(11). p.825-833
Abstract
Here, we summarise the results after carrying out a large survey regarding the assessment of vascular alterations, both vessel changes and vascular lesions in an inter-laboratory setting. In total, 32 neuropathologists from 22 centres, most being members of BrainNet Europe (BNE), participated by filling out a questionnaire with emphasis on assessment of common vascular alterations seen in the brains of aged subjects. A certain level of harmonisation has been reached among BNE members regarding sectioning of the brain, harvesting of brain tissue for histology and staining used when compared to the survey carried out in 2006 by Pantoni and colleagues. The most significant variability was seen regarding the assessment of severity and of... (More)
Here, we summarise the results after carrying out a large survey regarding the assessment of vascular alterations, both vessel changes and vascular lesions in an inter-laboratory setting. In total, 32 neuropathologists from 22 centres, most being members of BrainNet Europe (BNE), participated by filling out a questionnaire with emphasis on assessment of common vascular alterations seen in the brains of aged subjects. A certain level of harmonisation has been reached among BNE members regarding sectioning of the brain, harvesting of brain tissue for histology and staining used when compared to the survey carried out in 2006 by Pantoni and colleagues. The most significant variability was seen regarding the assessment of severity and of clinical significance of vascular alterations. Two strategies have recently been recommended regarding the assessment of vascular alterations in aged and demented subjects. The National Institute on Aging - Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) recommends the assessment of hippocampal sclerosis, vascular brain injury and microvascular lesions in 12 regions. Although this strategy will be easy to follow, the recommendations do not inform how the load of observed alterations should be assessed and when the observed lesions are of significance. Deramecourt and his colleagues recommend an assessment and semiquantitative grading of various pathologies in 4 brain regions. This strategy yielded a total score of 0 to 20 as an estimate of pathology load. It is, however, not clear which score is considered to be of clinical significance. Furthermore, in several BNE trials the semiquantitative assessment has yielded poor agreement rates; an observation that might negatively influence the strategy proposed by Deramecourt and his colleagues. In line with NIA-AA, a dichotomised approach of easily recognisable lesions in a standardised set of brain regions harvested for neuropathological assessment and applying reproducible sampling and staining strategies is recommended by BNE. However, a simple strategy regarding assessment of load of alteration is urgently needed to yield reproducible, and at the same time, comparable results between centres. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Neuropathology
in
Experimental Gerontology
volume
47
issue
11
pages
825 - 833
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000310597700003
  • scopus:84867736229
  • pmid:22705312
ISSN
1873-6815
DOI
10.1016/j.exger.2012.06.001
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
794539b6-d7a4-442c-bc74-bcc8a1a357e7 (old id 3259314)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:58:16
date last changed
2022-01-26 04:20:09
@article{794539b6-d7a4-442c-bc74-bcc8a1a357e7,
  abstract     = {{Here, we summarise the results after carrying out a large survey regarding the assessment of vascular alterations, both vessel changes and vascular lesions in an inter-laboratory setting. In total, 32 neuropathologists from 22 centres, most being members of BrainNet Europe (BNE), participated by filling out a questionnaire with emphasis on assessment of common vascular alterations seen in the brains of aged subjects. A certain level of harmonisation has been reached among BNE members regarding sectioning of the brain, harvesting of brain tissue for histology and staining used when compared to the survey carried out in 2006 by Pantoni and colleagues. The most significant variability was seen regarding the assessment of severity and of clinical significance of vascular alterations. Two strategies have recently been recommended regarding the assessment of vascular alterations in aged and demented subjects. The National Institute on Aging - Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) recommends the assessment of hippocampal sclerosis, vascular brain injury and microvascular lesions in 12 regions. Although this strategy will be easy to follow, the recommendations do not inform how the load of observed alterations should be assessed and when the observed lesions are of significance. Deramecourt and his colleagues recommend an assessment and semiquantitative grading of various pathologies in 4 brain regions. This strategy yielded a total score of 0 to 20 as an estimate of pathology load. It is, however, not clear which score is considered to be of clinical significance. Furthermore, in several BNE trials the semiquantitative assessment has yielded poor agreement rates; an observation that might negatively influence the strategy proposed by Deramecourt and his colleagues. In line with NIA-AA, a dichotomised approach of easily recognisable lesions in a standardised set of brain regions harvested for neuropathological assessment and applying reproducible sampling and staining strategies is recommended by BNE. However, a simple strategy regarding assessment of load of alteration is urgently needed to yield reproducible, and at the same time, comparable results between centres. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Alafuzoff, Irina and Gelpi, Ellen and Al-Sarraj, Safa and Arzberger, Thomas and Attems, Johannes and Bodi, Istvan and Bogdanovic, Nenad and Budka, Herbert and Bugiani, Orso and Englund, Elisabet and Ferrer, Isidro and Gentleman, Stephen and Giaccone, Giorgio and Graeber, Manuel B. and Hortobagyi, Tibor and Hoeftberger, Romana and Ironside, James W. and Jellinger, Kurt and Kavantzas, Nikolaos and King, Andrew and Korkolopoulou, Penelope and Kovacs, Gabor G. and Meyronet, David and Monoranu, Camelia and Parchi, Piero and Patsouris, Efstratios and Roggendorf, Wolfgang and Rozemuller, Annemieke and Seilhean, Danielle and Streichenberger, Nathalie and Thal, Dietmar R. and Wharton, Stephen B. and Kretzschmar, Hans}},
  issn         = {{1873-6815}},
  keywords     = {{Neuropathology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{825--833}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Experimental Gerontology}},
  title        = {{The need to unify neuropathological assessments of vascular alterations in the ageing brain Multicentre survey by the BrainNet Europe consortium}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2012.06.001}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.exger.2012.06.001}},
  volume       = {{47}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}