Dendritic and spinal pathology in the visual cortex in Alzheimer's disease

What is it about?

Alzheimer's disease is an age associated neurodegenerative disorder, causing progressive decline in mental faculties, loss of professional skills and decline in social performance. Various unstable neurological phenomena plot the clinical profile of the disease. The morphological hallmarks of the disease consist in accumulation of Aβ peptide, neurofibrillary degeneration, synaptic loss, dendritic alteration and substantial mitochondrial pathology. In the present study we attempt to describe the morphological and morphometric alterations of the dendrites in the visual cortex in early cases of Alzheimer's disease.

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Why is it important?

Neuronal loss was prominent in the visual cortex. An impressive abbreviation of the neuronal arborization in the majority of neurons was seen. Loss of tertiary dendritic branches was prominent. Loss of large number of dendritic spines was noticed. Large number of spines demonstrated alterations of the shape and size as well as of the interior structure. Mitochondrial alterations were extensively seen in the dendrites associated with the pathology of the dendritic spines

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