What is it about?
We describe some of the morphological alterations of the hypothalamic nuclei in early cases of Alzheimer’s disease, using silver impregnation techniques and electron microscopy. The morphological and morphometric study revealed substantial decrease of the neuronal population, which was particularly marked in the suprachiasmatic, the supraoptic, and the paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. The silver staining demonstrated an obvious shortage of the dendritic arborization of neurons, associated with marked spinal pathology and axonal dystrophy. It must be underlined that Alzheimer’s pathology, such as neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary degeneration, was minimal in the hypothalamus in comparison with other cortical and subcortical areas of the brain. Mitochondrial alterations and fragmentation of Golgi complex were observed by electron microscopy in a substantial number of neurons and astrocytes in the hypothalamic nuclei.
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Why is it important?
The hypothalamic pathology may be related to instability of autonomic regulation which occurs gradually in Alzheimer’s disease.
Perspectives
The role of the hypothalamus in the harmonization of circadian rhythms is crucial for the maintenance of energy homeostasis. The feeding behavior and the thermoregulation of the body become gradually unstable during the clinical course of AD, a fact which was also noticed in experimental models of AD as well as in the behavioral variant of fronto-temporal dementia . In conclusion, the hypothalamic nuclei are involved in AD, inducing autonomic dysfunction and homeostatic disequilibrium, phenomena which are clearly noticeable at the advanced stages of AD.
Professor Stavros J Baloyannis or Balogiannis or Balojannis or Baloyiannis or Mpalogiannis
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Hypothalamus in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Golgi and Electron and Microscope Study, January 2019, IntechOpen,
DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.75887.
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