Alzheimer Disease: Chvatal A

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A digest of articles written 1999 and later, on the topic "Alzheimer Disease," originating from Planet Earth —» Chvatal A.  Display:  All Citations ·  All Abstracts
1 Review Astroglia in dementia and Alzheimer's disease. 2009

Rodríguez JJ, Olabarria M, Chvatal A, Verkhratsky A. · Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. · Cell Death Differ. · Pubmed #19057621 No free full text.

Abstract: Astrocytes, the most numerous cells in the brain, weave the canvas of the grey matter and act as the main element of the homoeostatic system of the brain. They shape the microarchitecture of the brain, form neuronal-glial-vascular units, regulate the blood-brain barrier, control microenvironment of the central nervous system and defend nervous system against multitude of insults. Here, we overview the pathological potential of astroglia in various forms of dementias, and hypothesise that both atrophy of astroglia and reactive hypertrophic astrogliosis may develop in parallel during neurodegenerative processes resulting in dementia. We also show that in the transgenic model of Alzheimer's disease, reactive hypertrophic astrocytes surround the neuritic plaques, whereas throughout the brain parenchyma astroglial cells undergo atrophy. Astroglial atrophy may account for early changes in synaptic plasticity and cognitive impairments, which develop before gross neurodegenerative alterations.