ALTERATIONS IN THE GLUTAMATERGIC SYSTEM AND THEIR ASSOCIATIONS WITH CLINICAL AND NEUROPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

Abstract

ALZHEIMER?S DISEASE (AD), VASCULAR DEMENTIA (VAD), MIXED DEMENTIA (MIX), AND LEWY BODY DEMENTIA (LBD) ARE COMMON BRAIN DISEASES AFFECTING THE AGING POPULATION. N-METHYL-D-ASPARTATE (NMDA) RECEPTOR AND A-AMINO-3-HYDROXY-5-METHYL-4-ISOXAZOLEPROPIONIC ACID (AMPA) RECEPTOR ARE IMPORTANT IN DEMENTIA BECAUSE OF THEIR ROLE IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND FAST EXCITATORY NEUROTRANSMISSION RESPECTIVELY. HOWEVER, WHILE GLUTAMATERGIC DYSFUNCTION HAS BEEN FAIRLY WELL CHARACTERIZED IN AD, THEIR STATUS IN VAD, MIX, AND LBD IS UNCLEAR. HIGHER GLUA2 IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN SIVD (VAD) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH MILDER COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND LOWER CONCENTRATIONS OF A?42 PEPTIDE AND PHOSPHORYLATED TAU. ALSO, GLUN1 LOSS AND GLUN2A/GLUN2B UPREGULATION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER BRAAK STAGES AND LACUNAR INFARCT SCORES RESPECTIVELY. LOWER GLUA2/3/4 IMMUNOREACTIVITIES IN LBD CORRELATED WITH HIGHER PREDEATH HOEHN AND YAHR SCORES AND WITH LONGER PARKINSON DISEASE DURATION BEFORE DEMENTIA ONSET, BUT NOT WITH DEMENTIA SEVERITY,