Neuropathology
Unlike other neurodegenerative conditions, people with frontotemporal dementia may have one of a number different underlying cellular brain changes. These various cellular changes currently can not be distinguished during life, and instead, diagnosis is achieved by close examination of cells after brain autopsy.
Both neurons and their supporting cells (glia) are affected in frontotemporal dementia. Along with neuron degeneration, various proteins have been found to accumulate within these cells that can be identified under the microscope (see pictures). Cellular studies of the brain have shown that there are two types of protein which accumulate in neurons in FTD; “tau” and “Tar DNA binding protein 43” (TDP-43). The latter was only recently discovered in 2006, as is present in the majority of cases.
Future treatments will be targeted at halting, or altering the course of these kinds of pathological cellular changes occurring in FTD. We are using the precious resources of the brain donor programme, to work on a better understanding how different cellular changes relate to measurable clinical factors such as symptoms, brain imaging and progression of FTD over time.
Tau protein accumulation in neurons (Pick bodies)……Various glial cell tau protein accumulation
