Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL UK.
Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, University of Kentucky, 800 Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536-0230 USA.
Alzheimers Res Ther. 2014 Nov 28;6(9):85. doi: 10.1186/s13195-014-0085-y. eCollection 2014.
The aging brain is characterized by the simultaneous presence of multiple pathologies, and the prevalence of cerebral multi-morbidity increases with age. To understand the impact of each subtype of pathology and the combined effects of cerebral multi-morbidity on clinical signs and symptoms, large clinico-pathological correlative studies have been performed. However, such studies are often based on semi-quantitative assessment of neuropathological hallmark lesions. Here, we discuss some of the new methods for high-throughput quantitative neuropathological assessment. These methods combine increased quantitative rigor with the added technical capacity of computers and networked analyses. There are abundant new opportunities - with specific techniques that include slide scanners, automated microscopes, and tissue microarrays - and also potential pitfalls. We conclude that quantitative and digital neuropathologic approaches will be key resources to further elucidate cerebral multi-morbidity in the aged brain and also hold the potential for changing routine neuropathologic diagnoses.
衰老大脑的特点是同时存在多种病变，并且大脑多病共存的患病率随着年龄的增长而增加。为了了解每种病理亚型的影响以及大脑多病共存对临床体征和症状的综合影响，已经进行了大量的临床病理相关性研究。然而，此类研究通常基于对神经病理学标志性病变的半定量评估。在这里，我们讨论了一些用于高通量定量神经病理学评估的新方法。这些方法将增加的定量严格性与计算机和网络分析的附加技术能力相结合。有大量的新机会 - 具体技术包括幻灯片扫描仪、自动化显微镜和组织微阵列 - 也存在潜在的陷阱。我们得出结论，定量和数字神经病理学方法将是进一步阐明老年人大脑多病共存的关键资源，并且也有可能改变常规神经病理学诊断。
