Xie Qing, Zhao Wei-Jiang, Ou Guan-Yong, Xue Wei-Kang
Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China.
Brain Sci. 2019 Jul 17;9(7):168. doi: 10.3390/brainsci9070168.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that occurs mainly in the elderly and presenile life stages. It is estimated that by the year 2050, 135 million people will be affected by AD worldwide, representing a huge burden to society. The pathological hallmarks of AD mainly include intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) caused by hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, formation of extracellular amyloid plaques, and massive neural cell death in the affected nervous system. The pathogenesis of AD is very complicated, and recent scientific research on AD is mainly concentrated on the cortex and hippocampus. Although the spinal cord is a pivotal part of the central nervous system, there are a limited number of studies focusing on the spinal cord. As an extension of the brain, the spinal cord functions as the bridge between the brain and various parts of the body. However, pathological changes in the spinal cord in AD have not been comprehensively and systematically studied at present. We here review the existing progress on the pathological features of AD in the spinal cord.
阿尔茨海默病（AD）是一种主要发生在老年和老年前期生命阶段的神经退行性疾病。据估计，到2050年，全球将有1.35亿人受到AD影响，这给社会带来了巨大负担。AD的病理特征主要包括由tau蛋白过度磷酸化引起的细胞内神经原纤维缠结（NFTs）、细胞外淀粉样斑块的形成以及受影响神经系统中大量神经细胞死亡。AD的发病机制非常复杂，目前关于AD的科学研究主要集中在大脑皮层和海马体。尽管脊髓是中枢神经系统的关键部分，但关注脊髓的研究数量有限。作为大脑的延伸，脊髓起到大脑与身体各部位之间的桥梁作用。然而，目前尚未对AD患者脊髓的病理变化进行全面系统的研究。我们在此综述AD脊髓病理特征的现有进展。
