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Neuronal loss of the nucleus basalis of Meynert in primary progressive aphasia is associated with Alzheimer's disease neuropathological changes
Author(s) -
Schaeverbeke Jolien,
Tomé Sandra O.,
Ronisz Alicja,
Ospitalieri Simona,
Arnim Christine A. F.,
Otto Markus,
Vandenberghe Rik,
Thal Dietmar Rudolf
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.12794
Subject(s) - nucleus basalis , frontotemporal lobar degeneration , basal forebrain , neuroscience , primary progressive aphasia , cholinergic neuron , alzheimer's disease , pathology , substantia innominata , neuropathology , cholinergic , psychology , frontotemporal dementia , biology , dementia , medicine , disease
Imaging studies indicated basal forebrain reduction in primary progressive aphasia (PPA), which might be a candidate marker for cholinergic treatment. Nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) neuronal loss has been reported, but a systematic quantitative neuropathological assessment including the three clinical PPA variants is lacking. Methods Quantitative assessment of neuronal density and pathology was performed on nbM tissue of 47 cases: 15 PPA, constituting the different clinicopathological phenotypes, 14 Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 18 cognitively normals. Results Group‐wise, reduced nbM neuronal density was restricted to AD. At the individual level, semantic variant PPA with underlying AD neuropathological change (ADNC) had lower neuronal densities, while those with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) transactive response DNA binding protein 43 kDa (TDP‐43) type C pathology were unaffected. Higher Braak stages and increased numbers of nbM‐related pretangles were associated with nbM neuronal loss. Discussion nbM neuronal loss in PPA is related to ADNC. This study cautions against overinterpreting MRI‐based basal forebrain volumes in non‐AD PPA as neuronal loss.