title: Quantifying the pattern of beta/A4 amyloid protein distribution in Alzheimer's disease by image analysis.
abstract: We have undertaken a study of the distribution of the beta/A4 amyloid deposited in the cerebral cortex in Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies which have examined the differential distribution of amyloid in the cortex in order to determine the laminar pattern of cortical pathology have not proved to be conclusive. We have developed an alternative method for the solution of this problem. It involves the immunostaining of sections followed by computer-enhanced image analysis. A mathematical model is then used to describe both the amount and the pattern of amyloid across the cortex. This method is both accurate and reliable and also removes many of the problems concerning inter and intra-rater variability in measurement. This method will provide the basis for further quantitative studies on the differential distribution of amyloid in Alzheimer's disease and other cases of dementia where cerebral amyloidosis occurs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, St Mary's Medical School, Imperial College, London.
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clinton
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gentleman
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Royston
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000686:Amyloidosis; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides