title: Traumatic brain injury: cause or risk of Alzheimer's disease? A review of experimental studies.
abstract: Traumatic Brain Injury is the leading cause of death and disability among young individuals in our society. Moreover, according to some epidemiological studies, head trauma is one of the most potent environmental risk factors for subsequent development of Alzheimer's disease. Interestingly, pathological features that are present also in Alzheimer's disease (in particular deposition of beta-amyloid protein) were observed in traumatised brains already a few hours after the initial insult. The primary objective of this review is to present methodology and results of numerous recent human and animal studies dealing with this issue. Special emphasis was placed on head trauma experiments in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. We further evaluate the connection between traumatic brain insults and subsequent development of dementia and try to differentiate between primary and secondary pathological mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Section Neurobiology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szczygielski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mautes
authors.forename: W I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Steudel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falkai
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bayer
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wirths
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor