title: Synapses, synaptic activity and intraneuronal abeta in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: beta-Amyloid peptide accumulation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Aberrant beta-amyloid buildup in the brain has been shown to be present both in the extracellular space and within neurons. Synapses are important targets of beta-amyloid, and alterations in synapses better correlate with cognitive impairment than amyloid plaques or neurofibrillary tangles. The link between beta-amyloid and synapses became even tighter when it was discovered that beta-amyloid accumulates within synapses and that synaptic activity modulates beta-amyloid secretion. Currently, a central question in Alzheimer's disease research is what role synaptic activity plays in the disease process, and how specifically beta-amyloid is involved in the synaptic dysfunction that characterizes the disease.
authors: Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College New York, NY, USA.
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Tampellini
authors: Gunnar K
authors: GK
authors: Gouras