[Advances in biological psychiatry research on dementia: AD-FTLD spectrum].
Neurodegenerative dementia, including Alzheimer disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), is one of the main target areas for research in biological psychiatry. In this review, the historical view, present situation, and further development in dementia research have been discussed from the viewpoint of biological psychiatry. Considering the rapidly increasing number of dementia patients in Japan, the importance of dementia in clinical psychiatry service will keep increasing in the near future. Biological as well as psychosocial knowledge is required to elucidate the mechanism underlying dementia. Although the molecular mechanism underlying the pathological features of AD has not yet been fully elucidated, it can be placed under the concept of the AD-FTLD spectrum, in which loss of function of an important gene may result in accumulation of insoluble proteins inside and outside neurons. To develop disease-modifying drugs for AD and FTLD, elucidation of pathological events that occur earlier than abnormal protein deposition is essential. Early diagnosis and early intervention are important for overcoming these neurodegenerative dementia.
Psychiatry, Department of Integrated Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Masatoshi
M
Takeda
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D057174:Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans