title: α-Synucleinopathy phenotypes.
abstract: α-Synucleinopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterised by the abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in neurons, nerve fibres or glial cells. While small amounts of these α-synuclein pathologies can occur in some neurologically normal individuals who do not have associated neurodegeneration, the absence of neurodegeneration in such individuals precludes them from having a degenerative α-synucleinopathy, and it has yet to be established whether such individuals have a form of preclinical disease. There are three main types of α-synucleinopathy, Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA), with other rare disorders also having α-synuclein pathologies, such as various neuroaxonal dystrophies. Multiple clinical phenotypes exist for each of the three main α-synucleinopathies, with these phenotypes differing in the dynamic distribution of their underlying neuropathologies. Identifying the factors involved in causing different α-synuclein phenotypes may ultimately lead to more targeted therapeutics as well as more accurate clinical prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McCann
authors.forename: Claire H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cartwright
authors.forename: Glenda M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Halliday
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051844:alpha-Synuclein
keywords: Dementia with Lewy bodies; Multiple system atrophy; Parkinson's disease; α-Synuclein