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Neuropathologic studies of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA).

Publication ,  Journal Article
O'Brien, RJ; Resnick, SM; Zonderman, AB; Ferrucci, L; Crain, BJ; Pletnikova, O; Rudow, G; Iacono, D; Riudavets, MA; Driscoll, I; Price, DL ...
Published in: J Alzheimers Dis
2009

The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) was established in 1958 and is one the oldest prospective studies of aging in the USA and the world. The BLSA is supported by the National Institute of Aging (NIA) and its mission is to learn what happens to people as they get old and how to sort out changes due to aging from those due to disease or other causes. In 1986, an autopsy program combined with comprehensive neurologic and cognitive evaluations was established in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). Since then, 211 subjects have undergone autopsy. Here we review the key clinical neuropathological correlations from this autopsy series. The focus is on the morphological and biochemical changes that occur in normal aging, and the early neuropathological changes of neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). We highlight the combined clinical, pathologic, morphometric, and biochemical evidence of asymptomatic AD, a state characterized by normal clinical evaluations in subjects with abundant AD pathology. We conclude that in some individuals, successful cognitive aging results from compensatory mechanisms that occur at the neuronal level (i.e., neuronal hypertrophy and synaptic plasticity) whereas a failure of compensation may culminate in disease.

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Published In

J Alzheimers Dis

DOI

EISSN

1875-8908

Publication Date

2009

Volume

18

Issue

3

Start / End Page

665 / 675

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • tau Proteins
  • Tissue Donors
  • Parkinson Disease
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Female
  • Dementia
  • Brain
 

Citation

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O’Brien, R. J., Resnick, S. M., Zonderman, A. B., Ferrucci, L., Crain, B. J., Pletnikova, O., … Troncoso, J. C. (2009). Neuropathologic studies of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). J Alzheimers Dis, 18(3), 665–675. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2009-1179
O’Brien, Richard J., Susan M. Resnick, Alan B. Zonderman, Luigi Ferrucci, Barbara J. Crain, Olga Pletnikova, Gay Rudow, et al. “Neuropathologic studies of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA).J Alzheimers Dis 18, no. 3 (2009): 665–75. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2009-1179.
O’Brien RJ, Resnick SM, Zonderman AB, Ferrucci L, Crain BJ, Pletnikova O, et al. Neuropathologic studies of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). J Alzheimers Dis. 2009;18(3):665–75.
O’Brien, Richard J., et al. “Neuropathologic studies of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA).J Alzheimers Dis, vol. 18, no. 3, 2009, pp. 665–75. Pubmed, doi:10.3233/JAD-2009-1179.
O’Brien RJ, Resnick SM, Zonderman AB, Ferrucci L, Crain BJ, Pletnikova O, Rudow G, Iacono D, Riudavets MA, Driscoll I, Price DL, Martin LJ, Troncoso JC. Neuropathologic studies of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). J Alzheimers Dis. 2009;18(3):665–675.

Published In

J Alzheimers Dis

DOI

EISSN

1875-8908

Publication Date

2009

Volume

18

Issue

3

Start / End Page

665 / 675

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • tau Proteins
  • Tissue Donors
  • Parkinson Disease
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Female
  • Dementia
  • Brain