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A network dysfunction perspective on neurodegenerative diseases

Nature volume 443, pages 768–773 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Patients with Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative disorders show remarkable fluctuations in neurological functions, even during the same day. These fluctuations cannot be caused by sudden loss or gain of nerve cells. Instead, it is likely that they reflect variations in the activity of neural networks and, perhaps, chronic intoxication by abnormal proteins that the brain is temporarily able to overcome. These ideas have far-reaching therapeutic implications.

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Figure 1: Neurodegenerative disorders affect neural activities at many levels.
Figure 2: Functional fluctuations in neurodegenerative disorders may represent fruitful entry points for mechanistic investigations and clinical trials.
Figure 3: Neural plasticity counteracts neurodegenerative disorders at multiple levels.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Finkbeiner for helpful discussion of the Huntington's disease literature, J. Carroll for preparation of graphics, G. Howard and S. Ordway for editorial review, and D. McPherson and L. Manuntag for administrative assistance. This work was supported by grants (to L.M.) from the National Institutes of Health.

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  1. Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 94158, California, USA

    Jorge J. Palop, Jeannie Chin & Lennart Mucke

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Correspondence to Lennart Mucke.

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L.M. has been consulted by Merck and has received honoraria for lectures from Elan, Amgen and Pfizer.

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Palop, J., Chin, J. & Mucke, L. A network dysfunction perspective on neurodegenerative diseases. Nature 443, 768–773 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05289

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