NUTR 4040 Study Guide - Final Guide: Neurofibrillary Tangle, Vascular Dementia, Brain Biopsy
6 Dec 2018
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Document Summary
Vascular dementia accounts for ~20% of all dementia. Inadequate exercising of the brain: pathophysiology, two hallmarks, plaques tiny deposits of amyloid proteins that become toxic to brain cells. In later stages, the deposits become plaques outside of neurons, causing inflammation and oxidative damage: neurofibrillary tangles in cytoplasm of neuron interrup transport of nutrients and other important substances from one neuron to another. Its role is closely tied to memory, learning and reasoning. Its concentration is decreasing because cells that produce it are dying; it is also being degraded by cholinesterase: cholinesterase is an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, therefore, cholinesterase inhibitors are useful. It has nothing to do with acetylcholine: glutamate is a neurotransmitter which helps with memory and learning. It does so by acting on nmda receptors to send neural messages: however, dying neurons become leaky , releasing too much glutamate.
