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Publications

Journal Article Review Epublish 19 citations

PubMed: 36552331 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121822

The Contribution of the Locus Coeruleus-Noradrenaline System Degeneration during the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease.

Biology (Basel) 11(12)

Authors: Dilek Mercan, Michael Thomas Heneka

Affiliations

  • German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany.
  • Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
  • Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is characterized by extracellular accumulation of amyloid-beta peptide and intracellular aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau, is the most common form of dementia. Memory loss, cognitive decline and disorientation are the ultimate consequences of neuronal death, synapse loss and neuroinflammation in AD. In general, there are many brain regions affected but neuronal loss in the locus coeruleus (LC) is one of the earliest indicators of neurodegeneration in AD. Since the LC is the main source of noradrenaline (NA) in the brain, degeneration of the LC in AD leads to decreased NA levels, causing increased neuroinflammation, enhanced amyloid and tau burden, decreased phagocytosis and impairment in cognition and long-term synaptic plasticity. In this review, we summarized current findings on the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline system and consequences of its dysfunction which is now recognized as an important contributor to AD progression.

MeSH

Locus Coeruleus, Amyloid Beta-Peptides, Norepinephrine, Alzheimer Disease, Brain, Amyloid, Cognition

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