Clinical Neurology and Epidemiology of the Major Neurodegenerative Diseases

• Published in: Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology Vol. 10; no. 4; p. a033118
• Main Authors: Erkkinen, Michael G, Kim, Mee-Ohk, Geschwind, Michael D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 01.04.2018
• Subjects: Adults; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease - epidemiology; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Alzheimer's disease; Atrophy; Brain - pathology; Clinical aspects; Cognitive ability; Degeneration; Dementia; Dementia disorders; Diagnosis, Differential; Diagnostic systems; Differential diagnosis; Epidemiology; Frontotemporal dementia; Frontotemporal Dementia - diagnosis; Frontotemporal Dementia - epidemiology; Frontotemporal Dementia - pathology; Genetics; Geriatrics; Humans; Huntington's disease; Laboratories; Lewy bodies; Medical imaging; Morbidity; Movement disorders; Neurodegeneration; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases - diagnosis; Neurodegenerative Diseases - pathology; Neurodegenerative Diseases - physiopathology; Neuroimaging; Neurological diseases; Neurology; Older people; Paralysis; Parkinson Disease - diagnosis; Parkinson Disease - epidemiology; Parkinson Disease - pathology; Parkinson's disease; PERSPECTIVES; Progressive supranuclear palsy
• ISSN: 1943-0264; 1943-0264
• DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033118

Neurodegenerative diseases are a common cause of morbidity and cognitive impairment in older adults. Most clinicians who care for the elderly are not trained to diagnose these conditions, perhaps other than typical Alzheimer's disease (AD). Each of these disorders has varied epidemiology, clinical symptomatology, laboratory and neuroimaging features, neuropathology, and management. Thus, it is important that clinicians be able to differentiate and diagnose these conditions accurately. This review summarizes and highlights clinical aspects of several of the most commonly encountered neurodegenerative diseases, including AD, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and its variants, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and Huntington's disease (HD). For each condition, we provide a brief overview of the epidemiology, defining clinical symptoms and diagnostic criteria, relevant imaging and laboratory features, genetics, pathology, treatments, and differential diagnosis.