Defining the Pathophysiological Role of Tau in Experimental TBI

Abstract

After traumatic brain injury (TBI), the human brain sometimes develops tau pathology partly resembling the hallmark neuropathological features of the tauopathy of Alzheimers disease (AD). Although tau has been strongly linked to the pathogenesis of AD, its involvement in the pathophysiology of TBI and its influence on brain structural and functional outcomes are unclear. Here we are critically evaluating three hypotheses: (i) tau exacerbates the neuronal damage and cognitive dysfunction after single and repetitive TBI in the acute and chronic post-injury periods; (ii) TBI promotes the severity and spread of tau pathology to contribute to development of a chronic neurodegenerative disorder; and (iii) novel biomarkers for neurodegeneration are non-invasive blood measures of brain damage and dysfunction valuable for the diagnosis, prognosis, and theragnosis of TBI-triggered brain damage and chronic neurodegenerative disease.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2015
Accession Number
AD1000631

Entities

People

  • Robert Siman

Organizations

  • University of Pennsylvania

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alzheimer Disease
  • Biological Markers
  • Brain
  • Brain Injuries
  • Cognitive Impairment
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Dysfunction
  • Gene Delivery
  • Medical Personnel
  • Neurodegeneration
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Pathology
  • Synapses
  • Tauopathy

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Neuroscience
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Cognitive Aging in the Guam and Border Populations Affected by Alzheimer's Disease and Tau-Associated Dementias.