Gabor G. Kovacs es profesor asociado en el Instituto de Neurología de la Universidad de Medicina de Viena, Austria. Tras finalizar su carrera, su trabajo se ha centrado en la neurología y la neuropatología, en concreto en el estudio de alteraciones tisulares en enfermedades del sistema nervioso con fines de diagnóstico e investigación. Gabor G. Kovacs trabaja en la Vigilancia de las enfermedades priónicas humanas desde 1994.
Resumen de la sesión: «Clinicopathological classification of neurodegenerative diseases»
Neurodegenerative diseases are disorders characterized by progressive loss and dysfunction of neurons associated with deposition of proteins showing altered physicochemical properties in the brain and in peripheral organs. Molecular classification of neurodegenerative disease is protein-based. The most frequent proteins involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases are amyloid-ß, prion protein, tau, a-synuclein, TAR-DNA-binding protein 43kDa, and fused-in sarcoma protein. There are further proteins associated mostly with hereditary disorders such as proteins encoded by genes linked to trinucleotide repeat disorders, neuroserpin, ferritin, and familial cerebral amyloidoses. Hierarchic involvement of anatomic regions is commonly seen in neurodegenerative diseases, which supports the notion of presymptomatic phases of disease. Overlap of neurodegenerative diseases and combinations of different disorders, including cerebrovascular lesions, is frequent. The clinical presentations are defined by the distinct involvement of functional systems and do not necessarily indicate the molecular pathologic background. Either cognitive decline or a spectrum of movement disorders predominate the clinical picture in early phases, however, convergence and combinations of symptoms are seen in later stages of disease. Translation of neuropathologic categories of neurodegenerative diseases into in vivo detectable biomarkers is only partly achieved. Intensive research, in particular correlation of neuroimaging, biomarker, clinical-neuropsychological observations with neuropathological findings should be performed to reach this goal.
Aprovechando esta sesión, al principio de la charla, Nuria Terán, neuropatóloga del HUMV y coordinadora del Nodo de tejidos neurológicos del Biobanco Valdecilla ofrecerá una introducción sobre la puesta en marcha del banco de cerebros.
La sesión tendrá lugar el Jueves 16 de Noviembre a las 8:15 horas en el Salón Téllez Plasencia del Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla.
