Gabor G. Kovacs is Associate Professor in the Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. After receiving his MD degree, his work has been devoted to neurology and neuropathology, i.e. the study of tissue alterations in diseases of the nervous system for diagnostic and research purposes. Gabor G. Kovacs is working on the Surveillance of human prion diseases since 1994.
Summary of the session:
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.
At the beginning of the conference, Nuria Terán, neuropathologist at Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital and coordinator of the Node of neurological tissues will offer an introduction on the start-up of the brain bank.
The session will take place on Thursday, November 16 at 8:15 at the Tellez Plasencia Hall located in the Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital.
