Neurodegenerative Disease Comparison

Question 1

Compare Age of Onset in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 1

AD: 65

PD: 65

MND: 45-60

Question 2

Compare protein of interest in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 2

AD:
• APP (Amyloid-β)
• Tau

PD:
• α-synuclein

MND:
• protein aggregation not a feature

Question 3

Compare genes of interest in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 3

AD:
 • APP
 • Presenilin-1
 • Presenilin-2
 • Apo-E4

PD:
 • SNCA (α-synuclein)
 • Parkin
 • LRRK2
 • PINK1
 • DJ-1

MND:
• SOD1

Question 4

Compare factors that promote and inhibit protein aggregation in:
• AD
• PD

Answer 4

1. AD:
   Promotion:
   • Metals (Cu, Zn)
   • Decreased protease activity

PD:
Promotion:
 • Overexpressions of α-synuclein
 • Mutation in α-synuclein
 • Metal: Cu, Zn

Inhibition:
• Dopamine

Question 5

Compare environmental risk factors in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 5

AD:
• Lifestyle
• Diet
• Education

PD:
• Pesticides
• Metals

MND:
• Military service
• Environmental toxins
• Smoking

Question 6

Compare gender as a risk factor in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 6

AD:
• Females (because they live longer)

PD:
• Males

MND:
• Males (only up to 70, then there is no difference)

Question 7

Compare function of:
 • APP
 • Amyloid-β
 • α-synuclein
 • SOD

Answer 7

APP:
• Growth
• Cell signalling

Amyloid-β:
• Anti-oxidant
• Metal ion homeostasis

α-synuclein:
 • ?
 • Synaptic vesicle trafficking
 • Learning
 • Memory

SOD: Cu/Zn Superoxide dysmutase
• Anti-oxidant

Question 8

Compare pathological features in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 8

AD:
 • Gross atrophy
 • Aβ plaques
 • NFTs
 • Activated microglia
 • Hypertrophic astrocytes
 • Loss of neurons

PD:
• Lewy bodies (α-synuclein)
• Lewy neurties
• Dopaminergic neurons in pars compacta of SN

MND:
• Loss of motor neurons

Question 9

Compare CNS regions at risk in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 9

AD:
• Hippocampus
• Cortex

PD:
• SN
• Frontal lobes
• Frontal cortex

MND:
• Motor neurons (upper and lower)

Question 10

Compare dementia in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 10

AD:
 "Amnestic dementia":
 • Memory loss
 • Attention deficits
 • Language loss

PD:
"Executive dementia"
 • Executive function loss
 • Impulsivity
 • Language loss
 • Attention deficits

MND:
Not observed

Question 11

Compare clinical features in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 11

AD:
• Cognitive (Amnestic dementia)

PD:
 • Cognitive
 • Motor
 • Autonomic
 • Sensory

MND:
• Motor

Question 12

Compare the toxic form of the protein in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 12

AD:
• Oligomer

PD:
• ??, still controversial
• ? Oligomer

MND:
• Metal deficient Cu/Zn Superoxide dismutase

Question 13

Compare treatment in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 13

AD:
• Cholinesterase drugs… not very effective

PD:
• L-DOPA

MND:
• Riluzole
• in the future: UoM drug

Question 14

Compare in:
• AD
• PD
• MND

Answer 14

AD:

PD:

MND: