nature International weekly journal of science
Nature 443 , 768-773 (19 October 2006) | doi :10.1038/nature05289; Published online 18 October 2006
A network dysfunction perspective on neurodegenerative diseases
Jorge J. Palop 1 , Jeannie Chin 1 and Lennart Mucke 1
Patients with Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative disorders show remarkable fluctuations in neurological functions, even during the same day. These fluctuations cannot be caused by sudden loss or gain of nerve cells. Instead, it is likely that they reflect variations in the activity of neural networks and, perhaps, chronic intoxication by abnormal proteins that the brain is temporarily able to overcome. These ideas have far-reaching therapeutic implications.
