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Metabolic Support of Neural Plasticity: Implications for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

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Novel Approaches to the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Part of the book series: Advances in Behavioral Biology ((ABBI,volume 36))

Abstract

Imagine a “magic bullet” for Alzheimer’s Disease, i.e., a therapy that would do more than just halt the degeneration--this novel treatment would restore the atrophied neocortex and perhaps even replace some of the lost information. Such a glamorous cure for Alzheimer’s disease carries with it a hidden requirement, one that has been relatively neglected in this area of research. The addition of cortical tissue late in life will impose new metabolic demands for synthesis of synaptic connections and the associated dendritic and axonal material. In addition, the volume expansion will tend to dilute metabolic support as the existing capillaries are spread apart. For these reasons any significant restoration of functional cortex will have to include some improvement in its metabolic support.

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© 1989 Plenum Press, New York

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Black, J.E., Greenough, W.T. (1989). Metabolic Support of Neural Plasticity: Implications for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. In: Meyer, E.M., Simpkins, J.W., Yamamoto, J. (eds) Novel Approaches to the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Advances in Behavioral Biology, vol 36. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5727-8_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5727-8_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5729-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5727-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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