The purpose of the Neuropathology Core (NP Core) is to perform postmortem protocols on brains of participants in the projects of the Einstein Aging Study (EAS) using state-of-the-art neuropathologic methods. The functions of the NP Core are to collect, bank and distribute postmortem material and data as follows: Integrate activities with the Pathology Departmental on-call service so that CNS autopsies of subjects enrolled in the EAS can be performed in a timely fashion and according to protocol. Perform the neuropathologic evaluations according to protocol and collect standardized neuropathologic data from all brains using the following methods: a. Gross examination, b. Hematoxylin and eosin stained sections, c. Thioflavin-S fluorescent microscopy, and d. PHF-tau immunostained sections for staging Alzheimer type pathology. For cases with vascular lesions, the two neuropathologists independently evaluate gross and microscopic data. A consensus clinicopathological diagnosis is reached. In those cases with either neuronal loses loss or Lewy bodies in the substantia nigra, multiple sections are double immunostained with antibodies to tau and ubiquitin. The density of Lewy bodies as well as the presence and severity of Lewy-types neurites in CA2/3 region of hippocampus are determined. Non-Alzheimer degenerative dementia are characterized with immunocytochemistry and antibodies to neurofilament (SMI-31), ubiquitin and PHF-tau (PHF-1 and TG3). The NP Core provides fixed and frozen brain samples to Project 3 for immunocytochemical, image analytical and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. Tissue is provided to other investigators from time to time, as requested. The NP Core determines apolipoprotein-E genotypes from brain tissue and on blood samples collected by the Clinical Core. Tissue samples are banked for future studies and neuropathologic studies are performed for any pilot project that may related to the program project. All data is communicated to the Statistical Core, using standardized protocols and procedures.
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