Research Uses of Neuropathological Data

The study of relationships between neuropathological characteristics and behavioral, structural, chemical, and molecular variables offers immense promise for understanding the basic pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. This position paper examines the need for standardized procedures and quantitation if neuropathological data are to be optimally useful among laboratories investigating the biology of Alzheimer’s disease. These requirements include standardized fixation, embedding, sectioning, staining, brain regions and sampling methods. In addition, the definition of the structures to be quantified, such as plaque type(s), needs to be rigorously specified. Unbiased stereological methods for quantification should be used. These needs for optimal research utility exceed the needs and practicality for diagnostic purposes, suggesting a two-tiered approach to the neuropathology of Alzheimer’s disease: diagnostic and research.