Ioannis Mavroudis

By Stavros Ioannou Baloyannis, Ioannis Mavroudis, Demetrios Mitilineos, Ioannis S. Baloyannis and Vasiliki G. Costa

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive irreversible neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by gradual decline of mental faculties including learning capacity, emotional and behavioral alterations, serious decline of motor skills, and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system with disruption of circadian rhythms. Among the potential modifiable risk factors diabetes and obesity may play a considerable role in the pathogenetic background of the disease. We describe some of the morphological alterations of the hypothalamic nuclei in early cases of Alzheimer’s disease, using silver impregnation techniques and electron microscopy. The morphological and morphometric study revealed substantial decrease of the neuronal population, which was particularly marked in the suprachiasmatic, the supraoptic and the paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. The silver staining demonstrated an obvious shortage of the dendritic arborization of neurons, associated with marked spinal pathology and axonal dystrophy. It must be underlined that Alzheimer’s pathology, such as neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary degeneration was minimal in hypothalamus in comparison with other areas of the brain. Mitochondrial alterations and fragmentation of Golgi complex were observed by electron microscopy in a substantial number of neurons and astrocytes in the hypothalamic nuclei. The hypothalamic pathology may be related to instability of autonomic regulation which occurs gradually in Alzheimer’s disease.

Part of the book: Cognitive Disorders

By Stavros J. Baloyannis, Ioannis Mavroudis, Demetrios Mitilineos, Ioannis S. Baloyannis and Vassiliki G. Costa

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, irreversible neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by gradual decline of mental faculties, including learning capacity, emotional and behavioral alterations, serious decline of motor skills, and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system with disruption of circadian rhythms. Among the potential modifiable risk factors, diabetes and obesity may play a considerable role in the pathogenetic background of the disease. We describe some of the morphological alterations of the hypothalamic nuclei in early cases of Alzheimer’s disease, using silver impregnation techniques and electron microscopy. The morphological and morphometric study revealed substantial decrease of the neuronal population, which was particularly marked in the suprachiasmatic, the supraoptic, and the paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. The silver staining demonstrated an obvious shortage of the dendritic arborization of neurons, associated with marked spinal pathology and axonal dystrophy. It must be underlined that Alzheimer’s pathology, such as neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary degeneration, was minimal in the hypothalamus in comparison with other cortical and subcortical areas of the brain. Mitochondrial alterations and fragmentation of Golgi complex were observed by electron microscopy in a substantial number of neurons and astrocytes in the hypothalamic nuclei. The hypothalamic pathology may be related to instability of autonomic regulation which occurs gradually in Alzheimer’s disease.

Part of the book: Hypothalamus in Health and Diseases

By Ioannis Mavroudis

Part of the book: Concussion

By Ioannis Mavroudis, Ioana-Miruna Balmus, Lucian Gorgan and Alin Ciobica

This review provides a detailed analysis of the pathophysiology involved in traumatic brain injury (TBI), with an emphasis on mild TBI and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). It explains the dynamic interaction between mechanical trauma and the neuroinflammatory response, especially the crucial role of microglia in post-TBI inflammation. Moreover, the review discusses the significance of dendritic and spinal changes as indicators of a regenerative response. The role of transactive response (TAR) DNA-binding protein 43 and tau protein in the pathogenesis of mild TBI and CTE is assessed, with tau protein changes being a potential biomarker for acute and chronic TBI-related conditions. The study also investigates syndromes commonly found in young athletes, such as second impact syndrome and juvenile head trauma syndrome. The review addresses the complex inflammatory response after mild TBI, focusing on pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators, including IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP as potential indicators of injury severity and outcome. The review calls for further research to elucidate the exact relationship of these factors in TBI and its long-term effects.

Part of the book: Concussion