Neuropathology Core

The major purpose ofthe Neuropathology Core (NP Core) is to perform diagnostic neuropathologic evaluations on brains of participants in the Einstein Aging Study (EAS) and to support research in the projects. The NP Core integrates its activities with the Einstein/Montefiore Pathology Departmental on-call service for harvesting brains in a timely fashion of subjects enrolled in the EAS. The NP Core uses standardized dissection and processing procedures and collects neuropathologic data from all brains with the following methods: a) Gross examination with digital photography; b) Assessment of histopathology with lesion counts in multiple brain regions with thioflavin-S fluorescent microscopy; c) For cases with vascular lesions, gross lesions are photographed and the number, type and distribution of lesions are documented with histologic methods; d) For cases with Lewy bodies detected in the screening section of the amygdala or cases with any degree of neuronal loss in the substantia nigra, multiple sections of cortex, hippocampus, diencephalon and brainstem are immunostained with antibodies to a-synuclein to permit classification into diagnostic categories recommended by the Consortium for Dementia with Lewy Bodies; e) Non-Alzheimer degenerative dementias are characterized with immunocytochemistry and antibodies to TDP-43, neurofilament, ubiquitin and phospho-tau; and f) A written report on the findings is provided to the Administrative Core and data to the Statistical Core. The NP Core provides support and performs exploratory analyses for correlative analyses with specific data obtained by the clinical projects. Synaptic measures from Project 1. Microvascular measures in gray and white matter for Project 2. White matter and basal ganglia pathology and A^ protein are assessed for correlative studies of gait and balance measures in Project 3. Animal and human tissues are processed for histologic and immunohistochemical studies for Project 4. The NP Core banks DNA and RNA from brain tissue. Tissue quality is assessed by determining RNA Integrity Number. Fixed and frozen tissue, slides and paraffin blocks are banked for future studies. Tissue and DNA are provided to qualified investigators with approval ofthe Administrative Core. RELEVANCE (See Instructions): The Neuropathology Core provides a final diagnosis (the gold standard) for the patients enrolled in clinical studies ofthe EAS and is a repository of data and tissue from human and animal models for research purposes.