NEUROPATHOLOGICAL BRAIN MAPPING

Neuropathological brain mapping is enabled by extensive semiserial sec tioning with whole brain coronal microscopical sections prepared from every 5 to 15 mm. By this method not only type of change but also dist ribution and regional severity can be assessed, which is fundamental f or a correct neuropathological diagnosis. This has proved to be of vit al importance for the correlation and validation of the clinical sympt oms and brain imaging findings in cases of organic dementia, and vice versa for the interpretation of the neuropathological findings. Differ ent patterns for the distribution and types of changes have been revea led for Alzheimer's disease and frontal lobe degeneration, as well as in vascular dementia where pure subgroups could be identified. In the very aged, the mapping of several types of mild lesions have been show n to cooperate to cause a summational dementia.