Rw. Hamill et al., CHARACTERIZATION OF BRAIN SAMPLES IN STUDIES OF AGING, ALZHEIMERS, AND OTHER NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES, Neurobiology of aging, 14(6), 1993, pp. 539-545
We review current understanding of the clinical and pathologic informa
tion needed for the determination of optimal brain tissue samples for
the conduct of studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Characteristics th
at may distinguish AD from other dementing disorders are discussed. Se
lected considerations in the conduct of basic neurobiological studies
are also outlined. Although the 28 NIA-funded Alzheimer's Centers can
provide excellent clinical and neuropathological data, studies conduct
ed outside these centers should also strive to gather the information
suggested here. Clinical and neuropathological data should be used not
only to classify subjects as control or AD, but also as variables tha
t may significantly contribute to the analysis of neurobiological data
obtained in the laboratory.