Retrogenesis: clinical, physiologic, and pathologic mechanisms in brain aging, Alzheimer's and other dementing processes

Data From clinical, electrophysiologic, neurophysiologic, neuroimaging and neuropathologic sources indicates that the progression of brain aging and A lzheimer's disease (AD) deterioration proceeds inversely to human ontogenic acquisition patterns. A word for this process of degenerative developmenta l recapitulation, "retrogenesis", has been proposed. These retrogenic proce sses provide new insights into the pathologic mechanism of AD deterioration . An understanding of retrogenic phenonmena can also result in insights int o the applicability of retrogenic pathologic mechanisms for non-AD dementin g disorders. Management strategies based upon retrogenesis have recently be en proposed. Retrogenic pathophysiology also points to previously unexplore d pharmacologic approaches to dementia prevention and treatment.