Lewy neurite

Introduction

Abnormal neurites found in patients with diffuse Lewy body disease & some cases of Parkinson's disease.

Distribution

• CA2-CA3 of the hippocampus
• amygdala, accessory cortical nuclei
• nucleus basalis of Meynert
• brainstem of patients with diffuse Lewy body disease
• olfactory bulb
• intermediolateral columns of spinal cord
• sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia
• enteric, cardiac, and pelvic neurons
• adrenal medulla

Components:

components of Lewy neurites include:

• neurofilaments
• ubiquitin
• alpha synuclein

Pathology

• the mechanism of formation of Lewy neurites & the role of Lewy neurites in the pathogenesis of Lewy body dementia is unknown
• Lewy neurites may contribute to the dementia of Lewy body dementia, but may be found in cases of Parkinson's disease without dementia

More general terms

• abnormal morphologic structure (malformation)
• neurite

Additional terms

• alpha-synuclein; non-A beta component of AD amyloid; non-A4 component of amyloid; NACP (SNCA, NACP, PARK1)
• Lewy body dementia
• neurofilament protein
• Parkinson's disease (paralysis agitans, PD)
• ubiquitin (UBCEP2, UBB, UBC)