Neurodegenerative changes in the brainstem and olfactory bulb in people older than 50 years old: a descriptive study

Francine Hehn de Oliveira, Edson Rodrigues Neto, Mariana Kumaira Fonseca, André Silvestre Reitz da Costa, Marcio Aloisio Bezerra Cavalcanti Rockenbach, Renata dos Santos Padilha, Liana Lisboa Fernandez, Arlete Hilbig

With the increase in life expectancy in Brazil, concerns have grown about the most prevalent diseases in elderly people. Among these diseases are neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Protein deposits related to the development of these diseases can pre-date the symptomatic phases by years. The tau protein is particularly interesting: it might be found in the brainstem and olfactory bulb long before it reaches the limbic cortex, at which point symptoms occur. Of the 14 brains collected in this study, the tau protein was found in the brainstems of 10 (71.42%) and in olfactory bulbs of 3 out 11. Of the 7 individuals who had a final diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), 6 presented tau deposits in some region of the brainstem. Our data support the idea of the presence of tau protein in the brainstem and olfactory bulb in the earliest stages of AD.