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Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes

Year 2025, Volume: 78 Issue: 4 , 283 - 294 , 31.12.2025

Gamze Doğan , Güvem Gümüş Akay

https://doi.org/10.65092/autfm.1733075
https://izlik.org/JA23LT38FS

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurological condition among the elderly, characterized by progressive cognitive decline and is the most common form of dementia. Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques are the hallmark pathological features of AD. However, substantial experimental evidence suggests that alterations in synaptic function, leading to cognitive impairment in AD patients, may represent early indicators of the disease. In this review, we classify, discuss, and describe the primary findings related to changes in the neurophysiological mechanisms of pre- and post-synaptic structure and function underlying AD. Both mechanical and chemical impairments caused by Aβ plaques and NFTs disrupt synaptic function, leading to compromised long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), as well as alterations in pre- and post-synaptic proteins.

Keywords

Alzheimer's disease Pre-synaptic structures Post-synaptic structures Synaptic dysfunction

Thanks

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References

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Alzheimer Hastalığında Sinaptik İşlev Bozukluğu: Nöronal Değişimlere İlişkin Anlatımsal Bir Derleme

Year 2025, Volume: 78 Issue: 4 , 283 - 294 , 31.12.2025

Gamze Doğan , Güvem Gümüş Akay

https://doi.org/10.65092/autfm.1733075
https://izlik.org/JA23LT38FS

Abstract

Alzheimer hastalığı (AH), yaşlılar arasında yaygın bir nörolojik durum olup, ilerleyici bilişsel gerileme ile karakterize edilir ve en sık görülen demans türüdür. AH'nin belirgin patolojik özellikleri nörofibriler yumaklar (NFT'ler) ve amiloid beta (Aβ) plaklarıdır. Bununla birlikte, önemli deneysel kanıtlar, AH hastalarında bilişsel bozulmaya yol açan sinaptik fonksiyon değişikliklerinin, hastalığın erken belirtileri olabileceğini göstermektedir. Bu derlemede, AH'nin temelinde yatan pre- ve post-sinaptik yapı ve fonksiyondaki değişikliklerle ilgili ana bulguları sınıflandırıyor, tartışıyor ve açıklıyoruz. Aβ plakları ve NFT'ler tarafından neden olunan mekanik ve kimyasal bozukluklar, sinaptik fonksiyonu bozarak uzun süreli potansiyasyon (USP) ve uzun süreli depresyon (USD) süreçlerini zayıflatmakta ve pre- ve post-sinaptik proteinlerde değişikliklere yol açmaktadır.

Keywords

Alzheimer hastalığı Pre-sinaptik yapılar Post-sinaptik yapılar Sinaptik işlev bozukluğu

References

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  • Tarawneh R, Holtzman DM. The clinical problem of symptomatic Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2012;2(5):a006148.
  • Forner S, Baglietto-Vargas D, Martini AC, et al. Synaptic impairment in Alzheimer's disease: a dysregulated symphony. Trends Neurosci. 2017;40(6):347-357.
  • Braak H, Braak E. Neuropathological stageing of Alzheimer-related changes. Acta Neuropathol. 1991;82(4):239-259.
  • Serrano-Pozo A, Frosch MP, Masliah E, et al. Neuropathological alterations in Alzheimer disease. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2011;1(1):006189.
  • Zott B, Konnerth A. Impairments of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in Alzheimer’s disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2022;S1084-9521(22):00080-5.
  • Fu WY, Ip NY. The role of genetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease in synaptic dysfunction. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2023;139:3-12.
  • Terry RD, Masliah E, Salmon DP, et al. Physical basis of cognitive alterations in Alzheimer's disease: synapse loss is the major correlate of cognitive impairment. Ann Neurol. 1991;30(4):572-580.
  • DeKosky ST, Scheff SW. Synapse loss in frontal cortex biopsies in Alzheimer's disease: correlation with cognitive severity. Ann Neurol. 1990;27(5):457-464.
  • Scheff SW, Price DA, Schmitt FA, et al. Synaptic alterations in CA1 in mild Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. 2007;68(18):1501-1508.
  • de Wilde MC, Overk CR, Sijben JW, et al. Meta-analysis of synaptic pathology in Alzheimer's disease reveals selective molecular vesicular machinery vulnerability. Alzheimers Dement. 2016;12(6):633-644.
  • Chen Y, Fu AKY, Ip NY. Synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease: Mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Pharmacol Ther. 2019;195:186-198.
  • Tracy TE, Sohn PD, Minami SS, et al. Acetylated tau obstructs KIBRA-mediated signaling in synaptic plasticity and promotes tauopathy-related memory loss. Neuron. 2016;90(2):245-260.
  • Masliah E, Hansen L, Albright T, et al. Immunoelectron microscopic study of synaptic pathology in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol. 1991;81:428-433.
  • Zhou ZD, Chan CH, Ma QH, et al. The roles of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in neurogenesis: Implications to pathogenesis and therapy of Alzheimer disease. Cell Adhes Migr. 2011;5(4):280-292.
  • Tang BL. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and GABAergic neurotransmission. Cells. 2019;8(6):550.
  • Opsomer R, Contino S, Perrin F, et al. Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) controls the expression of the transcriptional activator Neuronal PAS Domain Protein 4 (NPAS4) and synaptic GABA release. Eneuro. 2020;7(3).
  • D’Amore JD, Kajdasz ST, McLellan ME, et al. In vivo multiphoton imaging of a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer disease reveals marked thioflavine-S-associated alterations in neurite trajectories. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2003;62:137-145.
  • Schmid LC, Mittag M, Poll S, et al. Dysfunction of somatostatin-positive interneurons associated with memory deficits in an Alzheimer’s disease model. Neuron. 2016;92(1):114-125.
  • Blazquez-Llorca L, Valero-Freitag S, Rodrigues EF, et al. High plasticity of axonal pathology in Alzheimer's disease mouse models. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2017;5(1):14.
  • Peters F, Salihoglu H, Rodrigues E, et al. BACE1 inhibition more effectively suppresses initiation than progression of beta-amyloid pathology. Acta Neuropathol. 2018;135:695-710.
  • Tsai J, Grutzendler J, Duff K, et al. Fibrillar amyloid deposition leads to local synaptic abnormalities and breakage of neuronal branches. Nat Neurosci. 2004;7:1181-1183.
  • Holtmaat A, Svoboda K. Experience-dependent structural synaptic plasticity in the mammalian brain. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2009;10:647-658.
  • Spires TL, Meyer-Luehmann M, Stern EA, et al. Dendritic spine abnormalities in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice demonstrated by gene transfer and intravital multiphoton microscopy. J Neurosci. 2005;25:7278-7287.
  • Guptarak J, Scaduto P, Tumurbaatar B, et al. Cognitive integrity in Non-Demented Individuals with Alzheimer's Neuropathology is associated with preservation and remodeling of dendritic spines. Alzheimers Dement. 2024;20(7):4677-4691.
  • Zou C, Montagna E, Shi Y, et al. Intraneuronal APP and extracellular Abeta independently cause dendritic spine pathology in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol. 2015;129:909-920.
  • Mucke L, Masliah E, Yu GQ, et al. High-level neuronal expression of abeta 1-42 in wild-type human amyloid protein precursor transgenic mice: synaptotoxicity without plaque formation. J Neurosci. 2000;20:4050-4058.
  • Ilina A, Linkova N. A Transgenic 5xFAD-M Line of Mice for Dendritic Spine Morphology Analysis in Alzheimer’s Disease. Brain Sci. 2023;13(2):307.
  • Sutton MA, Schuman EM. Dendritic protein synthesis, synaptic plasticity, and memory. Cell. 2006;127(1):49-58. 30. Malenka RC, Bear MF. LTP and LTD: An embarrassment of riches. Neuron. 2004;44(1):5-21.
  • Cullen WK, Suh YH, Anwyl R, et al. Block of LTP in rat hippocampus in vivo by beta-amyloid precursor protein fragments. Neuroreport. 1997;8:3213–3217.
  • Kim JH, Anwyl R, Suh YH, et al. Use-dependent effects of amyloidogenic fragments of (beta)-amyloid precursor protein on synaptic plasticity in rat hippocampus in vivo. J Neurosci. 2001;21:1327–1333.
  • Knobloch M, Farinelli M, Konietzko U, et al. Ab oligomer-mediated long-term potentiation impairment involves protein phosphatase 1-dependent mechanisms. J Neurosci. 2007;27:7648–7653.
  • Vintém AP, Henriques AG, da Cruz E Silva OA, et al. PP1 inhibition by Abeta peptide as a potential pathological mechanism in Alzheimer's disease. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2009;31(2):85-8.
  • Shughrue PJ, Acton PJ, Breese RS, et al. Anti-ADDL antibodies differentially block oligomer binding to hippocampal neurons. Neurobiol Aging. 2010;31(2):189-202.
  • Lacor PN, Buniel MC, Furlow PW, et al. Abeta oligomer-induced aberrations in synapse composition, shape, and density provide a molecular basis for loss of connectivity in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurosci. 2007;27(4):796-807.
  • Dunys J, Valverde A, Checler F. Are N- and C-terminally truncated Aβ species key pathological triggers in Alzheimer's disease? J Biol Chem. 2018;293(40):15419–15428.
  • Wang Z, Jackson RJ, Hong W, et al. Human brain-derived Abeta oligomers bind to synapses and disrupt synaptic activity in a manner that requires APP. J Neurosci. 2017;37:11947–11966.
  • Hu NW, Corbett GT, Moore S, et al. Extracellular forms of Aβ and tau from iPSC models of Alzheimer's disease disrupt synaptic plasticity. Cell Rep. 2018;23:1932–1938.
  • Paula-Lima AC, Brito-Moreira J, Ferreira ST. Deregulation of excitatory neurotransmission underlying synapse failure in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurochem. 2013;126(2):191-202.
  • Barbier P, Zejneli O, Martinho M, et al. Role of Tau as a Microtubule-Associated Protein: Structural and Functional Aspects. Front Aging Neurosci. 2019;11:204.
  • Martin L, Latypova X, Wilson CM, et al.Tau protein phosphatases in Alzheimer’s disease: The leading role of PP2A. Ageing Res Rev. 2013;12:39–49.
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There are 93 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Neurosciences (Other)
Journal Section Review
Authors

Gamze Doğan 0000-0001-5903-6428

Güvem Gümüş Akay 0000-0002-6564-3133

Submission Date July 2, 2025
Acceptance Date December 8, 2025
Publication Date December 31, 2025
DOI https://doi.org/10.65092/autfm.1733075
IZ https://izlik.org/JA23LT38FS
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 78 Issue: 4

Cite

APA Doğan, G., & Gümüş Akay, G. (2025). Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası, 78(4), 283-294. https://doi.org/10.65092/autfm.1733075
AMA 1.Doğan G, Gümüş Akay G. Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası. 2025;78(4):283-294. doi:10.65092/autfm.1733075
Chicago Doğan, Gamze, and Güvem Gümüş Akay. 2025. “Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes”. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası 78 (4): 283-94. https://doi.org/10.65092/autfm.1733075.
EndNote Doğan G, Gümüş Akay G (December 1, 2025) Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası 78 4 283–294.
IEEE [1]G. Doğan and G. Gümüş Akay, “Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes”, Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası, vol. 78, no. 4, pp. 283–294, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.65092/autfm.1733075.
ISNAD Doğan, Gamze - Gümüş Akay, Güvem. “Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes”. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası 78/4 (December 1, 2025): 283-294. https://doi.org/10.65092/autfm.1733075.
JAMA 1.Doğan G, Gümüş Akay G. Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası. 2025;78:283–294.
MLA Doğan, Gamze, and Güvem Gümüş Akay. “Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes”. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası, vol. 78, no. 4, Dec. 2025, pp. 283-94, doi:10.65092/autfm.1733075.
Vancouver 1.Gamze Doğan, Güvem Gümüş Akay. Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuronal Changes. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası. 2025 Dec. 1;78(4):283-94. doi:10.65092/autfm.1733075