Targeting the function of the transentorhinal cortex to identify early cognitive markers of Alzheimer's disease

Initial neuropathology of early Alzheimer's disease accumulates in the transentorhinal cortex. We review empirical data suggesting that tasks assessing cognitive functions supported by the transenthorinal cortex are impaired as early as the preclinical stages of Alzheimer's disease. These tasks span across various domains, including episodic memory, semantic memory, language, and perception. We propose that all tasks sensitive to Alzheimer-related transentorhinal neuropathology commonly rely on representations of entities supporting the processing and discrimination of items having perceptually and conceptually overlapping features. In the future, we suggest a screening tool that is sensitive and specific to very early Alzheimer's disease to probe memory and perceptual discrimination of highly similar entities.

Automated summary

The initial neuropathology of early Alzheimer's disease is found in the transentorhinal cortex. Multiple tasks assessing cognitive functions supported by the transentorhinal cortex show impairment in the preclinical stages of the disease, including episodic memory, semantic memory, language, and perception. It is suggested that these tasks rely on representations of entities that involve processing and discrimination of items with perceptually and conceptually overlapping features, which are affected by Alzheimer-related transentorhinal neuropathology.