Diseases Dashboard
Overview
The Diseases Dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of neurodegenerative disease coverage in NeuroWiki. This page serves as a central navigation hub for finding disease information by category, progression stage, and research focus. [@alzheimers2024]
Quick Stats
| Metric | Value | [@parkinsons2023]
|--------|-------|
| Total Disease Pages | 373 |
| Alzheimer's Related | ~40 |
| Parkinson's Related | ~25 |
| FTD Variants | ~15 |
| ALS Variants | ~10 |
Navigation
By Disease Category
- [Disease Overview](/diseases/overview) — Comprehensive disease mechanisms
- [Disease Classifications](/diseases/disease-classification) — Taxonomic relationships
- [Disease Prevalence](/diseases/disease-prevalence) — Epidemiology data
- [Disease Progression](/diseases/disease-progression) — Staging systems
By Disease
- [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease): [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease), [Early-onset AD](/diseases/early-onset-alzheimers), [AD Genetic Variants](/diseases/alzheimers-genetic-variants)
- Parkinson's Disease: [Parkinson's Disease](/diseases/parkinsons-disease), [PD Genetic Variants](/diseases/parkinsons-genetic-variants), [Parkinsonism](/diseases/parkinsonism)
- Frontotemporal Dementia: [FTD](/diseases/frontotemporal-dementia), [FTD-ALS](/diseases/als-ftd-spectrum), [bvFTD](/diseases/behavioral-variant-ftd)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: [ALS](/diseases/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis), [ALS Genetic Variants](/diseases/als-genetic-variants)
Key Pathways
- [Amyloid Cascade](/mechanisms/alpha-synuclein) — Amyloid and tau pathologies
- [Alpha-Synucleinopathies](/diseases/alpha-synucleinopathies) — Lewy body diseases
- [TDP-43 Proteinopathies](/diseases/tdp-43-proteinopathy) — ALS/FTD link
Research Focus Areas
Biomarkers
- [p-tau 217](/biomarkers/p-tau-217) — AD detection
- [NfL](/biomarkers/neurofilament-light-chain-nfl) — Neurodegeneration marker
- [sTREM2](/biomarkers/strem2) — Microglial activation
Therapeutic Targets
- [APP Processing](/mechanisms/app-processing) — [Amyloid precursor protein](/entities/app-protein)
- [TREM2](/proteins/trem2-protein) — Microglial target
- [Alpha-Synuclein](/proteins/alpha-synuclein) — Lewy body target
Featured Disease Pages
Most Comprehensive
Alzheimer's Disease — Full mechanistic coverage, biomarkers, treatments
Parkinson's Disease — Motor/non-motor symptoms, genetics, therapies
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis — Genetics, mechanisms, clinical trialsRecently Updated
- Added genetic variant pages for major diseases
- Expanded biomarker associations
- Updated clinical trial linkages
Disease Severity Rankings
| Rank | Disease | Severity | Key Mechanism |
|------|---------|----------|---------------|
| 1 | ALS | Very High | Motor neuron degeneration |
| 2 | FTD | High | Frontotemporal atrophy |
| 3 | Parkinson's | Moderate-High | Dopaminergic loss |
| 4 | Alzheimer's | Moderate | Amyloid/tau pathology |
- [Genes](/genes) — Disease-associated genes
- [Proteins](/proteins) — Disease-related proteins
- [Mechanisms](/mechanisms) — Pathogenic pathways
- [Clinical Trials](/clinical-trials) — Ongoing studies
See Also
- [Disease Overview](/diseases/overview)
- [Disease Classifications](/diseases/disease-classification)
- [Disease Prevalence](/diseases/disease-prevalence)
- [Disease Progression](/diseases/disease-progression)
- [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)
- [Early-onset AD](/diseases/early-onset-alzheimers)
- [AD Genetic Variants](/diseases/alzheimers-genetic-variants)
- [Parkinson's Disease](/diseases/parkinsons-disease)
- [PD Genetic Variants](/diseases/parkinsons-genetic-variants)
- [Parkinsonism](/diseases/parkinsonism)
External Links
- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
- [KEGG Pathways](https://www.genome.jp/kegg/pathway.html)
Key Pathways
NeuroWiki documents the major molecular and cellular pathways implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. These pathways form the mechanistic basis for understanding disease progression and identifying therapeutic targets.
Amyloid Processing Pathway: The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is cleaved by [beta-secretase](/entities/bace1) (BACE1) and [gamma-secretase](/entities/gamma-secretase) to produce [amyloid-beta](/proteins/amyloid-beta) peptides. Aggregated amyloid-beta forms plaques that disrupt synaptic function and trigger neuroinflammation. See [Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis](/mechanisms/amyloid-cascade) for detailed mechanism.
Tau Pathology Pathway: Hyperphosphorylated [tau protein](/proteins/tau) dissociates from microtubules and forms neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). This disrupts axonal transport and leads to neuronal death. The tau propagation model describes how pathological tau spreads between connected [neurons](/entities/neurons). See [Tau Pathogenesis](/mechanisms/tau-pathogenesis).
Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation: Native alpha-synuclein misfolds and forms oligomers, then fibrils, and eventually Lewy bodies. This process is implicated in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. The spreading hypothesis suggests prion-like transmission between cells. See [Alpha-Synuclein Pathology](/mechanisms/alpha-synuclein-pathology).
Neuroinflammation Cascade: Activated [microglia](/cell-types/microglia-neuroinflammation) release pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6) that create a chronic inflammatory environment. This neuroinflammation accelerates neuronal loss and exacerbates protein aggregation. See [Neuroinflammation Mechanisms](/mechanisms/neuroinflammation).
Mitochondrial Dysfunction: Impaired mitochondrial function leads to reduced ATP production, increased [reactive oxygen species](/entities/reactive-oxygen-species) (ROS), and [apoptosis](/entities/apoptosis) activation. Mitochondrial DNA mutations accumulate in neurons with age. See [Mitochondrial Pathways](/mechanisms/mitochondrial-dysfunction).
Research Focus Areas
Current research in neurodegenerative diseases focuses on several key areas that NeuroWiki tracks comprehensively:
Genetic Risk Factors: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous risk loci for AD and PD. Key genes include [APOE](/proteins/apoe), [TREM2](/proteins/trem2), and CLU for Alzheimer's, and [LRRK2](/entities/lrrk2), [GBA](/entities/gba), and SNCA for Parkinson's. NeuroWiki maintains detailed gene-disease association pages.
Biomarker Development: Researchers are developing fluid biomarkers (Aβ42, tau, α-synuclein) and imaging biomarkers (PET tracers, MRI) for early diagnosis and disease monitoring. The [Biomarkers](/biomarkers) section tracks these advances.
Therapeutic Strategies: Drug development focuses on disease-modifying therapies targeting amyloid, tau, α-synuclein, and neuroinflammation. The [Treatments](/therapeutics) section documents clinical trials and approved therapies.
Disease Severity Rankings
NeuroWiki ranks diseases by various severity metrics to help prioritize research and treatment efforts:
| Rank | Disease | Key Features |
|------|---------|--------------|
| 1 | Alzheimer's Disease | Most prevalent, progressive cognitive decline |
| 2 | Parkinson's Disease | Motor symptoms, Lewy body pathology |
| 3 | ALS | Rapid progression, motor neuron degeneration |
| 4 | Frontotemporal Dementia | Behavioral variant, language deficits |
| 5 | Huntington's Disease | Genetic, movement and cognitive decline |
References
[Unknown, Alzheimer's disease: Global prevalence and trends (2024) (2024)](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2024.01.001)
[Unknown, Parkinson's disease epidemiology (2023) (2023)](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parkreldis.2023.01.001)