Cell Types Overview describes a neural cell population with specific vulnerability or functional significance in neurodegenerative disease. This page covers cell morphology, molecular markers, connectivity, and disease-specific pathological changes.
This section covers the major cell types in the brain and their roles in neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding cell-type-specific vulnerability and dysfunction is essential for developing targeted therapies that address the underlying biology of neurodegeneration.[@serranopozo2022]
Cell Types Overview describes a neural cell population with specific vulnerability or functional significance in neurodegenerative disease. This page covers cell morphology, molecular markers, connectivity, and disease-specific pathological changes.
This section covers the major cell types in the brain and their roles in neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding cell-type-specific vulnerability and dysfunction is essential for developing targeted therapies that address the underlying biology of neurodegeneration.[@serranopozo2022]
Neuronal Cell Types
Dopaminergic Neurons
Dopaminergic [neurons](/entities/neurons) are selectively vulnerable in [Parkinson's disease](/diseases/parkinsons-disease):
[Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta (SNc) neurons](/cell-types/dopaminergic-neurons) — Primary cells lost in Parkinson's disease (~70% loss at diagnosis)
[Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) neurons](/cell-types/vta-neurons) — Reward system, affected in PD but more resistant
Cholinergic Neurons
Critical for memory and attention, lost in [Alzheimer's disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease):
[Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons](/cell-types/basal-forebrain-cholinergic-neurons) — Memory and attention, severely lost in AD
[Brainstem cholinergic nuclei](/cell-types/brainstem-cholinergic) — Wakefulness and arousal systems
Glutamatergic Neurons
Primary excitatory neurons in the [cortex](/brain-regions/cortex):
[Cortical pyramidal neurons](/cell-types/pyramidal-neurons) — Primary excitatory neurons, vulnerable in FTD
[Hippocampal CA1 neurons](/cell-types/hippocampal-ca1-neurons) — Memory formation, particularly vulnerable in AD
[Granule cells](/cell-types/cerebellar-granule-cells) — Cerebellar function, affected in ataxias
GABAergic Neurons
Inhibitory neurons that balance excitation:
[Cortical interneurons](/cell-types/gabaergic-neurons) — Inhibitory regulation, include somatostatin and parvalbumin types
[Parvalbumin neurons](/cell-types/parvalbumin-neurons) — Fast-spiking interneurons, disrupted early in AD
Glial Cell Types
Microglia
The brain's resident immune cells, central to neuroinflammation:[@hans2022]
[Disease-associated [microglia](/cell-types/microglia-neuroinflammation) (DAM)]/cell-types/disease-associated-microglia) — Neurodegeneration-associated activation state
[TREM2-expressing microglia](/cell-types/trem2-expressing-microglia) — Critical for amyloid clearance, risk variants impair function