Neuropathology of dementia

Dementia is the clinical consequence of various neurological disorders with a multitude of etiologies. Precise knowledge of the underlying pathologies is essential for an accurate treatment of patients and for the development of suitable disease biomarkers. A definite diagnosis of many of the disorders, particularly for neurodegenerative ones, can only be made after a thorough postmortem neuropathological examination. This highlights the importance of performing a brain autopsy and the relevance of a close interaction between clinicians, neuroimaging disciplines and neuropathologists as well as with basic researchers. This article aims to give a brief overview on the neuropathology of dementia focusing on neurodegenerative diseases, to further facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration.