Research progress of posterior cortical atrophy

Posterior cotical atrophy (PCA) is a kind of progressive dementia with main clinical manifestations of visual dysfunction as the starting symptom and associated with progressive cognitive disorder. The histopathology and imaging of PCA show visual dysfunction, neuritic plaques (NPs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which are the same as those in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Researches also showed that mutation of presenilin-1 ( PS-1 ) gene and apolipoprotein E ( ApoE ) genotype may participate in the occurrence and development of PCA. Parieto-occipital lobe atrophy, hypoperfusion and/or glucose metabolism reduction in the right posterior cerebrum can be seen in PCA. Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) may improve the symptoms and postpone the progression of illness. No unified diagnostic criteria will reduce the comparability between different studies. Reasonable usage of the diagnostic criteria of PCA will be helpful in classifying and differentiating this disease. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2016.06.011