Neuroevolution and neurodegeneration: Two sides of the same coin?
This chapter will consider whether neurodegenerative diseases may be informative with respect to the scaling up of the central nervous system (CNS) over evolutionary time. Neurodegenerative illnesses are becoming increasingly prominent as the world's population ages demographically. Alzheimer&#...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Book Chapter |
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Cambridge University Press
2012
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41950 |
| _version_ | 1848756284973645824 |
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| author | Foster, Jonathan Boord, P. Smith, M. |
| author2 | Poiani, A. |
| author_facet | Poiani, A. Foster, Jonathan Boord, P. Smith, M. |
| author_sort | Foster, Jonathan |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This chapter will consider whether neurodegenerative diseases may be informative with respect to the scaling up of the central nervous system (CNS) over evolutionary time. Neurodegenerative illnesses are becoming increasingly prominent as the world's population ages demographically. Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most common form of dementia, a major neurodegenerative illness. AD brain pathology progresses in a well-characterised dynamic sequence: there is an advancing wave of cortical atrophy sweeping from limbic and temporal cortices into association areas of the cortex which subserve higher order aspects of cognition, including declarative memory (Braak and Braak, 1995). In contrast, neuropathological changes are minimal in brain regions which mediate more fundamental cognitive processes underlying perception and movement. Taken together, are these changes informative with respect to how the brain evolved? Specifically, does the sequence of neuropathology and cognitive symptomatology in AD represent a type of ‘reverse ontogeny’ in humans? Additionally, in the context of pragmatic evolutionary considerations, could a better evolutionary understanding of the brain help in improved diagnosis and/or treatment for neurodegenerative illnesses such as AD? |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:09:46Z |
| format | Book Chapter |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-41950 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:09:46Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-419502017-01-30T14:56:35Z Neuroevolution and neurodegeneration: Two sides of the same coin? Foster, Jonathan Boord, P. Smith, M. Poiani, A. This chapter will consider whether neurodegenerative diseases may be informative with respect to the scaling up of the central nervous system (CNS) over evolutionary time. Neurodegenerative illnesses are becoming increasingly prominent as the world's population ages demographically. Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most common form of dementia, a major neurodegenerative illness. AD brain pathology progresses in a well-characterised dynamic sequence: there is an advancing wave of cortical atrophy sweeping from limbic and temporal cortices into association areas of the cortex which subserve higher order aspects of cognition, including declarative memory (Braak and Braak, 1995). In contrast, neuropathological changes are minimal in brain regions which mediate more fundamental cognitive processes underlying perception and movement. Taken together, are these changes informative with respect to how the brain evolved? Specifically, does the sequence of neuropathology and cognitive symptomatology in AD represent a type of ‘reverse ontogeny’ in humans? Additionally, in the context of pragmatic evolutionary considerations, could a better evolutionary understanding of the brain help in improved diagnosis and/or treatment for neurodegenerative illnesses such as AD? 2012 Book Chapter http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41950 Cambridge University Press restricted |
| spellingShingle | Foster, Jonathan Boord, P. Smith, M. Neuroevolution and neurodegeneration: Two sides of the same coin? |
| title | Neuroevolution and neurodegeneration: Two sides of the same coin? |
| title_full | Neuroevolution and neurodegeneration: Two sides of the same coin? |
| title_fullStr | Neuroevolution and neurodegeneration: Two sides of the same coin? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neuroevolution and neurodegeneration: Two sides of the same coin? |
| title_short | Neuroevolution and neurodegeneration: Two sides of the same coin? |
| title_sort | neuroevolution and neurodegeneration: two sides of the same coin? |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41950 |