Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a distinctive abnormality of small cerebral blood vessels, one that has intrigued neuroscientists for decades. This text examines the phenomenon of CAA using a multifaceted approach: What does it produce clinically? How might CAA be imaged? What are the crucial biochemical/cellular events within cerebral vessel walls that lead to CAA? How can in vitro or transgenic experimental systems be used to understand the etiology of, or even potential treatments for, CAA? The editors have assembled key figures in the field of CAA research to examine these (and other) questions in a series of focused chapters that address specific issues of importance in understanding CAA and its clinical manifestations. Comprehending the biology and pathogenesis of this vascular lesion may even provide clues to less common forms of cerebral microvascular disease that have been recognized for decades (hypertensive microangiopathy) or more recently (CADASIL).