Pathological substrate of memory impairment in multiple system atrophy

Aims: Synaptic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease is caused by propagation of pathogenic alpha-synuclein between neurons. Previously, in multiple system atrophy (MSA), pathologically characterised by ectopic deposition of abnormal alpha-synuclein predominantly in oligodendrocytes, we demonstrated that the occurrence of memory impairment was associated with the number of alpha-synuclein-positive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCIs) in the hippocampus. In the present study, we aimed to investigate how abnormal alpha-synuclein in the hippocampus can lead to memory impairment.