Conclusions on Neurodegenerative Disorders

Neurodegenerative diseases strip an individual of his or her cognitive powers, functional capacity, and autonomy while increasing dependence on others. They are an existential threat to an aging society in its ability to provide a meaningful and high quality of life to all its citizens. The classical view of neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) emphasized the distinctness of each NDD ,with a definable clinical syndrome of neurological deficits, behavioral changes, and progressive functional decline, underpinned by inexorable neuronal loss that is pathological for the age of the subject. Neurodegenerative Disorders: Unifying Principles has covered each of these themes from multiple expert domains to basic science to clinical therapeutics. This detailed overview emphasizes the work recently accomplished to uncover shared themes across NDDs and further posits questions for the future.