The aim of this study was to determine whether there is more neurodegenerative change within the brains of fatally injured older pedestrians compared to non-pedestrian fatalities. For all the pedestrians, the types of accidents were analysed for correlations between amount of neurodegeneration and the crash characteristics. The sample consisted of 51 pedestrians and 49 controls who were subject to coronial post mortem examinations. The Braak and Braak method was used to score each brain. For each brain, neurofibrillary tangles, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, were assessed using immunohistochemistry and silver staining techniques. The authors results show that 37 per cent of the pedestrians and 14 per cent of controls had high B&B scores indicating increased neurodegeneration in the pedestrian fatalities. These findings support the view that cognitive decline and neurodegeneration are important factors in older pedestrian behaviour that impact on road safety. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E210298.
Samenvatting