A critical role of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage has been implicated in etiopathology of many neurodegenerative disorders, as well as in normal aging. Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are common devastating late-onset neurodegenerative disorders, associated with mitochondrial DNA variations, which are suggested to affect mitochondrial functions. This paper reviews the current knowledge on the inherited and somatic mtDNA variations in both conditions.
Aleksandra Maruszak, Department of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Medical Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5, 02-106 Warszawa, Poland