Abstract
Neuropathological findings in a 38 year old patient with dementia of frontal lobe type and motor neuron disease included pyramidal tracts, myelin pallor and neuron loss, gliosis and chromatolysis in the hypoglossal nucleus, together with frontal atrophy, neuron loss, gliosis and spongiosis in the upper cortical layers of the frontal (and temporal) lobes. Most remaining pyramidal and non-pyramidal neurons (multipolar, bitufted and bipolar cells) in the upper layers (layers II and III) of the frontal cortex (area B) had reduced dendritic arbors, proximal dendritic varicosities and amputation of dendrites as revealed in optimally stained rapid Golgi sections. Pyramidal cells in these layers also showed depletion of dendritic spines. Neurons in the inner layers were preserved. Loss of receptive surfaces in neurons of the upper cortical layers in the frontal cortex are indicative of neuronal disconnection, and are "hidden" contributory morphological substrates for the development of dementia.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Brownell B., Oppenheimer D. R., Hughes J. T. The central nervous system in motor neurone disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1970 Jun;33(3):338–357. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.33.3.338. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brun A. Frontal lobe degeneration of non-Alzheimer type. I. Neuropathology. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 1987 Sep;6(3):193–208. doi: 10.1016/0167-4943(87)90021-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Catalá I., Ferrer I., Galofré E., Fábregues I. Decreased numbers of dendritic spines on cortical pyramidal neurons in dementia. A quantitative Golgi study on biopsy samples. Hum Neurobiol. 1988;6(4):255–259. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ferrer I., Guionnet N., Cruz-Sánchez F., Tuñn T. Neuronal alterations in patients with dementia: a Golgi study on biopsy samples. Neurosci Lett. 1990 Jun 22;114(1):11–16. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(90)90420-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gilbert J. J., Kish S. J., Chang L. J., Morito C., Shannak K., Hornykiewicz O. Dementia, parkinsonism, and motor neuron disease: neurochemical and neuropathological correlates. Ann Neurol. 1988 Nov;24(5):688–691. doi: 10.1002/ana.410240518. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Horoupian D. S., Thal L., Katzman R., Terry R. D., Davies P., Hirano A., DeTeresa R., Fuld P. A., Petito C., Blass J. Dementia and motor neuron disease: morphometric, biochemical, and Golgi studies. Ann Neurol. 1984 Sep;16(3):305–313. doi: 10.1002/ana.410160306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hudson A. J. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and its association with dementia, parkinsonism and other neurological disorders: a review. Brain. 1981 Jun;104(2):217–247. doi: 10.1093/brain/104.2.217. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Knopman D. S., Mastri A. R., Frey W. H., 2nd, Sung J. H., Rustan T. Dementia lacking distinctive histologic features: a common non-Alzheimer degenerative dementia. Neurology. 1990 Feb;40(2):251–256. doi: 10.1212/wnl.40.2.251. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Morita K., Kaiya H., Ikeda T., Namba M. Presenile dementia combined with amyotrophy: a review of 34 Japanese cases. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 1987 Sep;6(3):263–277. doi: 10.1016/0167-4943(87)90026-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Neary D., Snowden J. S., Mann D. M., Northen B., Goulding P. J., Macdermott N. Frontal lobe dementia and motor neuron disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1990 Jan;53(1):23–32. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.53.1.23. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Neary D., Snowden J. S., Northen B., Goulding P. Dementia of frontal lobe type. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1988 Mar;51(3):353–361. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.51.3.353. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]