Table 3.
Human diseases, disorders, and injuries that are characterized by neuronal loss in focal brain regions.
| Injury, disease, or disorder | Brain region lacking neurons | Relevant references consulted |
|---|---|---|
| Developmental disorders | ||
| Fetal alcohol syndrome disorders | Cortical thinning in the bilateral middle frontal lobes, lateral and inferior temporal and occipital lobes, pre- and post-central areas | (194) |
| High-functioning autism spectrum disorders | Cortical thinning in the left temporal and parietal cortices | (195, 196) |
| Tourette syndrome | Cortical thinning in frontal and parietal lobes (specifically in ventral sensory and motor regions) | (197) |
| Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder | Cortical thinning in frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes (specifically in pars opercularis, medial temporal cortices, medial and superior prefrontal and precentral regions) | (198–201) |
| 22q11.2 deletion syndrome | Cortical thinning in superior parietal cortices, right parietooccipital cortex, and bilateral pars orbitalis | (202) |
| Childhood absence epilepsy | Cortical thinning in left orbital frontal gyrus and bilateral temporal lobes | (203) |
| Hypomyelination with atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum | Small putamen and caudate nucleus; cerebellar atrophy | (204, 205) |
| Neurodegenerative diseases | ||
| Parkinson's disease | Degeneration of substantia nigra pars compacta | (206, 207) |
| Huntington's disease | Degeneration of striatal medium spiny neurons in the caudate and putamen | (208, 209) |
| Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | Atrophy of upper motor neurons in the motor cortex and lower motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord | (210, 211) |
| Acquired brain injury | ||
| Focal ischemic stroke | Various localized brain regions | (212–216) |
| Focal traumatic brain injury | Various localized brain regions | (217–221) |