The size distribution of neurons in the motor cortex in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The motor cortex of eight patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and nine control subjects was used in the study. Recent stereological tools, the disector and the rotator method, were applied to the motor cortex of patients with ALS and control subjects to obtain estimates of mean perikar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of anatomy 2005-10, Vol.207 (4), p.399-407
Main Authors: Toft, Mette Helene, Gredal, Ole, Pakkenberg, Bente
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - pathology
Case-Control Studies
Cell Count
Cell Nucleus - ultrastructure
Cell Size
Dissection
Female
Humans
Male
mean cell volume
Middle Aged
Motor Cortex - pathology
Motor Neurons - pathology
optical disector
Original
Statistics as Topic
stereology
Stereotaxic Techniques
total neuron volume
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Description
Summary:The motor cortex of eight patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and nine control subjects was used in the study. Recent stereological tools, the disector and the rotator method, were applied to the motor cortex of patients with ALS and control subjects to obtain estimates of mean perikaryon volume, mean neuronal nuclear volume, total perikaryon volume and total neuronal nuclear volume. No significant differences were found in any of the estimates. In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies show a decrease in the concentration of neuronal markers. We expected to find changes in perikaryon and/or nuclei neuronal volume because the total neuron number is unchanged in ALS compared with control subjects. However, this was not the case; our results suggest that metabolic changes take place in the motor cortex of ALS patients without these concomitant anatomical changes.
ISSN:0021-8782
1469-7580
DOI:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2005.00465.x